The next day.

The one who came to greet Heyue in front of the gate of Qiao's Mansion was Qiao Shifan's youngest son Qiao Dong. Previously, because the children of the Qiao family went to the Western Regions to buy goods, Qiao Lingyan, the young lady of the Qiao family, fell into the hands of the bandits, and there was no news. This incident dealt a huge blow to Qiao Shifan, the patriarch of the Qiao family, and the old and new diseases broke out at the same time, and he was bedridden for a long time. A few days ago, under the arrangement of the prince, the old man entered Beijing to receive treatment from the prince's imperial doctor.

The carriage stopped in front of Qiao's Mansion at the foot of Jianzhu Peak, and the young descendant leaning on a stone lion immediately stood up. I have to say that after the conference test, the Qiao family made extensive friends with young talents in the city and contracted a lot of family projects. As a result, this almost empty street has become more crowded. Although most of them are servants who are busy going in and out of Qiao's mansion.

"Miss He, come here, it's shining!" Qiao Dong looked sunny and handsome. Seeing Zheng Ergou whistling in his mouth and walking off the carriage with Heyue's big bag and small bag, he greeted the carriage, stretched out a hand, and said.

He Yue opened the car door generously and gently held his hand, "Young Master Qiao." Then he got out of the carriage.

"He, Miss Heyue?" At this moment, a voice came from behind them. The two looked back, and there was another gorgeous carriage parked behind the carriage of the Hefu Mansion. Walking quickly to them, He Yue felt a little familiar, but Qiao Dong recognized it directly, "Gao Li Gongzi, why do you have the leisure to come to the mansion today?"

Gao Li, it turned out to be the son of the Gao family who was quite eye-catching in the conference test. He Yue remembered. Gao Li didn't answer Qiao Dong's words directly, a smile appeared on his handsome face, and he bowed slightly to He Yue, "I haven't heard of it, Gao is rude." ”

Qiao Dong felt a little embarrassed, and then Gao Li laughed and patted him on the shoulder, "Brother Qiao Dong, this is not the studious brother of your family, Qiao Xuebin has some questions about these boring things in his poetry, and asked me to come to your mansion to discuss knowledge!"

"Don't look at me as opponents with him in the exam, the examiner also specially compared our poems. Eh, by the way, Miss He, are you... Planning to stay in Qiao's Mansion for a while?"

Gao Li's eyes glanced at Zheng Ergou, who was looking at the sky boredly, and his arms were stuffed with things that He Yue wanted to bring.

"yes, there's been something going on in the house lately. He Yue replied, always a little unnatural. Being alone as the eldest lady of the Dutch Mansion always seems a little restrained.

"Oh, I heard something recently, it's related to Miss He, your Hefu, I don't know if to talk about it. The tall servant took his pen and ink and took it down, and stood behind him. Gao Li smiled, "Let's go first." ”

"Hefu, Gao Gongzi, what's going on in my family?" He Yue heard this, and quickly followed Gao Li.

"Your cousin, Son Hekang, hasn't you been home for a long time?" the three of them walked into Qiao's mansion. Due to the serious illness of the old man, and the elders of the family are mostly out of business, Qiao Dong plans to bring He Yue to the main hall of Qiao's mansion to see the Qiao family who can speak the most in the family now, Qiao Liangyan.

And Gao Li went to a secret hut on the edge of Qiao's mansion to find Qiao Xuebin. Qiao Xuebin likes an elegant and quiet environment, so his residence is also very different from that of other brothers. He stopped, lowered his voice and said to He Yue, "I heard that Prince He Kang is going to Wan'an City to send the battle situation of Blackwater City to another He's great family over there. But judging from some recent rumors, it seems that Gongzi He did not go south, on the contrary, he seems to have gone to the Underworld Kingdom in the north, which is the current enemy of our Qinshan Kingdom. ”

"No one knows why he went to the Underworld at such a time, or what connection he has with the Underworld, and no one knows. But in this way, a lot of bad rumors will gradually breed. The city lord asked you to come to Qiao's Mansion to avoid the limelight, and it makes sense. ”

Gao Li smiled to himself and shook his head, turning around to leave. After hearing this, He Yue was puzzled in her heart, and at the same time, a sense of unease swelled up. She hurriedly stepped forward and took the liberty of pulling the sleeve of her coat. He struggled, and was surprised to find that the girl in front of him actually had a little strength. He Yue hurriedly let go of his hand and hurriedly saluted, "Gao Gongzi, forgive me, I... I would like to ask, did my cousin really go to the country of Hades a few days ago, and who saw his whereabouts?"

Gao Li shook his head and sighed, "These are just rumors. I don't know more details below. Miss He doesn't have to worry too much. Moreover, it is better not to delve into such a sensitive topic. I'll go to find Mr. Qiao first, and the two of you will say goodbye. ”

With that, he immediately turned around and walked in the direction of the treasury without looking back.

