Chapter 399 This is what you said (two in one)
"Shangjing City has always been peaceful, but there have always been many misunderstandings between the two countries. As the news of your arrival in Beijing spreads, there is no guarantee that there will not be people who intend to harm the delegation. Although those people dare not really do anything to you, provocative actions are inevitable. I hope that the two of you will bear more for my sake."
The little emperor, who was gently patting the railing and leisurely enjoying the scenery outside the pavilion, suddenly thought of something and turned his head to whisper to the two of them.
He was not worried about what the people would do to the delegation, as the contents of the agreement on ceding territory and paying indemnities were kept strictly confidential. He was mainly worried about those ignorant and powerful children. Their information channels were much more convenient than those of ordinary people, and there was no guarantee that someone would not get excited after hearing the news and cause trouble for the delegation. Although he was happy to see those dandy young men suffer at the hands of the delegation, if things really got out of hand, it would be a headache for him as the emperor of Northern Qi to deal with it, so he thought it would be better to inform them in advance.
Upon hearing this, Mei Cheng'an and Fan Xian looked at each other. They were not surprised that the delegation would encounter hostility and provocation in the enemy's capital. Fan Xian himself even had some expectations. After all, he was a little disappointed that he didn't see it when he should have when he entered the city yesterday. However, the little emperor was so polite in his words and valued them so much that they felt a little flattered.
Mei Cheng'an nodded slightly and responded silently, while Fan Xian waved his hand and answered.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. As long as they don't go too far, we won't respond too harshly and make things difficult for Your Majesty."
"..."
The word "excessively" was used very cleverly, making the little emperor feel a little amused and helpless. He was just giving a casual reminder, but Fan Xian's words made him feel a little uneasy. After thinking about it, he shifted his gaze to Haitang.
"If anyone is rude to the Nanqing envoys these days, I hope that little nun will come forward and say a few words."
"…understood."
Haitang glanced at the two people beside her with an unfriendly look. Even though she was a little reluctant in her heart, she nodded helplessly in agreement.
The reason for her reluctance was the four words "this period of time". The task itself was not difficult, it could even be said to be very simple, it was just a matter of saying a few words, but it took too long, and she had to keep an eye on whether anyone on the delegation was causing trouble. It was troublesome just thinking about it, but since it was the little emperor's request, she had to agree.
Noticing the reluctance in her tone, Mei Chengan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Although he didn't show it on his face, he was very happy in his heart.
Fan Xian's response was more direct. He turned his head to look at Haitang and greeted her with a smile.
"Look at our fate. Our delegation will be grateful for the Saint's care in the future."
Then he received Haitang's gaze like he was a fool and a big roll of the eyes, and his efforts were met with a cold shoulder.
Fan Xian: "..."
Seeing this funny scene, Mei Cheng'an's mouth twitched and he almost couldn't help laughing out loud. The little emperor who had been watching the three people by the railing almost burst out laughing, and quickly turned his back and pretended not to see it.
After his shoulders shook for several times, the little emperor, with his back to the three people, finally calmed down. He withdrew his hands from the railing and put them behind his back. The little emperor turned around and looked at the two of them and smiled.
"Regarding the cooperation, I am waiting for good news from you two."
The implication was that the guests were to be seen off. Upon hearing this, Mei Cheng'an and Fan Xian were very tactful and bowed in unison.
"The foreign minister resigns!"
The little emperor smiled and nodded, looking at Haitang.
"Please, little nun, escort them out of the palace so they don't get lost in the palace."
Haitang nodded slightly.
"Yes."
Just as they were about to leave, the little emperor suddenly spoke again.
"I heard that you two have declared that you will no longer write poetry since the night banquet. Is that true?"
Mei Cheng'an and Fan Xian retracted their steps, looked at each other, and nodded to the little emperor. Fan Xian spoke in reply.
"Indeed, Your Majesty..."
The little emperor sighed.
"I didn't expect it to be true. What a pity! I originally wanted you two to write a poem about the beautiful scenery in the palace."
"Forehead…"
The hint was so obvious, almost explicit, that Fan Xian didn't know how to respond. What he feared was bound to come true.
