Starting with Intercepting and Marrying the Eldest Princess - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: “Xie Ning’s Disguise Is About to Be Uncovered!…”

“Your Highness’s actions yesterday were a great kindness to my Xie family!”

In the Grand Princess’s Residence, Pei Shujing sat at the head, looking calmly at Xie Mao kneeling on the ground.

“If it weren’t for Your Highness’s kindness, my Xie family might be on the execution block right now.”

Pei Shujing toyed with the teacup in her hand, remaining silent.

Xie Mao knocked his head firmly against the ground: “Your Highness, a great kindness requires no words of thanks. From this day forward, my Xie family will be Your Highness’s sharpest claw!”

Pei Shujing then asked with interest: “Is that true?”

“True!”

“What if this Princess intends to deal with the Emperor?”

“Then my Xie family will be the first to charge at the Emperor!”

“What if this Princess also desires that position?”

“Uh…”

Cold sweat broke out on Xie Mao’s forehead. He hesitated, not daring to say more.

Pei Shujing chuckled: “This Princess is just joking. Minister Xie need not take it seriously.”

Xie Mao secretly mumbled to himself: Words said in jest are often serious.

It was precisely because of this that Xie Mao was even more shaken internally.

He hadn’t expected the Grand Princess’s ambition to be so great, even wanting to become the Empress Regnant of Daxia.

Xie Mao’s lips felt bitter, but now he had no choice but to get on the Grand Princess’s ship.

Even if he turned back to the Emperor now, would the Emperor still trust him?

He might just find a pretext and have him killed on the spot.

Moreover, the Grand Princess’s rescue yesterday was in plain sight. If he were to act ungratefully now, where would his Xie family have a place in the court?

Therefore, he openly came to see the Grand Princess first thing this morning. Anyway, in the eyes of the Emperor and the officials, he was already the Grand Princess’s man. So, why not solidify the matter before discussing anything else?

Thinking of this, Xie Mao said with deep emotion: “Your Highness, this old man knows that my past actions cannot earn Your Highness’s trust, but this old man will prove with action that if Xie Jing can be Your Highness’s dog, my Xie family naturally can too, and we will be the fiercest dog by your side.”

Hearing this, Pei Shujing’s expression became somewhat strange.

“You should first tell this Princess Xie Jing’s true background.”

Xie Mao was taken aback. He thought Xie Jing had already told the Grand Princess his true identity, but judging by her words, the Grand Princess didn’t know…

Then how did the Grand Princess manage everything yesterday?

Xie Mao’s heart tightened. It seems I underestimated the Grand Princess too much.

“Reporting to Your Highness, Xie Jing actually does not have a complicated background. He was originally from Shilgou Village in Donghua City. When your servant passed through Donghua City, I heard about a naturally intelligent young man in the county school, so your servant conceived the idea of… uh, the idea of adopting him as a son.”

The Grand Princess silently repeated Xie Jing’s background.

Donghua City, Shilgou Village native.

“Continue. Tell me what kind of person Xie Jing is in your eyes.”

Xie Mao thought for a moment, then said in a joking tone: “I must say, Your Highness’s tutelage has been effective.”

“The Xie Jing in my eyes originally differed greatly from the current Xie Jing. It can be said that the original Xie Jing had no special merits other than a dark mind.”

Pei Shujing glanced at him: “A dark mind is not a merit.”

Xie Mao awkwardly coughed twice and quickly agreed.

“In short, the previous Xie Jing possessed all the traits of a sinister villain, but the current Xie Jing… is very different.”

The Grand Princess asked with some curiosity: “How is he different?”

Xie Mao paused: “Well… he’s shameless now.”

Pei Shujing nodded in deep agreement.

Indeed, he is too shameless.

“Who are the people in Xie Jing’s family?”

Xie Mao thought for a while: “Xie Jing’s parents were originally alive, and he also had a younger sister named Xie Ning.”

Xie Ning…

Pei Shujing’s pupils contracted. She recalled the feel of his waist when she pinched him yesterday. She also recalled feeling a slight oddness when carefully observing Xie Jing’s face before. Now, with Xie Mao’s reminder, she finally knew what was amiss.

Xie Jing’s nose was much smaller than a normal man’s!

“Do you know if Xie Ning is skilled in martial arts?”

Xie Mao shook his head: “I truly don’t know, but I estimate Xie Ning probably is not. After all, from what I understand, Xie Jing’s family lived very meagerly. To support Xie Jing’s studies, they relied on the strength of the entire village. Where would they have spare money to train their daughter in martial arts?”

Undeniably, Xie Mao’s words made sense. Pei Shujing was somewhat disappointed, but she still insisted, refusing to give up: “We will know by going to see her personally.”

However, Xie Mao suddenly showed an embarrassed expression. Pei Shujing’s heart skipped a beat.

“Speak!”

“Your Highness, before your marriage with Xie Jing, Xie Jing actively found someone to set fire to all of Shilgou Village under the cover of night.”

“What did you say?!”

Pei Shujing looked at Xie Mao in disbelief. Xie Mao quickly swore: “Your Highness, the Xie family truly had no part in this matter. It was entirely Xie Jing’s doing. Your servant only found out afterward!”

“Beast!”

Unbounded fury ignited in Pei Shujing’s heart.

