Qin Junxing smiled noncommittally. "You can rest assured on this. They're only loyal to their master. Whether you can make use of them is up to you!"
Hearing this, Xie Fengran understood that Qin Junxing indeed knew the reason behind it.
"Bloodthirsty Guards!" Xie Fengran suddenly uttered, looking straight into Qin Junxing's eyes. "These were the guards bestowed by the founding emperor of the Great Yue. I'd like to know what relation they have with the current royal private guards?"
Every emperor of the Great Yue had a private guard, who served as the emperor's personal bodyguards and the last line of defense for the emperor's safety.
Since the emperor regarded them so highly, she had every reason to suspect that the Bloodthirsty Guards were the private guards of the founding emperor.
But to her surprise, Qin Junxing shook his head. "It's really hard for our Ranran to think of the emperor's private guards. However..."
"However what?" Didn't this guy fear getting beaten for speaking like this?
Qin Junxing seemed to be deliberately whetting her appetite or perhaps wanted to test Xie Fengran. "Do you know that the most mysterious royal guards have never been the emperor's private guards?"
"Then what are they?" Xie Fengran had only learned about the emperor's private guards from Emperor Dezong's personal notes.
Qin Junxing wasn't in a hurry to answer. He just gave a hint. "That day at the Sun family, you said you'd read Emperor Dezong's personal notes. Do you remember that Emperor Dezong mentioned the rebellion case fifty years ago?"
"Rebellion case!" Xie Fengran murmured. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind.
"Are you referring to the rebellion case of Prince Yue fifty years ago?"
"Exactly!"
"Secret agents!" In a split - second, Xie Fengran remembered. "Could it be that the Bloodthirsty Guards are the secret agents?"
"Smart!"
Emperor Dezong's personal notes didn't clearly state that the rebellion of Prince Yue was instigated by secret agents. The fact that she could figure out the truth from the clues showed her intelligence.
"Before the rebellion case, the most mysterious royal guards were actually secret agents. They had no titles, no names, only codes, and were always under the command of the prince most trusted by the emperor.
"When Emperor Dezong ascended the throne, due to the large number of opponents, it took a great deal of effort to quell the opposition in the court. For a while, she overlooked the secret agents within the royal clan. Prince Yue was Emperor Dezong's uncle, the most trusted brother of the old emperor, and also a royal relative who had always supported her to ascend the throne.
"What Emperor Dezong didn't expect was that it was all a scheme of her uncle. While gaining her trust, he used the secret agents to collect the handles of court officials, contact allies, and stage a rebellion. In the end, if it weren't for the powerful private guards of Emperor Dezong, Prince Yue might have succeeded!"
Qin Junxing picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp. When he looked up again, there was a faint trace of admiration in his eyes. "After that, Emperor Dezong made up her mind to abolish this secret - agent organization. She transformed those who hadn't betrayed into an intelligence organization for the army, specializing in spying on the enemy's situation."
Emperor Dezong, a woman, could firmly sit on the dragon throne and still have such broad - mindedness. How could one not admire her?
This thrilling piece of history, when told by Qin Junxing, didn't seem full of under - handed struggles but rather added a touch of calmness.
Even so, Xie Fengran still felt shocked. She subconsciously picked up the teacup and took a sip, then asked, "So, the Bloodthirsty Guards follow the same pattern as the secret agents?"
"Exactly. There are no longer any secret agents in the royal family. Those who were incorporated by Emperor Dezong are now at the northwestern border, under my mother's command. Do you think the emperor won't be envious of the remaining ones?"
Qin Junxing naturally picked up the teapot and refilled Xie Fengran's cup. Then he continued, "As far as I know, among the noble families in the capital, only your Marquis of Dingguo's Mansion has passed down these private guards most completely. For the other families, even if the royal family didn't take them back, they couldn't afford to support so many people and have long since abandoned them!"
So that's how it was. No wonder Qin Junxing knew everything so clearly.
Xie Fengran's heart sank. This feeling was really not good!
Qin Junxing saw the girl with a solemn expression and a wrinkled brow. Suddenly, he had an urge to smooth out her frown.
He knocked on the table.
Xie Fengran was interrupted from her thoughts and looked over.
Seeing that she was looking over, the prince straightened his body, leaned over the table, and his eager eyes met hers. "Ranran, marry me. Whether it's the Bloodthirsty Guards or the messy affairs in your mansion, leave them to me. I'll handle them for you!"
"Qin Junxing, why should I marry you?"
Xie Fengran looked back at him without dodging. "Although I've never understood why you're so persistent in marrying me, I don't think marrying you is the best choice for me.
"I'm the legitimate daughter of the marquis's mansion. If my mother doesn't give birth again, I'll be the only legitimate child of the marquis's mansion. Naturally, I won't be like other women, coveting your prince title. Moreover, the Princess Mansion is in a prosperous but complex situation. I don't want to get involved in this mess. Finally, a person like you who can even calculate his own marriage is really not a good match!"
"Besides, how do you know that I can't handle the Bloodthirsty Guards?"
The prince was thoroughly disliked, and his expression became a bit unpleasant.
"Xie Fengran, you're wrong. I don't need to calculate my marriage. Remember, I want to marry you because I've set my heart on you, not your status. Otherwise, do you think the marquis's mansion would still be as peaceful as it is now?"
"Qin Junxing, what on earth do you want to do?"
This guy didn't play by the rules, and even the emperor let him have his way. Xie Fengran was really afraid that one day the marquis's mansion would become cannon fodder.
"What do I want to do?" Qin Junxing straightened his body and sat back. A mocking look appeared on his face. "What do I want to do?"
"I want a truth!"
"Then why are you fixated on me?"
Qin Junxing glanced at her. "To marry you!"
The topic had come full - circle. It was simply impossible to have a conversation.
Xie Fengran suddenly stood up. "Thank you, Your Highness, for your explanation. I'll take my leave!"
"Tsk tsk, once the wife is in the room, the matchmaker is thrown over the wall. Ranran, you're really heartless!"
Xie Fengran stopped in her tracks. The veins on her forehead throbbed. She managed to hold back her anger, turned around, and gave a charming smile. "Your Highness, it was you who sent someone to tell me that you could explain things to me without asking for anything in return."
"Who spread that message? I never said such a thing. After all, I've revealed a big secret to you. Ranran, don't you have any way of showing your gratitude?"
Xie Fengran gritted her teeth. If this guy had no sense of shame, she really didn't know what to do with him.
Now she truly understood what it meant to "seek the tiger's skin"!
Seeing Xie Fengran's expression, Qin Junxing vaguely knew what she was thinking.
A smile curled up on his lips. He suddenly had the urge to tease her, so he wasn't in a hurry to speak. He picked up the teacup and sipped leisurely.
He slowly enjoyed the various expressions on the girl's face.
Old Cheng thought he was wasting money, but little did he know that he was spending money on his future wife!
This girl didn't like being calculated or forced. She was delicate but had a stubborn personality.
She wrote about passionate love but was born into a family with strict rules.
It was really hard on her!