Mei Cheng'an was fed up with writing this kind of poem, it was too brain-consuming. He knew that the little emperor was mainly after Fan Xian, so he nodded without thinking.
"I beg your Majesty to forgive me. My creativity has been almost exhausted since the night banquet. The scenery in the palace is so beautiful that it is bound to be ugly if I force it to be put together."
Sure enough, the little emperor smiled and nodded when he heard this. He had no intention of making things difficult for him and looked directly at Fan Xian.
Fan Xian panicked. His fellow villager had said what he wanted to say first. He could only curse inwardly and quickly think of another excuse.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. This poem... is from my heart. I have been traveling a lot these days and I am in a state of anxiety. I really can't finish it. I can't finish it."
Fan Xian smiled bitterly and waved his hands repeatedly.
The little emperor was not let off so easily. He just raised his eyebrows and looked at him with a smile and said.
"I'm afraid that poetry is based on emotion and varies from person to person. Master Fan, looking at this filthy thing like me, naturally won't be inspired to write poetry."
Upon hearing this, Fan Xian broke out in a sweat and felt extremely embarrassed.
"No, no, no, foreign minister..."
Mei Cheng'an heard something from the little emperor's words. He curled the corners of his mouth calmly and glanced at Haitang on the other side.
Sure enough, looking at Fan Xian's embarrassed look, a hint of amusement flashed in the little emperor's eyes, and he suddenly raised the corner of his mouth and said.
"I recently got a short poem that is quite talented. I would like to invite Master Fan to appreciate it... Do you know, do you know, it should be "Green is fat, red is thin", what do you think of this poem, Master Fan?"
"..." x2
Fan Xian was very embarrassed, and Haitang was even more embarrassed.
Mei Cheng'an couldn't help but smile, and the little emperor laughed out loud.
……
He watched the two of them leave the pavilion under the guidance of Haitang, and walk along the winding and quiet corridor, gradually heading towards the dark palace buildings in front of the mountain. In the pavilion, the young monarch of Northern Qi stood silently with his hands behind his back. The excitement on his face when he was chatting with the two of them had faded away, leaving only a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips.
When the figures of several people disappeared from his sight, the little emperor suddenly closed his eyes, sniffed deeply twice, opened his eyes and his eyes lit up, and he actually regained a little bit of the feeling of looking at the moon alone that night.
Hearing footsteps behind him, the little emperor knew that it was the eunuchs rushing to serve him. He waved his hand with a little annoyance and stopped them outside the pavilion. He still stood alone by the pavilion, with a thoughtful look in his eyes, and no one knew what he was thinking about.
After a long time, he suddenly sighed and whispered to himself.
"So this is what Fan Xian looks like. He's even better looking than I thought. Hmm, that Mei Cheng'an is not bad either. I don't know why..."
On the other side, Mei Cheng'an and Fan Xian followed Haitang silently out of the palace.
Thanks to what the little emperor did at the end, perhaps Fan Xian and Haitang felt embarrassed and no one spoke for a while.
Mei Cheng'an followed beside them with his hands behind his back, and had no intention of breaking the awkward atmosphere between the two of them. He glanced around casually.
Suddenly, Fan Xian beside him touched his arm. Mei Cheng'an turned his head and saw him pointing forward and making faces, with a funny and hid-laughing expression on his face.
Glancing in the direction he pointed, Mei Cheng'an was stunned and couldn't help laughing. It turned out that Fan Xian was referring to Haitang's gait. Although he understood what Fan Xian wanted him to see, it was really too weird and perverted for two grown men to stare at a girl's butt, at least that's how it looked to outsiders. So he just glanced at her and then looked away, only glancing at her with the corner of his eye.
Haitang's walking posture can be described as swaying three times with one step, but it is not the seductive swaying way of the girls in brothels, but a swaying way that is very rustic.