Xie Mao nodded in strong agreement: “Isn’t he a beast…”

“Your Highness, I truly did not lie. This matter is unrelated to our Xie family. Your Highness, this official’s initial thought was that the people of Shilgou Village were just commoners, um… ordinary common people. Whether they would ever qualify to step through the capital’s gates was another matter. Even if someone recognized Xie Jing, my Xie family had the power to resolve it.”

But who knew Xie Jing’s heart was so vicious? I know our aristocratic families are not good people, but the Xie family wouldn’t commit such an unnatural act.

The Grand Princess glared fiercely at Xie Mao: “You are no different!”

Xie Mao’s face was sheepish: “Still a little different, a little different.”

Pei Shujing waved her hand in disgust: “Get out before I change my mind, now!”

Xie Mao hastily rose and left, not forgetting to shout loudly as he walked out the door: “Your Highness, the Xie family is your fiercest dog from now on! Please don’t forget my Xie family!”

Xie Mao flashed away just as the teacup was about to hit him.

Walking out to the main gate, he happened to run into Xie Ning returning with the old woman from yesterday, followed by a shy young girl.

Xie Mao’s eyes were complicated: “Sister-in-law.”

The woman ignored him. Xie Mao then looked at the young girl: “Jingqiu.”

Xie Jingqiu looked at her mother. Seeing no reaction from her mother, she pursed her lips and called out “Uncle.”

Xie Mao nodded and instructed: “Sister-in-law, although I don’t know what agreement you reached with Her Highness, Her Highness is a good person. You can stay here with peace of mind.”

The woman scrutinized Xie Mao closely, then suddenly sighed: “You’ve aged too.”

Xie Mao’s eyes immediately reddened upon hearing this. He had a good relationship with his elder brother since childhood. When his elder brother wanted to elope, he was the one who helped cover for him, but his elder brother ultimately couldn’t escape…

He bowed deeply to the woman: “Sister-in-law, the Xie family wronged you and Jingqiu back then. If anything happens in the future, please come to me.”

The woman shook her head: “Her Highness promised to let Jingqiu stay by her side from now on.”

“That’s good, that’s good.”

Only then did Xie Mao look at Xie Ning, grinning: “Imperial Son-in-Law, we are now in the same boat. I hope the Imperial Son-in-Law will speak well of me in front of Her Highness.”

Xie Mao quickly adjusted to his new position, but Xie Ning found it somewhat difficult to adapt.

She replied perfunctorily: “Of course, of course.”

Xie Mao suddenly remembered something and said seriously: “I forgot one thing while talking to Her Highness, and it’s the same if I tell you now: recently, His Majesty is very likely to order you to lead the Vermillion Bird Camp out of the city to suppress bandits. After yesterday’s events, His Majesty might take desperate measures. Be extremely careful in everything.”

Xie Ning slowly nodded: “Thank you.”

That old man Xie Mao patted her shoulder as he left: “We are both the Grand Princess’s dogs. No need for excessive thanks.”

That single sentence left Xie Ning speechless.

At the same time, neither Xie Ning nor Xie Mao noticed the two people watching them from the window on the second floor of the front courtyard.

“Since ancient times, those who accomplish great things must be willing to forgo immediate gains and focus on long-term benefits. Your Highness has done very well in this regard.”

Pei Shujing smiled. In truth, she was also hesitant about how to deal with the Xie family, having once wanted to crush them immediately to avenge her past life.

But later, she decided to keep the Xie family. While getting rid of the Xie family would eliminate an accomplice, keeping them would both better help her achieve her ultimate goal and successfully disgust the Emperor.

Moreover, who said keeping them now meant the matter was over?

None of the culprits from back then would escape.

Pei Shujing asked with a radiant smile: “And you, Grand Secretary? The saying ‘those who do not seek small gains must have large schemes’ also applies to you. What are you plotting, Grand Secretary Wang?”

Wang Yan coughed twice: “Your Highness must not slander me casually. The purpose of my actions is merely to repay Your Highness’s kindness.”

Pei Shujing smiled noncommittally: “It’s not kindness; it’s merely mutual necessity.”

“Where is Wan’er now?”

Mentioning his daughter made the old man Wang Yan feel heartbroken. He waved his hand testily: “Where else? Naturally, at that woman’s house.”

He didn’t know what sin he had committed. His daughter Wang Wan had actually fallen in love with a woman, a widow at that.

He had been so worried all these years, wanting to cut off his daughter’s affection, but every time he saw his daughter’s pitiful eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

If he didn’t intervene, two women being together in this era would lead to them being gossiped about to death. Especially as Wang Yan’s daughter, who was already attention-grabbing.

He kept procrastinating until his daughter was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, and there was still no solution.

Until a few days ago, a turning point appeared before his eyes. Someone was actually willing to take his daughter’s place, provided he sent her into the palace.

This way, everyone would think the Concubine Wan in the palace was his daughter, while the real Wang Wan could escape the spotlight and be with the person she loved. How could he not agree?

Thinking of this, the old fox sighed. Regardless, the person had helped his daughter.

“Your Highness, please convey this to the girl named Wanjiang: Since she is willing to be Wang Wan, this old man will naturally treat her as half my daughter. Please tell her to feel at ease by the Emperor’s side. With this old man here, no matter what she does, I have ways to keep her safe!”

The Grand Princess nodded: “It should be so.”

“May this old man ask one more question? What is Your Highness’s next plan?”

Pei Shujing looked indifferently at Xie Ning outside the window.

Next?

She wanted to know everything about her.

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