Chapter 360

Lord Chengen raised his eyebrows, vaguely feeling that Gu Jing seemed a little upset but didn’t ask him further, he only thought that Gu Jing was acting like this because he was stabbed by Yelu Luan.

He pondered for a moment and sighed, “The matter of the Qin family has already caused a lot of trouble… You’d better restrain yourself, otherwise, how can the Empress Dowager agree to marry Hanjun to you.”

Originally, he had already convinced the empress dowager so he did not expect that only after two days, the empress dowager would say that Gu Jing already had a favored concubine and given Fang Hanjun’s family history, she would not be a good match for Gu Jing.

Well, he has to say, this was all because of the Qin family’s bad reputation. Ai, why did the second prince fall in love with this woman! Lord Chengen heavily sighed again.

Meanwhile, as soon as Lord Chengen mentioned Qin Xin, Gu Jing couldn’t help but pursed his lips as he subconsciously exerted more force on the right hand holding the wine cup, and his body tenses up.

He was disgusted and hated Qin Xin, and was about to agree with Lord Chengen when he heard him say first, “Your Highness, the Qin family has wealth, and this time, the money still needs to be raised by the Qin family. I asked Qin Zhun last month but he made excuses and was not as willing as before, you’d better pacify the Qin family for now, and the rest will be discussed after your victory…” Anyway, Fang Hanjun still has to observe mourning for her mother for a year, so they still have time to make Empress Dowager change her mind about the second prince.

Gu Jing: “…”

Gu Jing grasped the wine cup even harder, finally nodding his head in response.

Lord Chengen talks more before he left Gu Jing.

Gu Jing then has someone send Lord Chengen out before seating alone in the outer study and recalling what Lord Chengen had said, feeling happy, flustered, and aggrieved at the same time.

He drank wine, one cup after another until a young attendant came to report, “Your Highness, Concubine Qin is asking to see you.”

Gu Jing instinctively wanted to say no, but when the words reached his lips, he remembered Lord Chengen’s words and finally changed his words. “Let her in.”

The young attendant soon led Qin Xin in, who wore lilac-colored clothes embroidered with wisteria flowers, looking dainty and graceful.

“Your Highness.” Qin Xin gently saluted Gu Jing.

She took the initiative to pour Gu Jing wine and personally peeled lychee for him with gentle actions and had her collar a little loose as she faces Gu Jing. “Your Highness, I chilled this lychee with well water. It’s sweet and delicious, Your Highness try it.”

Since the interrogation at Jingzhao half a month ago, Qin Xin has never seen Gu Jing again, even after coming to see him every day, she only returns disappointed. Now that Gu Jing was finally willing to see her, Qin Xin finally breathes a sigh of relief.

She knew she had to coax Gu Jing back as soon as possible. Now everyone in the capital knows that her biological parents were murderers, and she was divorced by a fool. If even Gu Jing didn’t want her, she wouldn’t be able to return to the Marquis’s Mansion, and she would have nowhere to go.

Gu Jing stared at the glistening white juicy lychee on her fingertips and finally ate them.

Ecstatic, Qin Xin hurriedly peeled the lychee for him again, Gu Jing wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and said, “In a few days I’m going on an expedition.”

Qin Xin stopped peeling the lychee, her eyebrows slightly moved, and immediately understood that the emperor must have ordered Gu Jing to go, her face was beaming with joy.

Smiling, Qin Xin flatteringly said, “Your Highness, this is the emperor thinking highly of you. Congratulation Your Highness.”

Gu Jing took a sip of the wine and sighed, “The bandits in Jinzhou have now become a big problem, so emperor father intends to quell the chaos, but he already sent troops to pacify Minzhou too and the treasury is now empty. Not only we don’t have soldiers but so was food, horses, armaments, and many more, all of these needed money. The Ministry of Finance can only lament for lack of funds, while the court is squabbling about this, so emperor father promises that as long as the money is raised, there will be an expedition.”

“I’m just afraid that emperor father will change his mind again…” Gu Jing faintly sighed as he looks at the wine in the cup with a worried look on his face.

Qin Xin was eager to please him, so seeing him troubled she hurriedly said, “Your Highness, why don’t I go back to the Marquis mansion and tell Father, surely he will definitely find a way to get money together, after all, he is loyal to Your Highness.”

A ray of light flashed under Gu Jing’s slightly drooping eyes that instantly disappeared, and when he raised his gaze again to look at Qin Xin, he looked gentle and deeply moved.

“Xin’er,” Gu Jing put his arm around her slender shoulders and let Qin Xin’s head rest on his shoulder, “You’re still thinking of me.”

His movements tenderly rubbed twice on Qin Xin’s right upper arm, but his eyes were dark and cold.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness.” Qin Xin breathed a sigh of relief, as she smiled coquettishly, and accompanied Gu Jing to drink wine, the two were talking and laughing as if everything was as it had always been.

Outside the window, at an unknown time, there was a strong wind, overcast clouds gathering, and a rainstorm suddenly pours.

The rainstorm came and went quickly, and when the rain stopped in the afternoon, Qin Xin went back to the Marquis mansion to see Qin Zhun.

Qin Zhun initially didn’t want to get involved in this expedition, when he was approached by Lord Chengen, he wasn’t just giving excuses, he really didn’t have any money on him. He was embarrassed to tell Qin Xin that the expenses in the Marquis mansion now depended on pawns.

Whilst, Qin Xin only thought Qin Zhun was reluctant to part with his money and was unwilling to bet on the second prince, so she patiently lay out the facts and reasoned with him.

“Father, wealth and riches are found in danger*.”

(*to be successful one has to pay more than ordinary people and even take more risks)

“Now is the time when the second prince needs help, and you also said it is better to send charcoal in snow*.”

(*provide help in hour’s need.)

“If you want to earn the dragon’s merit, you must let the second prince see your sincerity. Right now, this is a big deal, once the second prince has military merits, Lord Chengen can reasonably ask the emperor to appoint a crown prince.”

What Qin Xin’s words were Qin Zhun’s hidden desire, so he finally agreed. Also, if he don’t agree, his previous investment would be tantamount to losing all his money, moreover, the bandits in Jinzhou were mere chaos, as long as the second prince could go out and pacify them, it would be nothing difficult then this would be a great victory!

***