She held her hands in front of her body, which should have been tucked into the two wide cuffs of her coat. The sleeves swung back and forth, appearing from time to time on both sides of her body. Her upper body was very straight, without much shaking, but her feet were dragging her legs, alternating between dragging and pulling as she moved forward. Her gait looked extremely lazy, but not the sexy laziness of a beauty emerging from the bath, but simply the lazy walking posture of a country woman.
Mei Cheng'an lived with his grandmother in the countryside when he was a child in his previous life, so he was naturally familiar with this posture. When he saw it again after many years, he found the contrast funny but also very familiar, and for a moment he couldn't bear to look away.
Fan Xian also stared at the ground closely, and he looked straight at it without any hesitation, because he was trying to imitate Haitang's gait.
It was unknown how long the two of them stared at each other. Haitang, who was standing alone in front, seemed to vaguely feel two fiery gazes behind her, staring at her hips and waist. Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore, and suddenly stopped and turned around to glare at Fan Xian.
Mei Cheng'an was only watching Haitang's staggered steps, avoiding sensitive parts, so Haitang didn't notice it. Moreover, he saw it with his peripheral vision and easily shifted his gaze. On the contrary, Fan Xian wanted to imitate the steps mainly by looking at the twisting of the waist and hips. Because his gaze was too naked, he was caught red-handed.
After stopping, Mei Cheng'an glanced at Haitang, then followed his gaze to look at Fan Xian beside him. His eyes were blank but curious, as if he didn't understand what was going on.
"what happened?"
Haitang didn't respond or look at him, but just gritted her teeth and stared at Fan Xian's eyes, as if she was determined to peel off Fan Xian's handsome skin and reveal his wretched true self.
"Forehead…"
She stopped suddenly, and Fan Xian was startled. Naturally, there was a little surprise on his face. Looking at her angry eyes, he instantly realized that she had misunderstood. His eyes turned and he thought of a very confusing excuse.
"I just saw that your walking posture was strange, Duoduo, and I thought you must be practicing some special skills, so I was very curious and looked at you a few more times."
Mei Chengan who was standing by almost sneered when he heard this, and quickly glanced away, thinking to himself, this is really a bitch, how can you believe this?
Unexpectedly, Haitang was stunned when she heard that. It was mainly because what Fan Xian said was too confusing and she had no idea what to do. She opened her mouth and took a long time to utter a word.
"It's not a practice."
After saying this, Haitang suddenly felt a little confused. Why should she explain this to him?
She rolled her eyes and said unhappily.
"I have walked like this since I was a child. The Queen Mother has been telling me to do this for many years, but I still can't change it. If you think it looks awkward or annoying, then just walk in front and don't look!"
After saying that, he glanced at Mei Cheng'an who was watching the show on the side, turned around, and continued to walk forward lazily with his hands in his pockets and dragging his legs.
Fan Xian let out a breath, patted his chest, and was about to say something to the fellow villager beside him, but Mei Chengan glanced at him with contempt, raised his foot and walked forward, with no intention of paying any attention to him at all.
Opening his mouth and making the shape of "hey", Fan Xian rolled his eyes at Mei Cheng'an's back, thinking, what qualifications do you have to look down on me? Didn't you see it? It's not a big deal that you didn't get caught. With a small snort, Fan Xian raised his foot and chased after him.
He was caught "peeking" on the spot. Although he managed to escape with his wit, Fan Xian didn't want to imitate the abstract steps. This thing really depends on talent, and he really couldn't learn it. With nothing else to do, he openly observed Haitang's walking posture.
When Fan Xian thought about the fact that Haitang, a master of the ninth rank and a saint who was as noble as a fairy in the eyes of the world, was actually a pure country girl at heart and that walking in the palace was like walking in a field, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.
As expected, Haitang turned around and glanced at Fan Xian, asking the expected question.
"why are you laughing?"
Fan Xian coughed twice, then answered with a smile and nodding his head.
"I really like the way you walk, Duoduo."
Haitang was slightly startled, with a hint of anger in her eyes.
When Fan Xian saw it, he quickly raised three fingers and swore.
"If you deceive, you will be punished by heaven and earth!"
