Chapter 23 :I Am Your Mother!

King Xuan stood coldly, staring at Xue Qingyin for a moment.

He said, “Good.”

The palace servants quickly brought over a chessboard and served them hot tea.

Xue Qingyin didn’t know how to play Go, but she could play chess.

Fortunately, in this era, chess still existed, as well as other games like Double Six and Liubo.

Then, Xue Qingyin began her poor chess display.

She was good at card games.

But when it came to chess, she was terrible.

Before long, King Xuan noticed her growing discomfort.

His gaze flickered, but he didn’t say anything.

In the first game, Xue Qingyin lost quickly.

But she wasn’t afraid of losing, so she seemed to have a good temper.

When she lowered her eyes to focus on the board, her brows and eyes shone brightly.

Only then did King Xuan notice her attire for the day…

Today, Xue Qingyin dressed in plain colors.

A smoky purple long-sleeved blouse, a skirt in mountain ash color, adorned with a hint of spring hues, giving off a lively and charming vibe.

Every time she moved a piece, the wide sleeves would slide back, revealing a glimpse of her snow-white arm.

When she couldn’t think of her next move, she would subconsciously press her index finger against the chessboard, lightly scraping the red lacquer on the pieces.

Some of the paint was poorly applied, leaving tiny flakes sticking to her fingertips, like rouge.

The contrast of red and white was an indescribable beauty.

The second game quickly started.

Xue Qingyin wrinkled her nose, grabbing a piece with her right hand, but her left hand couldn’t resist reaching for the teacup.

However, the tea had just been poured, and the sides of the cup were so hot that she hissed in pain.

Prince Xuan’s eyelids twitched, and without thinking, he instinctively reached out and held her wrist.

Her skin was smooth.

King Xuan also seemed to have been burned, and his fingers curled in an unnatural way.

But he still held her wrist firmly.

“Don’t touch it,” he paused, then added coldly, “Hold it by the rim.”

Xue Qingyin responded dryly, “Oh.”

She just… couldn’t help fidgeting when she didn’t know what to do.

The palace servant, quick on the uptake, immediately said, “I’ll bring some ice.”

Xue Qingyin said, “There’s no need.”

It wasn’t that she was delicate.

She had only been slightly burned, not as if it had scorched her.

But the palace servant didn’t intend to listen and, glancing at Prince Xuan’s expression, turned and went to fetch ice.

Fine.

Since she couldn’t refuse, Xue Qingyin decided to take the opportunity to suggest, “Let’s play something else. Leaf cards are fun!”

She was better at card games!

King Xuan looked at her.

She looked back at him with eager eyes, black and sparkling.

There was no trace of embarrassment or awkwardness in her gaze.

King Xuan withdrew his hand and looked away. “Go get the leaf cards.”

“Yes.” The servant responded promptly.

Before long, the leaf cards were brought over.

Along with them came the ice cubes, carefully placed in a box.

Xue Qingyin grabbed an ice cube in her palm. “Hiss!”

This time, it was cold.

She quickly tossed it back.

Prince Xuan’s icy expression softened a little.

The palace servants couldn’t help but smile, covering their mouths.

Miss Xue was truly adorable.

Xue Qingyin wiped her hands on her skirt. “No need for ice. I might catch a cold. The red mark from the burn will disappear by tomorrow.”

As she spoke, she turned to grab the leaf cards.

Hiss!

She gasped inwardly.

The leaf cards were made of gold!

They gleamed with a golden glow, and this was the beauty of wealth!

Xue Qingyin picked up a card.

It felt so nice in her hand.

If the Xue family made a lot of money, they should make a set like this to play with!

She would be happy every day just holding it!

“Your Highness.” A voice called from outside the door.

King Xuan didn’t even lift his head. “Come in.”

The person entered and was shocked to see Xue Qingyin. “Miss Xue?”

Xue Qingyin looked up.

This man, with a big beard on his face… who was he?

King Xuan seemed to see her confusion and said lightly: “Deputy General Fang Chengzhong.”

Xue Qingyin thought to herself, what a strange name.

