“What’s going on?” Chu Liuyue put down the wine cup in his hand and asked lightly.

He sat in a restaurant facing the street, so he could see that Rui’an Great Elder Princess’s carriage came and left in a hurry. Everyone was shocked by such aggressive people.

“It is said that Great Elder Princess went to Duke Xing’s Mansion and create a disturbance because the Fifth Miss Shao was poisoned.” Xiao Qizi reported.

“She was poisoned? How did that happen on the mountain? Isn’t it said that she was fine yesterday?” Chu Liuyue frowned and said.

Last night, the secret guard returned to the mansion and said that the Fifth Miss Shao seemed to have difficulty in walking. She had probably sprained her ankle, but the secret guard didn’t say that she was poisoned.

“I don’t know, but it’s said that after the Fifth Miss sprained her ankle, the First Miss gave her a bottle of ointment mixed with some harmful drug. It not only won’t make her injury get better, but also will make her injury suppurate and rot. Now people are wondering if it was the First Miss Shao who did it!” Xiao Qizi lowered his head and said.

Chu Liuyue frowned tightly and showed some displeasure on his face. Shao Yanru had got into much trouble recently. He was wondering what made her get into such trouble at this time.

“Send someone to check it out…” Chu Liuyue paused, waved his hand, and continued saying, “Forget it. Leave it aside now and see how it goes!”

He couldn’t send his secret guards to the Yuhui Nunnery too often, because he didn’t know who else had sent their secret guards there. If Shao Yanru hadn’t promised him that Shao Wanru would certainly meet a man in secret, he wouldn’t have rashly sent his secret guard there.

Unexpectedly, his secret guard heard the ambiguous conversation between Shao Yanru and Qiu Yu instead of catching Shao Wanru meeting Chu Qing in secret or sending him a note. Moreover, Shao Yanru seemed to have an ambiguous relationship with Chu Qing at the same time.

With the wine cup in his hand falling, he showed a hint of rage in his eyes. He considered Shao Yanru the perfect candidate for his consort, Now it was the critical moment to pick his consort, so he could not allow any mistakes.

But somehow, he found it quite a turnoff, as if something was stuck in his throat and he couldn’t spit it out. Shao Yanru was just a girl. In fact, if she wasn’t loyal to him, she was unnecessarily his only choice.

Despite his admiration for Shao Yanru’s pretty face, he cared more about how much help she could offer with her family background and intelligence…

Xiao Qizi just stood there with his head down, not daring to say anything. His master liked the First Miss Shao and had a close relationship with her in private. Xiao Qizi considered the First Miss Shao his future mistress. In fact, he really wanted to put in a good word for his future mistress. However, his master’s cold face made him dare not say a word.

After hearing what the secret guard reported, his master seemed to be displeased when speaking of the First Miss Shao.

“Your Highness, the Third Young Master Wen is here!” A guard reported at the door of the private room.

“Let him in!” Chu Liuyue raised his head and said gently, showing a smile on his face, which had been gloomy a moment ago.

As the door was pushed open, Wen Xichi walked in slowly. After standing in front of Chu Liuyue, he bowed deeply to Chu Liuyue and said, “Your Highness!”

“Yuanqing, you don’t have to be over courteous. Sit down!” Chu Liuyue said with a smile and pointed to the chair opposite to him. They had known each other since their childhood, so they didn’t need to be over courteous.

“Thank you, Your Highness!” Wen Xichi said with joined hands and sat opposite to him with a smile.

Xiao Qi placed another set of tableware neatly, poured a cup of wine for Wen Xichi, and then stepped aside to serve them.

“Have a try and see if the wine is good.” Chu Liuyue said with a smile.

Wen Xichi picked up the wine cup, took a sip, and said with a sparkle in his eyes, “Good wine!”

“Of course it’s good. I specially picked it among the tribute wine. Knowing that you like this kind of wine, I specially asked my father to give it to me. There’s not much of them, only five pots in total. Take two pots back later!” Chu Liuyue said with loud laughter, picked up the wine cup, and clinked his wine cup against Wen Xichi’s, “Bottoms up?”

“No. I can’t do that. There’s not much good wine. I should certainly taste it carefully. Thank you for your good wine, Your Highness!” Wen Xichi waved his hand leisurely with a smile, picked up the wine cup and tasted the wine, and then showed an increasingly gentle smile.

“You don’t need to thank me. You did me a big favor last time. I should thank you!” Chu Liuyue said with a smile, withdrew his wine cup, and took a sip. He then nodded repeatedly and said, “Although I don’t like this kind of wine, which is too sweet, I find it great after tasting it carefully!”

“Your Highness, it’s just a lift of the finger. I’ve always remembered your kindness!” Wen Xichi said with a smile and took another sip of the wine in his cup.

The wine was extremely fragrant and sweet with a faint fruit flavor, just like that in his memory. He seemed to have tasted it, but he realized that he hadn’t tasted it actually after tasting it carefully.

He thought it strange that he liked this kind of sweet wine instead of drinking some hard liquor like other men.

“There’s no need to mention it again. Yuanqing, you’ve worried unnecessarily. Did you see Great Elder Princess’s carriage just now?” Chu Liuyue said with an increasingly gentle smile.

“Of course I saw it. What has Great Elder Princess done?” Wen Xichi said. He only saw the back of Rui’an Great Elder Princess’s carriage on his way here but heard all kinds of rumors related to the two Misses of Duke Xing’s Mansion in the crowd.