This was a solemn oath, and Haitang had no choice but to believe it, but she still didn't understand what was so good about this posture that had been ridiculed for many years. She herself couldn't even say that she liked it, it was just a habit. Glancing at Fan Xian in confusion, Haitang turned around and walked forward thoughtfully.
Even though she stopped watching, Fan Xian's "performance" seemed to be continuing.
"Hey, what do you think?"
This was Fan Xian's voice, so the person he was questioning was naturally not her.
Mei Cheng'an glanced at Haitang's back and smiled.
"It seems a little unique in this sparsely populated palace, because everyone here likes to be dignified. The casual and down-to-earth pace is naturally a little out of place, but I also like it. It looks comfortable and at ease."
"Yeah, great minds think alike."
Haitang felt very strange listening to the two grown men openly discussing her walking posture behind her. What was even stranger was that both of them actually favored her walking posture that others looked down upon. Thinking about the shameless methods they had used on her on the shore of the North Sea, Haitang felt a little confused and felt that this world was very inexplicable.
She no longer responded, and the topic about her walking posture naturally could not continue. Soon the three of them fell into silence again and walked out of the palace accompanied by the green trees and black eaves on the mountain.
"Hey, your Majesty seems to be treating us with special favor, which makes us very anxious."
Fan Xian tilted his head and asked Haitang tentatively. The formation of the three of them was slightly different from before, and they were moving forward side by side.
Haitang glanced at him and spoke.
"Why should you be so scared? Didn't His Majesty tell you the reason? He likes your poetry collection, especially the Red Mansion you wrote. Don't you believe it?"
Fan Xian's mouth twitched as he hissed and glanced at his fellow villager.
“That’s really why.”
He really didn't believe it. He always felt that an emperor of a country, especially one who could compete with the empress dowager, should not act so simply.
"What do you think?"
Haitang rolled her eyes at him. People with a bad heart would think everything is dirty.
"After returning from Nanqing, Master Zhuang Mohan had a long talk with His Majesty in the palace. Since that day, His Majesty has often mentioned your names, saying that if Northern Qi could have poets like you, it would be great and a pity to miss out on them. Although the war is over now, since you personally sent Xiao En back to Qi, the two countries are still in a standoff, so His Majesty is naturally concerned about your safety."
“Ah, so that’s how it is~”
The last syllable of the sentence was dragged out a little longer, and Fan Xian's face showed realization. He just realized that there was such a connection between the young emperor of Northern Qi and himself, whom he had never met before. So the young emperor's eagerness towards them was somewhat reasonable. It seemed that they had overthought it.
After resolving his doubts, Fan Xian spoke in a relaxed manner.
"Hey, this seems to be the first time I heard you speak so much in one breath today. Why do you talk less after entering the palace?"
Upon hearing this, Haitang let out a click of her tongue, and her originally indifferent expression suddenly became lively. She looked around like a thief, and complained in a low voice with a strong sense of stealing.
"I am a saint. Do you know what a saint is? How can I be a saint if I talk too much?"
Mei Chengan, who had been listening quietly, said something at this time.
"Aren't you the little emperor's man? It's ok for you to be so polite in front of the emperor, but why are you so polite in front of him? You even eat fruit in a very formal manner."
Haitang said in a muffled voice with a flash of annoyance in her eyes.
"Do you think I am willing to do this? My teacher told me to behave like this when I enter the palace, so I don't like to enter the palace." Mei Cheng'an was happy when he heard it.
"I understand, I understand. We really understand. If we didn't have an errand, we wouldn't be willing to enter the palace. There are too many rules in the palace and we are uncomfortable."
Haitang raised her hand and pointed to the air, expressing her deep agreement!
Fan Xian uttered a sigh.
"It's fine in front of them, but don't be restrained in front of us. Forget about the envoys and saints. We are just brothers, so you can act as you want."
Hearing this, Mei Chengan raised his eyebrows and smiled.
Haitang was stunned for a moment and then glanced at Fan Xian speechlessly, wondering where this guy got such shamelessness from. He was so familiar.
“Am I on good terms with you guys?”
"Is it bad? It's bad that you threw the leftover sweet potato peels into my hands instead of throwing them on the ground. That's really rude of you."
