Since his relationship with Lu Yan couldn't be exposed, Shen Qingfeng put on a shocked look. He lowered his head, and taking advantage of the moment when his bangs covered his eyes, he blinked several times in quick succession until his eyes were bloodshot and filled with a few teardrops. Then he looked up at He Jiu, his lips trembling as he said, "He... He Zhishu, what are you talking about?"
He Jiu thought this plan was working, but on the surface, he pretended to look concerned. He walked over and patted Shen Qingfeng on the shoulder, consoling him, "Qingfeng, don't be too sad. The Second Prince just found out about this. Afraid that you might be wronged without knowing, he asked me to tell you first."
Shen Qingfeng didn't say a word. He just sat there stupidly on the stool, looking extremely heart - broken.
Seeing this, He Jiu added fuel to the fire. "Well, Qingfeng. Since neither of us is in the palace now and we don't know much about this matter. If you want to know the ins and outs, come with me to the Prince Cheng's Mansion later. If you have any difficulties or secrets, you can ask the Second Prince for help, right?"
Help me? Shen Qingfeng thought to himself. It's already a blessing that he didn't send Qi Mengmeng straight to Xia Chuli's bed.
Shen Qingfeng reached out to wipe away his tears, grabbed He Jiu's hand, and said, "He Zhishu, I want to know what's going on. Can you take me there now? Please?"
He Jiu thought for a moment and said, "Well... all right. Let's set off now."
At a quarter to six in the afternoon, the two arrived at the Prince Cheng's Mansion by carriage.
He Jiu was very enthusiastic. He directly pulled Shen Qingfeng into the mansion. Presumably, he was quite familiar with the Prince Cheng's Mansion. After the maid in the mansion reported their arrival, not long after, Prince Cheng Xia Yonglin walked into the main hall in his middle - length robe.
Shen Qingfeng glanced at him and quickly noticed a faint red mark just below his neck.
Prince Cheng Xia Yonglin was a cunning man. Besides, he was extremely lecherous and had no preference for gender. In his Prince Cheng's Mansion, there was even a brothel filled with beautiful women just for his own pleasure.
In his previous life, when Shen Qingfeng captured the Prince Cheng's Mansion, he released all those people. There were nearly a hundred of them.
He wondered where Xia Yonglin got all this endless desire. He was just like a stud horse, indulging in lust even during the day.
"Your Highness, the Second Prince." He Jiu stood up and bowed to Xia Yonglin.
Shen Qingfeng kept a straight face and didn't greet him. Instead, he suddenly stood up and got straight to the point. "Your Highness, what's going on with Qi Mengmeng?"
Staring at Xia Yonglin like this, he looked somewhat startled. Xia Yonglin raised his eyebrows, stepped closer to examine Shen Qingfeng's face carefully, then patted him on the shoulder with a soft smile and pretended to be kind. "Qingfeng, calm down. Come, let's sit down and talk."
Shen Qingfeng was led to sit down. As soon as he sat on the seat, he couldn't help but ask again. "Your Highness, didn't the King say that Qi Mengmeng was going to be a maid in the Eastern Palace? What's this about a royal marriage?"
Xia Yonglin sighed and said, "Qingfeng, you're too naive. When has the King ever personally appointed someone to be a maid? Qi Mengmeng was originally meant to be my elder brother's wife."
Shen Qingfeng widened his eyes, covered his head and let out a strange cry. His whole body was trembling violently. "Impossible! A Li promised me that he wouldn't marry her!"
Seeing his strong reaction, Xia Yonglin was secretly delighted. He exchanged a look with He Jiu who was sitting beside him, then patted Shen Qingfeng on the back and said hypocritically, "Hey, Qingfeng, don't be too sad. Since this was decided by the King, there's probably no room for change. Look on the bright side. Qi Mengmeng is at least good - looking..."
