Fang Shanlei frowned and stared at Qing Ling, "Isn't the emperor trying to find out the truth behind the matter and give Prince Hao an explanation?" After a pause, his eyes darkened, "Or are you worried that someone will be implicated in this matter?" ”

At the beginning of Emperor Hao's southward journey, he set up checkpoints outside Jiuqiu to cut off the contact between Yuzhong and Jiuqiu. In this case, Cheng Yi was still able to conspire with Luo Heng carefully, and it was very likely that someone else acted as an intermediary liaison.

And this person, inferred from all aspects, is very likely to have a close relationship with the Jiuqiu Luo clan.

Fang Shanlei's lowered voice revealed a touch of angry pain, "So far, does Emperor Ji still want to defend that person?" ”

Qing Ling met his gaze and suppressed a trace of tension in his expression, "No. ”

Fang Shanlei moved his lips, and was about to say something more, when Fang Shanxia, who was "seriously" looking at Jing Xi on the side, turned around and said with a smile: "It's really much better." My brother is always reassuring when he does things. ”

She stepped forward and took Qing Ling's arm, "You have seen a lot of good things in the palace, help me take a look, what else should be added to this set of makeup?" ”

Qing Ling understood her intentions, put aside Fang Shanlei very interestingly, and walked to the mirror to open it layer by layer to take a closer look.

Fang Shanxia stood beside Fang Shanlei, who had a slightly gloomy face, and used her divine sense to talk to him silently: "Big brother, I know that you can't let go of Qingling in your heart, but after all, her marriage to the prince of Daze was personally contracted by His Majesty. What you said is clearly instigating them to turn against you, how can you explain it if it reaches your majesty's ears? ”

Fang Shanlei said: "It's not that I deliberately want to provoke their relationship. Shicai even acquiesced to herself, and the matter of Wutong Town was clearly a bureau set up by Baili Fuyao and Jiuqiuli Yingwai! ”

Fang Shanxia regretted letting her brother into the house for a while.

On the one hand, she understood Fang Shanlei's thoughts, and she also knew that he had been depressed for a while due to injuries during this time, so she faintly hoped that Qing Ling's visit would help him recover a little bit of vitality, so she did not prevent the two from meeting. But on the other hand, he was surprised that the eldest brother, who had always been stable, did not hide his emotions at all, and said something that made the atmosphere embarrassing.

In terms of acting in the world, Fang Shanxia has always taken her brother Fang Shanlei as an example. However, in the treatment of men and women, she secretly envied the ease of her second brother Fang Shanyuan, as if he could get happiness and comfort from every woman, but he never invested in true feelings, free and unrestrained......

"Big brother, be sober! It is a well-known fact that Qingling and Prince Muchen have formed an alliance, no matter whether she marries Baili Fuyao in the end or not, she will not be able to be with you! If you're just like me, and want to maintain the old friendly relationship with her on the surface, I have no objection. But you also know in your heart that you are the future patriarch heir of the Fangshan clan, and the most important backing for Mu Han to compete for the position of prince in the future, and you and Emperor Qingling are destined to stand on both sides of the hostile side! ”

The corners of Fang Shanlei's lips tightened, and his dull complexion became more and more ugly.

How can he not understand the truth of this?

Speaking from his heart, Mu Han is by no means the person who is suitable for the position of Prince Chaoyan in his heart. Especially after the last catastrophe in Wutong Town, he saw more clearly the weaknesses in this cousin's character, arrogant and rigid in advance, eager to shirk responsibility afterwards, and completely without the slightest strategy and responsibility, which made him very disappointed.

But the involvement in the blood does not allow him to have a choice.

Because Mu Han was the only son of Queen Fangshan, and he was the only one among Prince Chaoyan who had the same bloodline as him, he had to stand in his camp.

Therefore, it is bound to be the enemy of Qingling......

Qing Ling leaned over and "appreciated" a few laps back and forth in the mirror, estimating that what Fang Shan's brothers and sisters should say had been finished, and raised his head to Fang Shanxia and smiled: "This set of makeup is exquisitely made and gorgeous. I'll have someone send you a pair of locks when I get back, and the inlays on them are just right. ”

Fang Shanxia stepped forward and said with a smile: "How can you send it?" You name it, and I tell them to do it. ”

Qingling said: "Sister Xia doesn't need to be polite to me. When you get married, what's unreasonable for me to send something? ”

Fang Shanxia no longer shirked, "That's good." When you marry Baili Shizi in the future, I will let my eldest brother also wear a set of makeup and inlays for you! ”

Qing Ling smiled, turned his head and glanced at Fang Shanlei, seeing that he lowered his eyes, his sword eyebrows were slightly locked, and he was silent.

Then he said goodbye to Fang Shanxia: "I've been bothering me for a long time today, and you and Fang Shangongzi probably have something to discuss, so I'll leave first." ”

Fang Shanxia said: "Where is there any chatter? I wish you could come and see me often. ”

said this, but he didn't hold back, and followed Qing Ling towards the door.

Fang Shanlei, who had been silent, suddenly strode over, "I'll send Di Ji out." ”

The smile on Fang Shanxia's face always remained polite, and she stared at her brother helplessly, "Then, there is Brother Lao." ”

Qing Ling and Fang Shanlei walked out of Fang Shanxia's residence together, and walked slowly from the backyard to the front door.

The back garden of Fangshan's mansion is rich and exquisite, and all kinds of seasonal flowers are in full bloom, competing for beauty and fragrance.

