“Since Fourth Brother deliberately told me about it in the first place, he must be waiting for me to go to him of my own accord.”
“No one but me can handle this matter!”
Xiao Yi had vaguely guessed that Su Xian wanted to ask Xu Jinxin for help.
It wasn’t that he looked down on Xu Jinxin.
It was simply that this matter had been caused by him in the first place.
No one else would be of any use!
Yunxi had been dragged into this mess because of him as well.
Su Xian looked at Xiao Yi in surprise. “Your Highness, are you planning to go find Prince Rui?”
On one hand, Su Xian was delighted that her niece’s problem could finally be resolved.
On the other, she was deeply worried that it would put Xiao Yi in a difficult position.
She knew that as long as the prince intervened, the marriage could definitely be called off.
A cold smile tugged at the corners of Xiao Yi’s lips.
“He’ll come to me on his own.”
Since Fourth Brother had laid such a huge scheme, he certainly wouldn’t let the matter rest so easily.
He had waited for a long time, yet Xiao Yi still hadn’t gone to him to ask for help.
So, Fourth Brother would undoubtedly come looking for him to sound out his intentions.
“Don’t interfere in this matter. Otherwise, things will only go too far and have the opposite effect.”
Xiao Yi reminded her uneasily.
He was worried that, out of concern for her niece, Su Xian might secretly send someone to the Wang family.
When two evenly matched opponents were locked in a game, the greatest taboo was impatience.
Whoever grew anxious first would give the other side leverage.
In the end, they would be the one to lose.
“If you don’t want your niece to be married off to the Wang family as a bargaining chip, then pretend you know nothing.”
Su Xian hurriedly nodded.
“I understand. I’ll have Lianxin spread the word that I’m ill as soon as I return.”
“Coincidentally, Duoduo has some free time, so I can hand the household affairs over to her.”
Su Xian had still been wondering how to find an excuse to recuperate.
She hadn’t expected circumstances to take such a fortunate turn and provide her with the perfect excuse.
A flicker passed through Xiao Yi’s eyes.
“Isn’t Duoduo learning from that woman from Miao territory?”
“Does she really have time to deal with household chores?”
Su Xian’s hands tightened inside her sleeves.
“I feel that the art of witchcraft has never been well regarded throughout history.”
“Your Highness, you should persuade Duoduo to stop learning it.”
Xiao Yi hadn’t expected that even after Duoduo had been studying for so long, Su Xian still hadn’t understood why she was learning it.
“Have you ever said that to Duoduo?”
“Your Highness, you know what Duoduo is like.”
“She’s just like you. Once she sets her mind on something, even several horses couldn’t drag her back.”
The corners of Xiao Yi’s lips curved upward.
Su Xian’s words had pleased him.
“If several horses couldn’t drag her back, do you think I could make Duoduo change her mind?”
Su Xian nodded firmly.
“Your Highness, Duoduo listens to you more than anyone. As long as you tell her to stop, she’ll definitely obey.”
The curve of Xiao Yi’s lips grew even wider.
“Since you say so, I’ll mention it to Duoduo later.”
He would merely mention it. Whether Duoduo took his advice was another matter entirely.
Su Xian bent her knees and curtsied to Xiao Yi.
“Then I’ll return now and have someone summon a physician.”
Xiao Yi nodded.
“Very well. I’ll have Duoduo come over in a moment.”
“You needn’t worry about anything else. It would do you good to rest and recuperate.”
After saying this, Xiao Yi’s gaze swept, seemingly casually, over Su Xian’s belly.
Su Xian curtsied once more and left.
“Yunxiao!” Xiao Yi called.
“Your Highness!” Hearing his summons, Yunxiao immediately entered.
“Go find the commandery princess and ask her to come here.” Xiao Yi gave the order without even looking up.
Yunxiao froze for a moment. “Yes, Your Highness.”
After leaving, Yunxiao scratched his head.
He really didn’t want to see that woman from the southern border.
The last time Nina had barged into the rear residence, he had been beaten with ten strokes of the rod.
The physical pain had been nothing. What truly aggrieved Yunxiao was that it had all happened because that woman was so strange that he hadn’t been on his guard.
But he didn’t dare disobey the prince’s orders, so he braced himself and headed toward the rear courtyard.
“I did it! I finally did it!”
Duoduo was extremely excited.
Nina had cast a gu curse on a chicken, and Duoduo had tried to lure the gu worm out.
Duoduo had been nervous at first, but she had succeeded on her very first attempt.
A trace of wariness appeared in Nina’s eyes as she looked at Duoduo.
If a child with such talent had been born among her people, she would surely have been chosen as their heaven-sent saintess!
Nina put the gu worm back into her pouch. Then she handed Duoduo the secret formula she had written down.
“Commandery Princess, I’ve done everything I promised you.”
“I’m going to find the prince now and tell him I wish to take my leave.”
Nina was now wary of Duoduo.
She didn’t dare teach Duoduo all of her skills.
Her master always said that once the apprentice learned everything, the master would starve.
Since her own master had held something back from her, it was only natural for her to hold something back from Duoduo as well.
Duoduo was reluctant to part with her. She stepped forward and took Nina’s hand.
“I’m coming with you!”
When Nina saw Duoduo holding onto her arm, the wariness in her eyes slowly faded.
In the southern border, no one treated one another so affectionately.
Everyone kept their guard up around everyone else.
Even her maternal grandmother had rarely shown her such physical affection.
It would have been a lie to say Nina wasn’t moved.
“All right!” Nina took Duoduo’s hand of her own accord.
This was the first time in her life that she had handed her trust to an outsider without any reservations.
Duoduo smiled at Nina, her eyes curving like crescents.
The two had just stepped out of the room when they saw Yunxiao, his face twisted with hesitation, walking toward her courtyard.
“Yunxiao, are you here to find me?” Duoduo asked curiously.
Yunxiao hurried forward and bowed to Duoduo.
“This subordinate greets the commandery princess. His Highness has summoned you.”
A smile immediately spread across Duoduo’s face. “Perfect! I was just going to see Father!”
“Nina, let’s go!”
Yunxiao hurriedly stretched out an arm to stop them. “Commandery Princess, His Highness only summoned you. He didn’t ask Miss Nina to come.”
Nina was deeply displeased by Yunxiao’s attitude.
“What? Is the Prince of Pingyang’s study the Golden Hall? Why can’t I go?”
Yunxiao was startled.
How could this girl blurt out anything that came to mind?
“Miss Nina, please watch your words!” Yunxiao said sternly.
“Yunxiao, Nina has something to discuss with Father. Move aside.”
Duoduo’s little face fell.
As soon as he heard that, Yunxiao quickly lowered his arm.
“Commandery Princess, forgive me. This subordinate misunderstood!”
Duoduo waved her hand and pulled Nina away.
Before leaving, Nina fixed Yunxiao with a deep stare.
“You owe me an apology!”
Yunxiao was utterly baffled.
How had he wronged Nina?
And she wanted an apology too!
Duoduo tugged on Nina’s sleeve. “Forget it. He didn’t mean any harm.”
Nina turned back.
“All right. Since you’ve spoken up for him, I won’t punish him.”
As she spoke, Nina and Duoduo gradually disappeared into the distance.
Yunxiao scratched his head.
“Is there something wrong with that woman?”
