The middle-aged man in gray clothes is meticulously throwing onions, ginger, orange peel, mint, cinnamon, salt into the pot...

No less of the same.

Finally boil it with tea leaves.

Discard the first cup.

This is the second cup.

The middle-aged man handed it out respectfully.

"Please give Mr. Ning a drink."

Sitting opposite the middle-aged man is a younger man, about thirty years old. Calling him "male" seems a bit exaggerated.

This Ning Gong was dressed in white clothes, with his hair tied up with a wooden hairpin. He was dressed like a Taoist priest, with a handsome face and a hint of the modesty and gentleness of a scholar.

He reached out and took the cup with a slight smile on his face.

Before he could lower his head and drink the tea into his mouth.

There was a rapid sound of footsteps.

"Master, there are guests outside." The boy bowed and handed it over with both hands: "This is what the guest gave to the master."

The boy lowered his voice: "It's a letter from the East Palace."

The middle-aged man, Mr. Lin, looked slightly changed: "Hurry and bring in the flower hall."

After saying that, he turned around and bowed: "Ning Gong, please forgive me for being unaccompanied."

The man opposite him was named Ning Que. He was appointed governor of Bianzhou. After returning to Beijing to report on his duties, he did not return to Bianzhou for the time being.

Everyone was secretly discussing that his position might be rising again.

Master Lin did not dare to neglect him and ordered someone to take the chessboard for Ning Que to play chess with himself.

Then he turned around to entertain new guests.

Xue Qingyin and Mrs. Xue were introduced through the door.

I saw the Flower Hall not far away.

Xue Qingyin paused, turned around and said, "Auntie, just wait for me here."

Mrs. Xue didn't know what she was going to do.

But she knew that Xue Qingyin had grown up and she couldn't get involved in many things, so she nodded.

The boy who ushered them in was quite surprised.

However, there were many guests coming to the house, and with such coming and going, the servant became a clever person.

He said: "If it's inconvenient for you, madam, how about you go to the garden later to take a look at the rockery and the flowing water to blow in the wind? This will save you from standing here and waiting."

Mrs. Xue nodded naturally.

Xue Qingyin looked at the boy and smiled, then rewarded him with a few gold and silver barley grains.

The boy thanked him profusely, but he didn't show any signs of greed, which showed that the master had taught him well.

Xue Qingyin entered the flower hall. As soon as the maid came up with tea and snacks, she saw a middle-aged man walking quickly, his beard swaying in the wind.

The man had already opened the letter and read it on the way here. Naturally, he knew who the person who wrote the letter was and who came to the door.

As soon as he stepped through the door, he bowed and said, "I'm Lin Bo. I've met my concubine."

"No need to be polite."

Mr. Lin stood up, not daring to look directly at Xue Qingyin, and said quickly: "Cen Yong and Ping Nanzi are both in Weinan, not far from Beijing. I will order someone to send them invitations today."

Xue Qingyin opened her palms, and a hollow sachet hung from her palms.

She said: "Someone asked me to bring it to you."

Master Lin took it carefully, opened the sachet, took out the paper from the wax pill, and naturally saw the two crossed-out words.

"Save me".

Mr. Lin's expression suddenly changed: "Who gave this to the concubine?"

Xue Qingyin asked him: "Didn't the person who sent the message tell you?"

Mr. Lin came to his senses and said in a deep voice: "...East Palace." "Is something wrong with the Crown Princess? Since the concubine was able to get an autographed letter from the Crown Princess, she must have seen her in person. Please also inform the Concubine. What is the situation of the concubine now?"

Xue Qingyin sighed and said: "I don't know what kind of friendship you have with the Huainan Xiao family, but the Crown Princess and I have only met once. Since she trusts you, I will tell you the matter."

She first told how the sachet came into her hands.

When he heard the little Gong'e barking like a dog, Mr. Lin's face turned ugly and he said in a trembling voice: "Since she is the Crown Princess's personal maid, she has ended up like this. It shows that the Crown Princess is already in dire straits..."

Xue Qingyin also talked about her visit to the East Palace.

Mr. Lin's hands were shaking uncontrollably, but his expression became calmer.

"It took such a long time to pass on the news. How could the palace maid named 'Jiang Hua' do it alone? The owner of the East Palace is the prince. Presumably... there must be some handwriting from the prince. They are a good couple...

How could it, how could it get to such an extent?!"

Xue Qingyin said nothing.

