Chapter 2: The Radiant Lotus Tongue

  Chu Ming's eyes widened in surprise. "The King of Beiming has sent a special envoy? Why didn't I hear about it before? Why didn't he just come to the capital to pick him up directly?"

  Qing Ya looked up at the sky and said, "How am I supposed to know? If the envoy isn't dead, you can go ask him yourself."

  It's just that Chu Mingqiu didn't dare to be careless, if the Northern Ming envoy really died in the swamp, not to mention the loss of the Resurrection Grass, I'm afraid the Northern Ming would stir up more trouble...

  Before he could finish thinking, two riders came galloping from the front. Qingya suddenly became calm and said slowly: "These are the killers who have come to catch up with me, Chu Mingqiu, now you can watch!"

  On the left was Chu Mingqiu, on the right was also Chu Mingqiu. What did she take him for? Chu Mingqiu swept his eyes over her and scowled, "I really suspect you're not Huazhu Yu at all."

  Qingya's heart tightened, only then did she remember that she was now Hua Zhe Yu and no longer the Qingya of her past life. This was a society where men were revered and women were inferior, and also one where imperial power reigned supreme. If she wanted to survive now, she had to use honorific language. If she didn't know how to adapt to local customs, it would be herself who would suffer the consequences.

  She has always been a person who knows how to adapt, and after sizing up the situation, she knew what to do. She immediately put aside her emotions, smiled slightly, and pushed away the people on either side of her who were holding her back. "Since the Fourth Prince is blocking the killer, there's no need for you all to hold me back; I'll go myself."

  As soon as she got on the horse carriage, Chu Mingqiu immediately ordered: "Chen Changqing, you take these five to stay here and protect Miss Hua Qi. The rest of you follow me to scout ahead."

  A tall and thin guard responded, he rode his horse and led the crowd to go, and killed the two assassins who were chasing him head-on, then rushed out of the place where the incident occurred.

  Thinking of him coming back later, Qingya didn't dare to stay here for long. However, there were six strong guards here, and she had slender arms and legs, without any tools to help her, how could she get rid of them?

  As the sun sets in the west and dusk falls, I couldn't think of a good solution for the time being, so I had to resort to using deceitful tactics.

  "She suddenly became worried and opened her mouth to say: 'The prince has been gone for so long without returning, I'm afraid he's encountered big trouble. In my opinion, this time it's clear that someone wants to kill two birds with one stone, wanting to harm both the prince and me. If we wait any longer, something terrible will happen.'"

  Those six guards didn't even glance at her, treating her as if she were air, each standing guard on either side of the carriage, gazing straight ahead.

  Qing Ya continued in a calm and unhurried tone, "This group of assassins dared to attack the people who went to Beiming to exchange medicine. They must not want anyone to go to Beiming to exchange medicine and cure the Empress Dowager's illness. The Empress Dowager holds a high position, regardless of how she treats you normally, but your actions this time have already won her favor. This is not easily obtained. And the person who attacked me must be extremely dissatisfied with this, and in order to understand Your Highness's cautious nature, they must have expected that you would follow behind and escort them, so they set up an ambush at a distance of 50 miles outside the city, blocking my carriage and then pretending to let me return...

  She didn't finish her words and carefully observed the tall and thin Chen Changqing.

  As expected, Chen Changqing listened to her analysis, his eyes twitched, and his dead face finally had some color, "Miss Hua Qi is saying that those people deliberately let you come?"

  Qing Ya let out a bitter laugh. "With me being such a weak and delicate woman, surrounded by so many people, do you think I have the ability to fly or escape easily?"

  Chen Changqing's expression changed, "Is it really like this? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

  Qingya said more and more smoothly, "His Highness was so angry with me that I was confused at the time and didn't remember to say these things."

  "What's the use of saying it now?" Chen Changqing said in a low voice. "The prince has already left."

  Qing Ya sighed, "You are the most trusted people around the young master. Who knows if he's in danger now? If you don't go and save him, who will?"

  Chen Changqing firmly refused, "No way, if we go now, it's not that I won't be able to protect you, but also violating the young master's orders."