"..."
Haitang's pretty face turned red and she was speechless.
Mei Cheng'an couldn't help laughing, and when he laughed, Fan Xian also laughed, which made Haitang feel even more embarrassed. She explained with a red face and humiliation.
“I just don’t want to throw garbage everywhere.”
This explanation was so pale and weak, so weak that Fan Xian was too lazy to argue with her. He just laughed along with his fellow villagers.
Haitang gritted her teeth in anger. She had never thought that her unconscious action at that time would be used by Fan Xian as evidence to prove that they had a good relationship. She had no way to refute it, and felt that the more she explained, the worse it got. After thinking about it, she simply avoided the matter and refuted it with another fact.
"We have a good relationship, but you still drugged me and lied to me!"
Mei Chengan let out a sound.
"That doesn't count. After all, we were not familiar with each other at the time. As enemies, it's understandable that they used some tricks when they couldn't defeat each other physically."
"that is!"
Fan Xian took over the conversation.
"What's the point of talking about such trivial matters? If you really care, you can give us drugs."
Mei Cheng'an was unhappy when he heard this. He said, "You can just deal with this matter yourself, why bother involving me?"
"Hey, don't let us..."
Haitang thought about it, shrugged and interrupted him directly.
"It's not a bad idea."
"..."
Mei Cheng'an looked at Haitang speechlessly.
"Oh, no, don't..."
Fan Xian shook his head and interrupted him again mercilessly, as if he didn't exist at all.
"I am good at using poison, and Lao Mei is good at medicine. It is not easy to find medicine in this world that can escape the detection of both of us."
"..."
Mei Chengan took a gulp of the cold noodles.
"Hehehe, are you two crazy? There's a living person here, but you're treating me like air? I say..."
Obviously, yes, Haitang responded with a curled mouth. The voice she responded to was naturally Fan Xian's, and the one she was looking at was also Fan Xian.
"Wait, I'll try."
"..."
Mei Chengan rolled his eyes in the ultimate way. OK, OK, OK, you really don’t want to give me any screen time at all, right? I’m too lazy to pay attention to you guys. What’s the big deal? Ha~
Mei Cheng'an flicked his sleeves and quickened his pace to walk forward. He became angry when he saw these two arrogant guys.
Fan Xian and Haitang smiled and glanced at his back. No one had the intention of calling him. Those who go against the crowd should be ignored!
Retracting his gaze, Fan Xian laughed.
"You can try it yourself. By the way, we still need your help in rescuing Yan Bingyun. How can we contact you then?"
Haitang glanced at him.
"Why are you contacting me? Didn't you all promise His Majesty that you would rely on yourselves? I won't get involved."
Fan Xian waved his hand.
"I didn't ask you to get involved. We will handle the matter ourselves, but I think your Majesty will probably let you handle the final work after the matter is done. It's not easy for him to come in person."
Haitang thought for a moment and said.
"On the surface, I am the Queen Mother's man, so it is not easy for me to show up."
Fan Xian smiled.
"You are wrong. It is precisely because you are the Queen Mother's man that I am sure that your Majesty will hand this matter over to you. If it were someone else, Shen Zhong might not obey your orders."
Haitang was silent. The young emperor had indeed not made any arrangements for this matter. After all, it was just an agreement. However, after hearing Fan Xian's analysis, the possibility was quite high. After thinking about it, she said.
"we'll talk about it then."
Fan Xian was unhappy.
"No, it will be too late then. We are very efficient. This matter must be discussed in advance. I am asking you for your contact information. There is no need to be so defensive."
Who is your buddy? How come you are buddy?
Haitang was really helpless.
"Okay, okay, you send someone then..."
……
Outside the palace.
"What did you say?"
Fan Xian looked at Shen Zhong in astonishment, while Mei Cheng'an, who was standing beside him, also showed a hint of shock in his eyes.
Shen Zhong seemed very satisfied with the reactions of the two and said with a smile.
"The Queen Mother's birthday is coming soon. It would be a good opportunity for Master Fan and Master Mei to stay for a few more days to celebrate her birthday together. This would also be a proper move to deepen the friendship between our two countries."