The deputy general smiled at her, then took a half step back, seemingly a bit shy.

But when he turned to face Prince Xuan, his expression became serious, and he said in a deep voice, “Your Highness, regarding the matter with the Anxi Army…”

King Xuan stood up and walked toward the inner room behind the screen.

The deputy general followed closely behind.

Xue Qingyin knew this was not something she should be listening to, so she stood up and planned to take a stroll.

“Miss Xue, are you there?” A palace maid’s voice suddenly sounded.

Perfect timing!

Xue Qingyin quickly stood up and walked to the door. “I’m here.”

“Princess Jinque invites you to come ahead.” The maid smiled.

Xue Qingyin looked at her.

This was the maid who had previously invited her into the princess’s mansion.

Now she was asking her to come forward?

Was something fun going on?

The maid urged, “Miss Xue, hurry and come with me. The princess is waiting for you.”

Xue Qingyin turned around and, regardless of whether King Xuan could hear, said politely, “Your Highness, I’m going ahead, I’ll be back later.”

The maid paused. “Your Highness? Which Prince is in there?”

“The maid didn’t see? Prince Xuan,” Xue Qingyin replied.

The maid gasped.

Xue Qingyin said, “Let’s go.”

The maid hesitated but then smiled again. “Okay, let’s go.”

She led the way, walking briskly as though there was some urgent matter ahead.

At the princess’s mansion garden…

Well, it couldn’t really be called a garden. It was bare, with only grass and no trees in sight.

The game of polo was being played here.

The Fourth Princess sat in her seat, unable to stop looking back toward the rear of the princess’s mansion.

She had been waiting for a long time, and she figured that Xue Qingyin must have already started.

The Fourth Princess felt uneasy, not as pleased as she had imagined.

…

The princess’s mansion was just too large.

Xue Qingyin followed the maid, winding through pavilions and halls, until they finally arrived at a door.

The maid said, “This is the place.”

But something felt off!

Xue Qingyin’s eyelids twitched, and she quickly realized.

The door wasn’t thick, but there was no sound coming from behind it, which was oddly quiet.

The mansion was filled with grandeur, yet the pull ring on this door had rusted…

Xue Qingyin turned to run.

But the maid grabbed her by the back of her collar with surprising strength, pulled open the door, shoved her inside, and locked it.

Xue Qingyin stumbled, hitting the ground hard, dizzy.

Her body was just… too weak!

She slowly raised her hand.

But it was fine.

She grabbed a handful of hair from the maid.

That felt much better.

Outside, the maid clenched her teeth and touched her head.

She could clearly feel the spot where hair was missing, exposing her scalp.

Damn it.

Damn it!

The maid glared at the door, then turned and walked away.

With King Xuan still inside, she felt a little uneasy, but so what?

Today, she was a pawn, and her fate had already been decided.

What was the princess like?

She couldn’t tolerate betrayal.

The maid spat out a breath.

She just hoped… that after she was executed, her family could truly live the life the noblewoman promised, far away, without worry.

Inside the room.

Xue Qingyin slowly got up, brushed off the dust from her clothes.

She would never complain about the maid that He Songning had placed next to her again.

Spies were spies, but at least they could fight for her now.

“Snacks, snacks. Hehe, are you here to bring snacks?” A silly voice rang from behind her.

Xue Qingyin turned around.

She saw a tall, fat man with a blank look, leaning against the doorframe, staring at her.

He looked dazed, obviously not quite right in the head.

But he was dressed impeccably.

His hair neatly combed, wearing a jade crown, a moon-white robe, with a jade belt studded with jewels, his belly round and full.

Seeing that Xue Qingyin didn’t speak, he immediately came down the steps.

His steps were so heavy that it seemed as if the floor was shaking.

He licked his lips and said angrily: “Thirst, I’m thirsty, I want water!”

Xue Qingyin cursed in her heart and had a very bad premonition in her heart.

And this man was still approaching step by step.

His huge body and silly look made him look a little scary.

Xue Qingyin held her breath for a moment and slowly uttered a few words: “I am your mother, no… I am your mother.”