"Impossible! I don't believe it!" Shen Qingfeng acted very realistically. He tried to recall how he should have behaved in his previous life and said, "A Li won't agree. As long as he doesn't agree, Qi Mengmeng won't be able to enter the Eastern Palace."
Xia Yonglin sighed and said, "Qi Mengmeng's marriage was bestowed by the King. Even if my elder brother doesn't agree, there's nothing he can do. Moreover, it was Xia Chuli himself who received that imperial edict."
Shen Qingfeng stopped for a moment, then covered his face and let out a loud cry. Ignoring everyone, he stood up and walked out.
He Jiu and Xia Yonglin were startled. They quickly pulled him back and continued to persuade him.
Shen Qingfeng acted very realistically. After all, he was reborn. He knew exactly what everyone liked and what their personalities were like. Besides, he had lived a few more years than the two in front of him. It was very easy for him to deceive them.
The two persuaded Shen Qingfeng for a while. When Xia Yonglin thought the time was right, he couldn't hold back anymore. "Qingfeng, look at Xia Chuli. He promised you nicely before, but now he's getting married. Obviously, he's just playing with you. He deliberately didn't tell you, isn't it because he was afraid you'd find out?"
Shen Qingfeng knew that Xia Yonglin wanted to win him over. But since he also knew that his relationship with Xia Chuli was special and that he wasn't easy to be lured away, Xia Yonglin didn't act too hastily. Instead, he said slowly, "You see, you're my elder brother's reading companion, but this position doesn't have an official rank. Since you left the Eastern Palace, haven't you seen each other less? He's the Crown Prince and you're a commoner. There's a huge gap between you two."
Shen Qingfeng looked at him and asked, "What does Your Highness mean?"
Xia Yonglin put on a kind - hearted look and said, "I'll ask you, do you want to confront my elder brother in person?"
Shen Qingfeng was stunned.
"But you can't even enter the palace gate now because you're not an official." Xia Yonglin sighed and pretended, "I know you're very disappointed in my elder brother. After all, I've seen you two rely on each other for so long. Your relationship is naturally special. But he just left you out, which is a bit too cold - blooded."
"Well, let me see if I can arrange a position for you in the Prime Minister's Mansion. You can work under your father. Then you'll have the opportunity to enter the palace. If you see my elder brother more often, maybe you can clear things up?"
He Jiu nodded beside them. Shen Qingfeng thought for a long time and then gritted his teeth and said, "All right. Thank you, Your Highness, the Second Prince."
Humph. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Xia Yonglin sounded so high - minded, but in fact, he had his own agenda. However, having an official position would make his actions more convenient. So he'd agree to him first and see what he was up to.
Shen Qingfeng and Xia Yonglin hit it off, and this matter was settled. By then, it was already late, and it was almost time for the dinner party. He Jiu took his leave first, but Xia Yonglin invited Shen Qingfeng to have wine with him.
Shen Qingfeng refused several times, but Xia Yonglin always found a way to smooth things over. So he didn't say anything more. He thought it would be nice to get a free meal from the Prince Cheng. He'd definitely eat more later.
He Jiu was right. Today's banquet was indeed different from yesterday's. Xia Yonglin had a lot of influence. The people he invited were all royal family members and court officials. Of course, he didn't invite people like Qi Shuhuan and Shen Shiqiu who were old and had different ideas. After all, the banquet was held in the brothel in his mansion.
Shen Qingfeng followed Xia Yonglin into the room. As soon as he entered, he saw Chen Luo smiling at him and Su Huanyu sitting beside Chen Luo.
The Marquis of the Southwest and the Marquis of the East Hunan were both invited by Xia Yonglin? Then what about Lu Yan...
Shen Qingfeng looked around, but he didn't see Lu Yan's figure.
Seeing that he looked a bit uneasy, Xia Yonglin understood. He leaned over to Shen Qingfeng's ear and said, "Don't worry, Qingfeng. I didn't invite that Lu Yan you hate. It's said that like my elder brother, he's been assigned tasks by the King recently and has been very busy in the Bian Palace."