Qing Ling had no intention of appreciating it, and subconsciously wanted to speed up his pace and leave the house as soon as possible.

She came to visit today in order to find an opportunity to probe Fang Shanlei's tone, but now that her goal has been achieved, her mood is becoming more and more restless.

Fang Shan thundered beside Qing Ling, and when he looked down, he could vaguely smell a wisp of sweet breath in her hair, and a heart that had just fallen silent sounded again.

"Teiji."

"Huh?"

"What I said to you that day in the Chinese military tent...... Do you remember? ”

That day, he held her fingers holding Jinpa's sweat on his sideburns, and there was a sudden resoluteness in his eyes and voice.

"Now I don't have the right to covet anything, so I don't have to say something to say, I'm not afraid that you think I'm selfish...... Don't marry Baili Fuyao. The people of their Jiuqiu Luo clan are all crazy. ”

Qing Ling nodded, "Yes." ”

Fang Shanlei was silent for a while, stopping to look at Qing Ling.

"There are some things that I have never had the courage to ask, and today I want to ask you once, the only and the last."

After a pause, there was a hint of surprise on his face with hard facial features, "Putting aside the identity and the struggle between families, if you and I are just men and women from ordinary people, you ...... Will it be for me? ”

Qing Ling had actually been mentally prepared for such a question.

She also understood that Fang Shanlei dared to ask now because he was ready to give up.

"Fang Shan Gongzi ......"

Qing Ling stopped, turned to look up at him, and a contradictory look flashed in his eyes.

Fang Shan Lei smiled wryly, but he didn't avoid Qing Ling's gaze.

"I know that such a question is really abrupt, and if the emperor wants to punish him, Lei is willing to accept it. But if you don't ask this sentence, you will never be able to let go of ......"

After a pause, he continued: "To be honest, I got acquainted with you at the beginning, just to cope with my aunt's explanation, and I didn't really care about you. On the night of the Centennial Day, you left me in public and went to enjoy the lanterns with Chun Yuyan's boy, and I despised you in my heart. Later, His Majesty punished you for Chun Yuyan's incident, and when I first heard about it, I thought it would be good to teach you a lesson...... But later, when I heard that you had received a thousand whips for your maids, I thought you were a ...... It's special. ”

His gaze inadvertently crossed Qing Ling and landed on the void behind her, as if he was caught in the thoughts of memory, "I remember, when you first came to Lingxiao City, you still loved to laugh. The way you laugh is always moving. Even though I feel that I am with you, just to comply with my aunt and father's wishes, I can't help but be attracted to you. You also know that the men of the family have more or less that vanity, hoping that the women around them are both noble and outstanding, and you happen to have both.

But after getting along with you for a while, I found that you actually have a good temperament, and you don't like to get entangled in trivial matters, and you don't pester people, which is different from the girls from the family I knew before. I thought, in fact, it would be nice if I really married you. I even thought that you and I had lost our loved ones in the Great War, in case there was a conflict between husband and wife after marriage in the future, I would take out the name of the Nine Hills Demon and scold him with you, so that you can divert the spearhead and diss......ipate your anger."

Fang Shanlei smiled deeply, but his brows did not stretch.

"It was also during that time that I noticed that you were getting more and more ...... I don't like to laugh anymore. Even the polite smiles that used to be at me and my aunt are gone. My aunt and father both reminded me that you had probably made a choice in the battle for the prince, and asked me to settle down as soon as possible, so that I could propose marriage for me in front of Your Majesty. ”

In fact, Queen Fangshan's original words at that time were: "Only if you are willing, my aunt will have her own way to make Qingling have to marry you." The means of making ripe rice from raw rice in the palace were not unused before! Only your identity can make Your Majesty not pursue it afterwards, and you can still promise your daughter to you......"

Fang Shanlei continued: "But I'm not sure what you want, I don't know if you have me in your heart." Although the marriage of the royal family does not have to be about mutual affection, I am a little stubborn and hope that you will marry me because you really like me. ”

His gaze sparkled, and he stared at Qing Ling again, "I don't know when it began, what attracted me was no longer your beauty and identity, but your intelligence and courage. You chose to support the eldest prince because you understood that he was more suitable for the position of prince than Mu Han, even if he was at a disadvantage that day, there was almost no one in the court to support him. You are the emperor of Chaoyan, but you are not arrogant and arrogant, treat people with leniency and wisdom. Now that he is in charge of the power of support, he can also put the people first in everything, ask for the reduction of taxes, and promote agriculture and commerce. ”

After a pause, his voice softened a little, "And your kindness." What did you say to me in the Red Moon Fang before the Southern Expedition...... Your relief when I lost my arm and was disheartened...... You can obviously be glad that I lost, and that the Fang Shan clan behind Mu Han could only be passed into the hands of a wasted person in the end......"

Qing Lingxi closed his lips a few times, suddenly turned his head, exhaled slightly, and then turned back to look at Fang Shanlei, his eyes seemed to be wet.

His thoughts, she didn't guess. It was also because of this that she was determined to come to see Fang Shanxia today, and she would definitely meet Fang Shanlei.

However, what he didn't expect was that he would make such a confession. Unexpectedly, his feelings for himself have been attracted beyond power and identity.

"Fang Shan Gongzi ......"

Her voice was a little unsteady, "You're looking too highly of me." Born into a royal family, how can I be so simple as not to seek my own interests at all? ”