He Yue looked distracted, and was stunned for a moment before muttering, "That... Why did he go here... Will the Dutch government have anything to do with it......."

"Miss He?" she came back to her senses, and Qiao Dong stood in front of her with a smile and made a gesture of please. Qiao Dong looked scheming, heartless. He didn't care at all about what Gao Li had just told her. He Yue nodded a little embarrassedly, smiled in return, and waved his hand at Zheng Ergou, who was sitting on the grass with nothing to do, carrying a few big bags, and followed Qiao Dong's footsteps.

"Miss Heyue, it's an honor to come to the mansion!" As Qiao Dong stepped into the council hall, Qiao Liangyan's magnetic voice came. He Yue hurriedly returned the salute and looked around - she found that there were not many people in the seats in the two rows around her, and they were all wearing armor, and when she came here, the few people in the seats did not cast a trace of gaze at all.

Qiao Liangyan was originally standing in front of the main seat, packed up a few pages of stationery on the lower seat, and smiled at a few people around him, "Adults continue to discuss, Qiao will be with you for a while, forgive me!"

It is said that Qiao Liangyan and He Yue have met twice. Especially after the end of the general examination, Qiao Fu sent him to give Heyue an extremely precious piece of jade, which was obtained for the reproduction of the ancient five-color mending stones. So the communication between the two is much more natural. Qiao Liangyan and the three of them walked out of the council hall, and he asked Qiao Dong, who was much younger than him, but a whole generation older than him, to deal with a few in the council hall first.

Qiao Dong walked in obediently without saying anything. He Yue felt that the people inside were very strange, and just wanted to ask, Qiao Liangyan looked at Zheng Ergou who was sitting on the grass next to him and the things he was carrying, squeezed out a smile, and said to He Yue, "Miss He, it is a great honor for you to come to Qiao's Mansion for the first time. Now, though, there's something important that I'd like to talk to you about separately. Although Miss He, you are a little abrupt when you first came, but in fact, before Lord Ling Zun sent you here, I must explain it to you......

He Yue frowned deeply. Gao Li's words just now were very strange, Qiao Liangyan said something strange as soon as they met here again..."It's okay, I'll explain it clearly for you." To tell the truth, the situation in Blackwater City and the situation in the border war have been linked. That cousin of yours..."

She was anxious when she heard this. "He Kang, what the hell is he..."Qiao Liangyan shook his head, and pointed to Zheng Ergou, who was looking up at the sky and bored, "Miss He, this servant of yours, why don't you let him bring things to your room to decorate first?" ”

He Yue nodded suspiciously. Tell Zheng Ergou to carry things to her room.

And when he cheered up, carried a few bags, and followed the servants of Qiao's Mansion past He Yue, he suddenly turned his head and said a word, which Qiao Liangyan could clearly hear. "Miss, did you bring the stone?"

He Yue raised her eyebrows, and remembered that Zheng Ergou should be talking about the relict of the Heaven Mending Stone from the Qiao family. She replied casually, "It should be in which bag." You quickly pack up your room. ”

Zheng Ergou glanced at Qiao Liangyan obliquely, walked a few steps forward with the servant, and then stopped, "Miss, can the villain take a look at that divine stone?"

He Yue glanced at Qiao Liangyan with an expressionless face in embarrassment, and didn't know why Zheng Ergou was talking so much at this time. She quickly nodded and turned to Qiao Liangyan.

Qiao Liangyan made a gesture of please and left with Heyue.

This is his own bedroom. It is very close to Qiao's mansion. The house is neat and tidy, and there is hardly anything superfluous, except for a landscape painting on the wall. Qiao Liangyan brought a stool for He Yue, the two sat down, and the servants on one side poured tea for them.

"This thing... Lord Hetch asked me to tell you. Thanks to the trust of the lord of the castle, he told me such a secret and asked me to pass it on to you. Qiao Liangyan put down the teacup and said with a serious expression.

"Something to do with my cousin, right? Brother Joe, he hasn't been back to the house for a few days. Gao ...... just now" He Yue was halfway through speaking, and accidentally mentioned what Gao Li had just said, and out of the psychology of keeping it secret for Gao Gongzi, she quickly stopped.

Fortunately, Qiao Liangyan didn't care about this. He nodded solemnly. "Hekang, the place he went to is the northern realm of the Underworld. When the lord of the castle learned about this on the same day, he immediately blocked the news in order to stabilize people's hearts. Moreover, Hekang went to the country of Hades on this trip, and we are almost certain that he is going to collaborate with the enemy!"

He Yue choked on a sip of tea and splashed it on his sleeve. She slapped twice in a panic, Qiao Liangyan looked at her quietly, and handed a piece of cloth from the table. "Heyue, don't panic yet. Do you remember when I visited your house on the day of the conference's trial announcement? Your cousin behaved very strangely that day, and he looked like he couldn't give up. Calculate the time, and it is estimated that he collaborated with the enemy in those two days. ”

"Father... Father thinks so too?" He Yue finally calmed down. In the past month or so that she has been accepted as a righteous daughter by He Zhe, He Kang has left a very good impression on her, cheerful and lively, very talkative and humorous. This... How could he actually collaborate with the Underworld Realm?

"Yes. This war with the Underworld was originally planned by the imperial court for a long time. But for some reason, the news leaked out, and it may have spread to the side of the Stygian Ze Kingdom, so they attacked Xingyang City first. And the city lord specially mentioned that when the imperial court sent the holy decree that day, he and his friend Lord Liang discussed the matter in the city lord's office. He Kang seemed to be eavesdropping on the day of the day, but he didn't care too much. It is likely that it was at this time that our premeditated plans to declare war on the country of Hades were exposed. ”

"When your father learned about this some time ago, he was deeply distressed that he was not strict with his nephew. Due to the extremely serious consequences of Hekang's incident, Lord Hezhe took the initiative to find His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who was still in Blackwater City, to ask for guilt. However, after hearing this, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince did not trouble the lord of the castle. Instead, he informed the other He family in the imperial capital, that is, the family where He Kang's biological parents were located. Let them give an account of the matter. But the whole thing is well kept under wraps for now. ”

"Your Highness, didn't Your Highness blame your father?" asked He Yue with wide eyes, as if feeling strange.

The corners of Qiao Liangyan's mouth raised, and he held the hand that He Yue put on the table, "Miss He, you have to know something." In a large family, it is not so unusual to make a move like Hekang. What's more, Lord Hezhe took the initiative to ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for his guilt and confessed, and this matter did not reach the imperial court, so there was a lot of room for discussion. Not only did His Royal Highness not blame your father, but his attitude towards the other He clan in Wan'an City was not what you thought. ”

He Yue was stunned, "For... Why? Although I can't believe that this was done by Hekang, if he really committed the great crime of collaborating with the enemy and treason, wouldn't we also be implicated?"

Her last voice grew softer. Qiao Liangyan let go of his hand and replied softly, "Because it is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who knows about this, not the imperial court." Moreover, as I said, in the eyes of the prince, this matter is not as serious as you think. Hekang is just a bet on Wan'an He's. If the war intensifies, more families will make their bets. Your father also wants to take this opportunity to teach you this lesson through my mouth. ”

"What class, what bet? Brother Qiao, please tell me more clearly! I haven't read a book for a few days, and I don't understand what you're talking about..." I just feel that my concept of these things has been subverted.

"The reason why His Highness is not angry, and he dares to guess that it should be because of Hekang's behavior that led to the early start of the war, maybe this early war is exactly what His Highness wants?

Let's not talk about why His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wants to start a war in advance, how could someone make his own people guilty of collaborating with the enemy and treason just for the sake of the Prince's favor? He Yue seriously thought about Qiao Liangyan's words, and asked, "Brother Qiao, then this must be a loss-making business! Because..."

Qiao Liangyan nodded with a smile and interrupted her words, "So there is another bet, which is to use a small clansman to bet on the victory or defeat of the Underworld and the Qinshan Kingdom." You may not understand what this war means. There is news that before the war between the Hades and us, there was a rebellion within and the Hades Emperor was imprisoned. And the new rulers, I don't know who they were, raided Xingyang City for no reason as soon as they came to power, which shows how much they hate and covet our Qinshan Kingdom. Under the rule of this man, I am afraid that we will no longer face barbarians, but a group of real beasts. ”

"Qin Shanguo, if you say something rebellious, you may not be able to survive this catastrophe..."Qiao Liangyan stood up and walked behind He Yue. "Do you think that Wan An He and your father's Heishui He clan are still looking forward to making something?

Hekang is your bet, a bargaining chip for whether the country of Hades will win. If the Qin Shan Kingdom wins, you will win, and if the Ming Ze Kingdom wins, at least there will be He Kang who can support everyone. However, Your Highness also understands this truth. If you please Your Highness, you just want him or the court to acquiesce to your behavior. ”

He Yue's hand trembled a little, and he slowly stroked a strand of soft hair that hung down to his chest. She felt as if she understood something, but it was as if she didn't understand it at all, and it was a strange feeling, as if she was really learning something. Qiao Liangyan sat back and quietly looked at He Yue's complicated expression. After a while, she raised her head and said, "Brother Qiao, I seem to understand what you mean... However, I still don't know what my father wants me to know, can you .....?"

Halfway through his words, outside Qiao Liangyan's door, there was a sudden sound of jade breaking from the direction of Qiao's mansion. The voice was not light, it should have broken several jade plates. But it didn't make a sound, Qiao Liangyan just nodded at He Yue, and only glanced out and didn't pay attention anymore. But He Yue was taken aback, and patted his chest with palpitations. Qiao Liangyan took a pot of new tea of different varieties from the servants behind him, put it on the table, and continued to teach this so-called lesson to He Yue.