Fan Xian and Mei Cheng'an looked at each other, both seemed speechless.
"But we have a mission."
After a moment of silence, Fan Xian frowned and said.
Shen Zhong smiled and looked at the two of them.
"There is no conflict, and your country has already agreed."
Fan Xian asked in a very unhappy tone.
"Who promised?"
Shen Zhong did not rush to answer. He glanced at Gao Da and Wang Qinian who had been sitting beside him waiting for a long time, then raised his hand and said.
"Ah, wait a minute."
After saying that, he walked towards the two of them.
"You two, why don't you go back to the mission station and rest first? I want to take a walk and chat with your two adults."
Wang Qinian and Gaoda did not respond when they heard this, but looked directly at Mei Chengan and Fan Xian.
Fan Xian crossed his arms, frowned, and looked at Shen Zhong without saying a word.
Mei Cheng'an, standing with his hands behind his back, nodded at them. Wang Qinian and Gaoda immediately bowed and then turned and left.
Shen Zhong turned around, waved at the two of them, and smiled.
"Please, you two."
……
Walking on the bustling streets of Northern Qi, you will see tall buildings that are very different in style from those of Qing, and the sounds of hawking can be heard everywhere.
The three of them looked around from time to time, walked around the pedestrians, and kept talking. Look, Shen Zhong said as he stepped aside to let a citizen pass.
"It was naturally your emperor who gave the nod to allow the delegation to stay. Could it be that... you two are trying to disobey his order?"
Mei Cheng'an looked around with great interest, but simply ignored his attack. Fan Xian glanced at him and said nothing.
Shen Zhong did not feel embarrassed and continued talking to himself.
"If that is the case, you can no longer stay in Qing. The door of Qi is open to you two. We welcome you at any time. Let's turn from darkness to light and restore order."
Mei Cheng'an stopped and picked two bunches of candied haws from a haystack full of them. He looked at Fan Xian and Shen Zhong who had stopped too and handed one of the bunches to Fan Xian.
"It's fine to stay for the Queen Mother's birthday. Let's take Yan Bingyun over to the delegation first. Um, sorry I don't have any money on me. Thank you, Lord Shen, for the treat."
After saying that, he watched Shenzhong take a bite of the candied haws.
Fan Xian also raised the candied haws in his hand in front of Shen Zhong.
"Thanks."
"..."
He picked a bunch for himself as well. Shen Zhong paid the money and the three of them continued to move forward. Shen Zhong spat out the hawthorn seeds in his mouth and said.
"Let's talk about the hostage handover after you two return to Qing Kingdom."
Fan Xian chewed a candied haws, looking straight ahead as he spoke.
"Master Shen, do you want to detain him?"
The voice was a little unclear and the tone was unclear.
Shen Zhong looked at him and thought for a moment.
"I still have some questions to ask, Master Fan, please wait a moment."
Mei Chengan ate candied haws and looked around the shops.
"Since we can't release him, can we see him first?"
Shen Zhong agreed very readily.
"Okay! I'll arrange it slowly."
Fan Xian glanced at him.
"Give me a specific time. When can we meet?"
Shen Zhong had just taken a bite of a candied haws and slowly spit out the core, chewed it, and swallowed it before replying.
"I can't say for sure. After all, the procedures are complicated. Please wait patiently. I will notify you when it is ready."
Mei Cheng'an and Fan Xian paused, and Shen Zhong naturally stopped as well. Looking at Shen Zhong with narrowed eyes, Fan Xian spoke in a bad tone.
"What if we must meet?"
Shen Zhong looked at him calmly without saying a word.
Mei Cheng'an, who was chewing a candied haws on the side, glanced at the two of them and then looked away at the street scene. What was there to see in such a sight?
Mo Ran and Fan Xian stared at each other for a long time, and Shen Zhong suddenly smiled.
"Then you two, why don't you go look for it yourself."
Mei Cheng'an also laughed.
"Okay."
Fan Xian followed suit and grinned.
"That's what you said."
……
(End of this chapter)
