Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

Chapter 157 I’m so bored!

"Qi Xiao, what do you think you are in the eyes of your father?"

Qi Xiao's face darkened. "Rather than son, chess piece is a more appropriate term."

Tang Ling leaned on Qi Xiao's shoulder and whispered, "It's hard to hear, but it's the truth. His Majesty knows what's going on between us, but he hasn't said anything. It's not that he condones it, but that he thinks it's unimportant. No matter how deep our love is, he has plenty of ways to break us up."

Just like arranging a marriage between Tang Ling and the Fifteenth Princess. In the future, Qi Xiao could also be chosen as a princess. Given Tang Ling's pride, would he be willing to stay with Qi Xiao as a concubine? Even if Tang Ling agreed, would Xun Anhou agree? Would the Zhou Kingdom agree?

Qi Xiao put his arm around Tang Ling's waist and gently kissed his forehead. Tang Ling understood what he was thinking and there was no need for further words.

Tang Ling smiled softly. "So, His Majesty suddenly mentioning you in front of me, doesn't that mean that you, this chess piece, might be useful to me?"

Qi Xiao thought about it. He couldn't imagine what use he could have. He would be happy to marry Tang Ling in place of the Fifteenth Princess. But Marquis Xun An would probably raise his troops tomorrow.

"As long as His Majesty has such an idea, I have a way to make him give up the matchmaking between me and the Fifteenth Princess."

"Can you do it?" Qi Xiao didn't understand his father, but one thing was certain: this emperor of Dachen would never hesitate to use any means to achieve his goals and would not be easily shaken.

Tang Ling raised her face and looked at Qi Xiao: "Trust me."

His Majesty told Qi Xiao to have a good rest, so Qi Xiao really took a rest, staying in Yangxi Zhai all day without going out.

Bai Xiqiao sat under the porch, watching Qi Xiao draw his bow and shoot arrows. The bull's eye of the target was almost shot through, which was boring.

Bai Xiqiao looked up at Zong Sheng who was standing beside him, then looked at Chi Yue who was eating melon seeds beside him, feeling extremely depressed.

"Do you want some?" Chi Yue met Bai Xiqiao's gaze and pushed the plate of melon seeds towards him.

Bai Xiqiao waved his hand: "Eat it yourself."

Chi Yue laughed: "What's wrong with you? You look so bitter and resentful."

Bai Xiqiao sighed loudly: "Don't you think something is wrong?"

"what?"

"I'm so bored!"

"Isn't this a good thing?" Chi Yue didn't want to go to Dali Temple and stay in the dungeon again. He was happy to have some free time.

Bai Xiqiao opened his mouth, said nothing, and then shut up. He had nothing to say to Chi Yue, and Bai Xiqiao himself didn't know what to say.

Qi Xiao had instructed everyone not to leave Yangxizhai unless absolutely necessary. He himself didn't even go to Huaxi Villa; Tang Ling came all the way there. Bai Xiqiao didn't understand what Qi Xiao was trying to do. What was he hiding from?

Yangxizhai had been so peaceful these past few days that Qi Xiao paid no attention to the outside world. Apart from Tang Ling, no one bothered him. If anything, it was that Cao Weishan and Pei Hao had each sent someone to deliver a letter to Qi Xiao, enclosing documents regarding the Luo Yu and Longtaixing Bank cases. Both cases were considered closed. Pei Hao hadn't mentioned the Ministry of Revenue case, perhaps because it had encountered a blockage and hadn't made any progress.

Qi Xiao received the letter. Bai Xiqiao asked him what he was going to do next. Qi Xiao just smiled and said that he would eat, drink and spend his days leisurely.

Then we just spent our days eating, drinking and relaxing.

Qi Xiao's condition had obviously improved a lot in the past few days. Although he still ate very little, he would not ask anyone to remove the entire table of food in front of Tang Ling. He had to eat at least some of it.

Chi Yue ate most of the melon seeds and asked Bai Xiqiao again, "You really don't want to have some?"

"no need."

"Don't worry, Your Highness is very patient."

Bai Xiqiao looked at Chi Yue: "Do you know something?"

"Ah? I don't know anything." Chi Yue really knew nothing. His Majesty had not given any instructions.

The last time His Majesty questioned Chi Yue was before Concubine Lin's funeral, directly asking if there were any unusual circumstances at the West Palace. His Majesty had harbored suspicions since learning of Concubine Lin's passing. Chi Yue dared not conceal it, but he didn't reveal everything, simply saying that Qi Xiao also suspected Concubine Lin was murdered. His Majesty then inquired about Qi Xiao's condition, and Chi Yue's answer was simple: he knelt before the coffin for a long time, unable to eat or drink. His Majesty asked nothing else, and said nothing more.

Bai Xiqiao sighed. They had come north to Yuanjing for two reasons: his father, Bai Liu, and to take Concubine Lin back to Fuzhou. They had been in Yuanjing for almost two months now, Concubine Lin had suddenly passed away, and there had been no progress on his father's case.

"Senior brother, come here, let's compete in archery." Qi Xiao suddenly called Bai Xiqiao.

Bai Xiqiao stood up and walked over: "Old rules?"

"Old rules."

Bai Xiqiao took out his bow and arrow, nocked it, and asked, "What do you say if you win?"

"Let's talk about it after we win."

"..." Bai Xiqiao glared at Qi Xiao, then drew his bow and shot an arrow without saying a word.

Bai Xiqiao moved extremely quickly. After the first arrow, the second arrow, the third arrow followed... All ten feather arrows in the quiver were shot out in the blink of an eye.

Chi Yue looked very surprised. Bai Xiqiao had amazing arm strength, and every arrow that broke through the air seemed to have the force of breaking through ten thousand kilograms.

Qi Xiao's reaction was also extremely quick. The moment Bai Xiqiao shot the arrow, he also raised his bow and followed closely with the first arrow, the second arrow, the third arrow... the tenth arrow.

Bai Xiqiao's ten arrows all flew towards the bull's eye of the target, but Qi Xiao's ten arrows chased after Bai Xiqiao's arrows, cutting them off one by one.

Twenty arrows finally landed in front of the target and piled up.

"Brother, you haven't made any progress at all."

Chi Yue couldn't help but clap and cheer.

"Chi Yue, do you want to come and play?"

Chi Yue smiled and said, "I know I am inferior, so I won't embarrass myself in front of His Highness."

"That's too modest."

"If Your Highness wants me to compete with Bai Xiqiao in Qinggong, I will definitely not refuse."

Qi Xiao didn't force Chi Yue, but turned around and asked Bai Xiqiao: "Do you still want to compete?"

"Bi, you first."

So Qi Xiao and Bai Xiqiao picked up the arrows and came back to prepare for the second round.

Chi Yue's attention unconsciously shifted from the archery competition to the maids who were cleaning Yangxizhai at the other end of the corridor.

Qi Xiao had been staying at Yangxizhai for the past few days, so naturally, there were more people cleaning and serving, and they were working more frequently and diligently. Sure enough, the maid that Chi Yue and Zong Sheng had captured on that rainy night had reappeared.

Chi Yue gave Zong Sheng a wink and followed the maid silently.

Qi Xiao and Bai Xiqiao both noticed it, but said nothing and continued their archery competition.

In this round, all of Qi Xiao's ten arrows were shot down by Bai Xiqiao without exception, resulting in a tie.

"Come again."

"I'll do it!" Lu Fangjin suddenly appeared at the gate of the courtyard.

"Why are you here?" Qi Xiao was startled. Fortunately, Chi Yue was not there.

"Su Qin is going back to Linjiang, and I came to see him off. I also happened to come visit you on the way. You don't look too bad, just thinner."

Qi Xiao put down his bow and arrow and led Lu Fangjin directly into the house. "I don't know how many spies are hiding in this yard. How dare you come here?"

"I was very careful when I came here, and no one noticed me. Even if there are many spies, you wouldn't let them into the inner courtyard of Yangxizhai, right?"

Qi Xiao sighed.

"You really put it in?"

Qi Xiao didn't have time to explain everything to Lu Fangjin. He just said, "You came at the right time. No one else is here right now. But be careful. You can't stay long."

"I understand. I just wanted to come and see you. I don't know how you are." When Gu Shanmo got into trouble, Lu Fangjin saw Qi Xiao go crazy with his own eyes, and he was afraid that Qi Xiao would be too sad this time.

"Thank you." Qi Xiao smiled, "I'm fine."

Lu Fangjin looked at him and could only sigh, "I don't know what Your Majesty is thinking right now. People in the court have repeatedly suggested that you should return to Fuzhou as per the rules. What are your plans?"

"Wait."