  She gazed at him, and in the dim light, her eyes shone like the morning star on the horizon. "I didn't say you had to go rescue people personally; even if you did, it would be going to your deaths. What His Highness needs most right now is rescue. Who knows if those assassins have already thought of a poisonous plan and are on their way here? They might just capture me and create the illusion that His Highness and I are deeply in love, then kill off the officials and soldiers who come to rescue us. In that case, not to mention what would happen to our family or the Empress Dowager, but His Highness's fate would definitely be even more tragic than if he were killed outright. At this point, don't you understand how severe the consequences of this matter are?"

  Her tone was loud and clear, her analysis was reasonable and well-founded, making Chen Changqing suspect that the person sitting in the carriage was actually another high-ranking official who was good at giving orders.

  But he still had doubts in his heart, "Doesn't Your Highness treat you like that, don't you hate him?"

  Elegant and timely, she lowered her eyes, biting her lower lip. "Who in the world doesn't know that I have a thousand tender feelings for Your Highness? Even if you want to peel off my skin, my heart still belongs to you. As long as you're well, I'm at peace."

  Chen Changqing has been following Chu Mingqiu for many years, so he naturally knows that the Miss Hua Qi in front of him fell deeply in love with Chu Mingqiu two years ago. He remembers that she had secretly sent letters several times, but Chu Mingqiu didn't respond. If it wasn't for Miss Hua Liu borrowing the opportunity of the marriage between Xiqi and the prince to request a royal decree of marriage from the emperor, Chen Changqing estimates that she wouldn't even have been able to touch the hem of Chu Mingqiu's clothes.

  It was because of this arranged marriage that the prince suffered for two years, not daring to propose to the woman he loved, until now when a new opportunity has arisen.

  So she said so, and he believed it.

  "What do you think we should do now?"

  "Firstly, I absolutely cannot be caught by them now, or it will implicate Your Highness; secondly, without knowing the situation of Your Highness, even if you go, it would be like trying to stop a chariot with bare arms, better to return to the capital immediately and gather reinforcements. Just now, I thought left and right, only this method can save Your Highness."

  At this moment, not far away, on a large banyan tree, a slender figure with a cyan narrow waist and wide sleeves was half-reclining on an embroidered seven-color auspicious cloud brocade cushion. He propped up his head with one arm, but couldn't see his face clearly because he wore a cyan bamboo hat that covered all the colors.

  Under the tree stood seven beautiful young girls wearing long skirts, some holding fruit trays and others holding wine jugs.

  The fruit is fresh and juicy, the grapes are crystal clear, the lychees are bright red, and the newly picked mushrooms seem to still have dew on them.

  Wine is a hundred flowers brewed, sweet and fragrant, smelling it makes one drunk.

  Seven girls all looked up at the man leaning against the tree, one girl pouted with red lips, her voice crisp and clear.

  "Sir, tonight's moon is not only not full, but the dew on this tree is also very heavy. In my opinion, I'm afraid the moon won't be able to shine through tonight, and your fine clothes will probably get wet first, what a waste."

  "Mei is right, sir. You're lying so high up, and the draft is even heavier. Why not come down and change into some clean clothes before going back?"

  "Sir, the fruit wine that was tributed from the Western Regions yesterday should be warmed up by now. Its flavor is even more fragrant and rich than this Hundred Flowers Wine, it's time to give it a try."

  Under the tree, several women were chattering and gossiping, all of them with their waists bent in a curtsy, urging the adults on top of the tree to hurry up and come down quickly so they could leave.

  The big man kicked his toes, lazily turned over and finally yawned: "You few people are noisier than seven Massachusetts. Tonight, although the moon is not beautiful when it's exposed to the dew, but compared to the tongue of the little woman in front of me, which is as brilliant as a lotus flower, it's worth staying up late for. This is a rare sight, and it would be a pity to miss it."

  The adult has a clear and mellow male low voice, full of magnetism, sensuality, and temptation, like the spring breeze on his face, and like the plum blossoms in the courtyard in February, infinitely perfect, intoxicating.