"If the parents of the Crown Princess find out, they won't know how to feel heartbroken." Mr. Lin held the chair with one hand and murmured to himself, "This matter, this matter is not that simple..."

He said, wiped his face, suppressed his surging emotions, and knelt down towards Xue Qingyin: "Thank you, my concubine, for taking the risk to inform me today."

"Just raise your hand and do it." Xue Qingyin paused for a moment, and then asked one more question: "Does Mr. Lin have a plan in mind to rescue the Crown Princess?"

Mr. Lin shook his head and forced a wry smile on his face: "This matter must be considered in the long run. I can't accomplish it alone. I have to send someone back to Yangzhou quickly to deliver the message."

After saying this, he did not dare to delay. He immediately ordered someone to get paper and pen, and first wrote a letter to the boy: "Looking for a fast horse,... take the water route! Give this thing to Mr. Xiao of Yangzhou."

"

Xue Qingyin suddenly said: "Wait."

Mr. Lin was grateful to her and was very willing to listen to what she had to say, so he paused and quickly turned his head.

"Do you understand the prince's character?" Xue Qingyin asked.

Mr. Lin was speechless: "How can a person like me have the chance to meet the prince..."

Xue Qingyin said: "If we want to make things happen, I'm afraid we will send people to guard the Xiao family and intercept all letters coming from the capital."

She thought for a while, if the prince dared to act like this without leaving any room, it would definitely cut off her way of seeking help from her family.

Master Lin was trembling even more violently. He nodded and said, "Yes, yes, the concubine must have considered it carefully. I actually lost my head. If the message really got out and was intercepted halfway, I'm afraid the princess would not be able to survive."

"

Xue Qingyin originally thought of giving the things to Mr. Lin.

But now it seems...

"My family owns property on Huainan Road, so it is normal for us to send two stewards to inspect it," Xue Qingyin said.

Mr. Lin hesitated for a moment and said: "Just now, the concubine said that it was just a matter of raising her hand, but I know that the East Palace is in such a dilemma, but the concubine is willing to send a message to someone who has only met once. How much effort was used in this,

How can it be summarized with an understatement?

?The Crown Princess...she, I watched her grow up. I know she has a good heart, and I don’t want her concubine to get involved too deeply and get into trouble. She can still clear up the relationship by just sending a message. If she sends someone else

Go to Huainan Road and the entanglements will be resolved."

I can only blame Mr. Ning for this matter. Mr. Ning is upright and thoughtful.

He had countless friends, but he did not dare to use them easily in this matter. After all, it was a major matter involving the royal family... Master Lin sighed in his heart.

Just hearing Master Lin say this, Xue Qingyin actually became a little enthusiastic.

She said: "You still have to send a letter back to the Xiao family, but it can't be this one. Give this letter to me, and the letter you send back must say that the Crown Princess is on good terms with me, and please ask the Xiao family to make a promise to my maternal grandfather.

The family introduced the famous families in Huainan and took good care of my grandfather, and then asked the Xiao family to hire two teachers for the Xu family, so as not to dislike the family of merchants."

Mr. Lin understood: "If you act like this, if my letter is intercepted, it will make the next move more reasonable. But people with high positions are often suspicious. I am afraid that if the prince discovers what the concubine did in it,

...I am afraid that even His Highness King Xuan will be forced into the situation. By then, if His Highness King Xuan is worried about his concubine..."

Outsiders only knew that the late empress had raised King Xuan for some time, so they naturally felt that King Xuan and the prince had a deep friendship.

The more Mr. Lin thought about it, the more he felt that Prince Xuan's concubine really had the heart of a Bodhisattva.

In order to save her, she even ignored these.

"I will arrange this matter properly and I will stay here soon." Xue Qingyin didn't say much.

Mr. Lin knew that this matter could not be delayed. He hurriedly handed the letter to Xue Qingyin and wrote another one himself.

Then he knelt down and kowtowed again, thanking Xue Qingyin with a prostration.

"My Lin family used to be a scholarly family, but my family fell into decline. Fortunately, the Xiao family gave me a helping hand, and I was able to survive to this day and earn such a family fortune. Your righteousness in saving the Crown Princess is like saving my life, Lin Bo.

In the past, in order to repay the kindness of the Xiao family, I was willing to be a servant of the Xiao family. From now on, I am willing to be a side concubine."

Xue Qingyin smiled: "Let's wait until the Crown Princess is fine."
To be continued...