I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 419 Summer Resort

As evening fell, the afterglow of the setting sun shone into Qinglan Courtyard.

"Mother! Mother!"

Qin Jiuwei sat in the hall, drinking tea while flipping through the account books.

She looked up at the sound and saw Xie Jue rushing towards her with a smile on his face.

"Mother, I passed Master Shen's test! He allowed me to stay at the academy and even praised me for my quick calculations!"

"Really?"

Qin Jiuwei couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Xie Jue nodded vigorously, his young face flushed, clearly extremely happy.

"Not only Master Shen, but even Master Gu praised Third Brother," Xie Jing said with a smile from the side.

Qin Jiuwei looked at Xie Jue with delight, "Our Jue-ge'er is getting more and more amazing!"

"From now on, you can go to school with your second brother."

Xie Jue smiled and nodded vigorously.

-

"Cheers!" Xie Jingchun raised his teacup and laughed loudly, "Let's celebrate Jue-ge'er's admission to Jingyuan Academy!"

Xie Jue's face flushed with laughter as she raised her teacup high.

"Cheers! Cheers!"

The crisp sound of porcelain colliding rang out.

For a moment, the main room was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.

Servants came and went, serving dishes and adding tea, creating a joyful atmosphere.

Qin Jiuwei was delighted to see her family enjoying themselves so much. Before she knew it, she had finished the fruit wine in her glass.

After taking a bath in the evening, Qin Jiuwei sat in front of her dressing table, letting the night breeze help her sober up.

She lowered her eyes and gently waved the round fan in her hand.

A night breeze blew in from outside the window, carrying with it the faint, sweet scent of lotus leaves from the pond.

The lanterns outside the window swayed in the wind, and the light and shadow fell on the floor through the gauze curtains, flowing slowly like ripples on water.

A maid stood behind her, carefully wringing out her freshly washed black hair with a soft handkerchief.

"Young Madam, would you like some orchid oil?"

Before the maid could finish speaking, she suddenly heard footsteps. Turning around, she saw Xie Yanli push open the door and enter.

She quickly stopped what she was doing and called out softly, "Young Master."

Xie Yanli walked directly to Qin Jiuwei's side.

He looked at the handkerchief in the maid's hand and said in a deep voice, "Give me the handkerchief."

The maid was taken aback, then quickly handed the handkerchief to Xie Yanli and quietly retreated to the side.

Xie Yanli took a handkerchief and began to twist Qin Jiuwei's hair, his movements very natural and skillful.

The handkerchief brushed against her hair, the movement was very light, and the force was controlled just right.

Qin Jiuwei was still a little drunk, and when she turned to look at him, her expression was somewhat dazed.

"Weren't you in the study? How come you came over so quickly?"

"I came over as soon as I finished dealing with the matter." