Chapter 674
Meeting
Chapter 674 Meeting
Seeing Gu Baozhu smiling like a cat that had stolen a bite of fried fish, Qin Heng cleared his throat and said, "I wonder where the princess's carriage has gone. With so many people on the road, it must be difficult for her to travel."
Gu Baozhu snorted, tilting her chin up with a smug look on her face: "What's so difficult about that? It was my third brother who escorted the two princesses here."
Qin Heng asked in surprise, "Didn't you just say that Marquis Dingbei was in charge of the grand review at the camp outside the city and was too busy to handle it all?"
"You're right. My third brother rushed back to the camp outside the city and escorted the two princesses to Ranxiangju to watch the excitement. It was only after the Ninth Princess begged the Emperor that this happened."
"Oh..." Qin Heng was speechless.
Xiao Dong was somewhat indignant: "The Marquis of Dingbei is an important minister of the state, why isn't he escorted by the Imperial Guards?"
Gu Baozhu said, "Didn't Mr. Songshan say that the proper order of ruler and subject, father and son is like that? The Emperor asked my third brother to deliver it, so how could my third brother not do it? Besides, it's not just my third brother, but also His Highness Prince Qi."
It was precisely because His Highness Prince Qi was to escort Princess Fuyun to Ranxiang Residence that the Emperor feared the Ninth Princess would not fare well under the control of these two siblings, and thus ordered the Marquis of Bei to escort the two princesses.
However, it was not appropriate to say these things to them, so Gu Baozhu kept quiet about it.
Simon and the others listened quietly without interrupting.
After all, princesses, princes, and marquises are a world apart from them.
There are many rumors circulating, but they are all just rumors.
The guards led the way, and they were able to move, but much slower than usual.
Riding a horse at full gallop is absolutely out of the question.
Brother Ximen tried his best to suppress his excitement the whole way.
Xiao Hong and his group were alright, having grown up in the capital, witnessed the grand occasion of the Marquis of Dingbei's triumphant return, and heard many rumors about him.
I had even passed by the gate of the Marquis of Dingbei's residence a few times.
Brother Ximen had only heard of the war god's illustrious reputation, but had never seen him in person. Now that they had the chance to meet, he was naturally excited.
After finally getting to the imperial carriages of the two princesses, two exceptionally handsome men rode side by side in front of the elaborate procession.
A prince, dressed in royal robes, riding a pristine white steed, was as serene and aloof as the clear moon in the sky.
Another rider, dressed in military attire, rode a black horse and was cold and handsome.
Brother Ximen exclaimed in admiration, "I've heard that Marquis Dingbei has always kept a long beard in the northern frontier; it turns out it was to conceal his appearance!"
As a handsome and charming man born with natural good looks, he felt a rare sense of self-consciousness.
Gu Baozhu laughed and said, "Back when my third brother was a study companion in the palace, he was really handsome. Everyone called him the Jade Boy of the Gu Family. It's just a pity that he only practiced martial arts and didn't understand romance. Later, he was also called the Wooden Jade Boy."
Like a beautiful butterfly, completely unaware of its own beauty.
Brother Ximen sighed, "I admire men with superb martial arts skills the most, and Marquis Dingbei is someone I greatly admire. This trip to the capital has truly been worthwhile."
Qin Heng smiled and said, "How about I introduce you?"
Gu Baozhu exclaimed, "Shouldn't it be my turn to do this? Heng-ge, you always steal my jobs."
Xiao Dong asked, puzzled: "Who introduced you makes no difference?"
For some reason, these two people were at odds one moment and then colluding with each other the next.
That's really hard to understand.
Gu Baozhu ignored him, sat on her horse, gestured haphazardly to perform the greeting, and said loudly, "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Qi! Third Brother, look who's next to me? It's none other than Ximen, who stole the show with his full embroidered robes on the football field today!"
When he said this, others didn't react much.
The curtain of the Ninth Princess's palanquin was suddenly opened, and a head adorned with jewels peeked out. She quickly scanned the crowd opposite her, her gaze lingering on Brother Ximen's face and body before she said in a soft voice, "It's kind of you, Sister Baozhu, to come and greet me. I am deeply grateful for your kindness. Please bring your friends here and have a proper chat with me."
Gu Baozhu lowered her eyes and gestured to Qin Heng beside her with the corner of her eye.
Qin Heng pretended not to know and hurriedly bowed: "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Qi and the two princesses, brother-in-law. We are here to welcome you."
King Qi seemed thoughtful, then smiled and told everyone not to stand on ceremony. After everyone had paid their respects, he carefully examined Brother Ximen and asked, "Why isn't he wearing a flower in his hair?"
Brother Ximen hurriedly said, "I have put away all the flowers Your Highness bestowed. There are many people here and the smells are mixed. I was afraid they would be ruined by the fumes."
These words resonated with King Qi's love of purity.
King Qi nodded slightly.
The Ninth Princess, unable to contain her impatience, called out from behind, "Brother Qi is not such a petty person. He only gave you the flower hairpin because he admires your beauty. He just felt a little regretful that you didn't wear it while enjoying the lanterns."
Upon hearing this, Brother Ximen's face was filled with fear, mixed with a hint of shyness and embarrassment, a complex mix of emotions.
King Qi frowned, turned around and lightly scolded, "Although you want to share the joy with the people, you should at least have some ladylike manners. Look at Fu Yun, she's staying inside quietly without saying a word."
The Ninth Princess said with some grievance, "That's my older sister..."
He paused, swallowed the rest of his words, and quickly retreated back into the car.
Fu Yun's reputation was damaged, so she should avoid showing her face if possible. However, if she said these words, Prince Qi might say something unpleasant in public, which would make her lose face in front of everyone.
But that didn't stop her.
The maidservant beside her quickly got out of the carriage, caught up with Gu Baozhu, and grabbed the reins of her horse to prevent her from leaving.
"Miss Gu, the princess hasn't seen you for several days."
King Qi said helplessly, "Sister Baozhu, since the Ninth Princess is in such a hurry to summon you over, you may go."
The maid hurriedly said, "The Ninth Princess said that she also wants the Hong team to come and accompany her. The princess enjoyed watching the game today and wants to praise them well."
The King of Qi had no choice but to agree.
Gu Baozhu was naturally happy to come; if it weren't for the chance to help Ximen and the Ninth Princess find love, she wouldn't have bothered making this trip.
Having witnessed how Brother Ximen and Head Li got along, she wasn't worried at all.
Sure enough, along the way, the Ninth Princess and Brother Ximen had already gotten along very well, and everyone else was just there to make up the atmosphere.
Upon arriving at Ranxiang Residence, the Ninth Princess had already instructed Young Master Ximen to serve her.
Qin Heng secretly gave Gu Baozhu a thumbs up.
Xiao Dong asked in a low voice, "Did you two come out here just to do this?"
His eyes held a deeper meaning.
Gu Baozhu was still calm, but Qin Heng's face had already turned red, and he stammered, "...Yes...it's all because of my eldest sister..."
"...Ah?" Xiao Dong suddenly covered his face and screamed.
Qin Heng was stunned for a moment.
After a long pause, Fang, his face expressionless, tapped Xiao Dong's forehead with his knuckles: "At such a young age, you actually, actually, actually."
"What?!" Gu Baozhu asked with great interest.
Xiao Dong touched his forehead: "Otherwise what?"
Qin Heng simply stopped talking and looked at Gu Baozhu, waiting for her to make a decision.
Gu Baozhu put her two thumbs together and winked at Xiao Dong: "?"
Xiao Dong nodded.
She immediately burst into laughter, completely disregarding the stares of those around her.
Before dismounting, Lord Gu glanced at her from afar as if by chance, then looked away. This made Gu Baozhu stop laughing immediately, as she felt that her third brother's glance was quite meaningful.