“I heard that the Fifth Miss Shao sprained her ankle and used the ointment sent by Duke Xing’s Mansion. The First Miss Shao and the Fifth Miss Shao each have a bottle of the kind of ointment, However, The bottle of ointment used by the Fifth Miss Shao was mixed with another drug, which would make her injury rot instead of making it get better. Great Elder Princess got furious and went to Duke Xing’s Mansion to make a scene!”

Chu Liuyue said casually.

“After the case of the Baiyun Taoist Temple, why did something terrible happen again… Does Duke Xing’s Mansion hate the Fifth Miss Shao so much?”

Wen Xichi asked in confusion with a frown.

“Who knows!” Chu Liuyue said indifferently, “But the Fifth Miss Shao is quite troublesome. She seems to have got into various trouble since she moved to the capital city!”

“Your Highness, what do you mean?” Despite the smile on his face, Wen Xichi said with more gloom in his eyes.

“I have met the First Miss Shao before. She is a rare gentle beauty with fair family background and a good reputation. I think she was unlikely to do that. What’s more, my father has suggested that she will be selected… If there comes such a rumor, it will have a bad influence on her!”

Chu Liuyue said as if intending to make a casual conversation.

He came here today in order to meet Wen Xichi, and he did want to talk about the case of the Baiyun Taoist Temple. Talking about Rui’an Great Elder Princess’s visit to Duke Xing’s Mansion made it easier for him to lead the topic to this.

“Your Highness, do you want to select her as your consort?” Wen Xichi realized what he meant, but said with composure.

“I want to do so, but now…” Chu Liuyue said with a gloomy face, “My father will not allow a lady with a flawed reputation to be my consort, but I…”

Speaking of this, Chu Liuyue paused for a while and seemed to be a little embarrassed. He picked up the wine cup, drunk up in one swallow, and then put down the wine cup heavily. After that, he looked at Wen Xichi sincerely and said, “A quiet and modest maiden is a gentleman’s good mate, and I’m no exception. If I can marry the First Miss Shao as my consort, it will be my pleasure!”

“Your Highness, it would not be difficult for the First Miss Shao to be selected in the past, and you just need to tell His Majesty about your wish after that. But now…” Wen Xichi coughed in a low voice and said, “I’m afraid it’s a hard job!”

“So I have to ask for your help. I…” Chu Liuyue said with a slightly red face, looking like an affectionate young man, “I do have a deep affection for the First Miss Shao and don’t want to see her marry someone else. I can only feel at ease after marrying her!”

Wen Xichi lowered his head and remained silent for a while. He then nodded slowly and said, “Since this is what you want, I’ll help you!”

“Thank you, Yuanqing!” Chu Liuyue said. He, who was overjoyed, stood up and bowed deeply to Wen Xichi.

Wen Xichi hurriedly helped Chu Liuyue up and said, “Your Highness, you are over courteous. I will never forget your great kindness to our Wen’s Mansion!”

“Yuanqing, it’s just a lift of the finger. It’s no big deal!” Chu Liuyue waved his hand and said indifferently.

“You consider it a lift of the finger, but I consider you saved the lives of all of the members of my mansion.” Wen Xichi said with a serious look.

Chu Liuyue had exactly done a favor to the Deputy Prime Minister. A few years ago, the Deputy Prime Minister got involved in a corruption case, and all the doubtful points showed that the Deputy Prime Minister had done that. The emperor was furious and intended to search the Wen’s Mansion and confiscate their property. It was Chu Liuyue who took the lead to kneel in the imperial study and beg for the Deputy Prime Minister so that the emperor deferred making a decision.

After that, he participated in the investigation and even helped them a lot during the investigation. The Deputy Prime Minister had always been grateful to Chu Liuyue and asked all the members of his mansion to help Prince Yue as much as they could when it was necessary.

Nevertheless, after the case was solved, Chu Liuyue and the Deputy Prime Minister didn’t have a close relationship and just greeted each other when they met on their way to meet the emperor. It was said that when the emperor asked about it, Chu Liuyue only said that he had a good relationship with the Third Young Master Wen since their childhood. Knowing that it was impossible for someone like the Deputy Prime Minister to do so, he intervened in it in case that a loyal official was framed.

Since the case had been solved, other things had nothing to do with him. He helped the Deputy Prime Minister mainly for the sake of the Third Young Master Wen.

At that time, the Third Young Master Wen was just an idle scholar. Despite being famous for his talent, he was not an official. Moreover, he was young at that time, and he and Chu Liuyue had always been on friendly terms indeed. So he was not accused of ganging up for selfish interests.

Nevertheless, no matter how long it had been, the whole Deputy Prime Minister’s Mansion had always been grateful to Chu Liuyue.

Although they hadn’t kept in close contact with each other, all the members of the Wen’s Mansion had always kept what Chu Liuyue had done in mind.

The two of them had small talk for a while. A guard came to report that the emperor wanted to see Chu Liuyue. Chu Liuyue had to leave, leaving Wen Xichi in the private room alone.

Picking up the wine cup and tasting it carefully, Wen Xichi looked down. No one could see the emotion in his eyes. He just quietly looked at the empty wine cup in his hand. A quiet and modest maiden was a gentleman’s good mate? A faint smile, which was very cold and indifferent, showed up on his face…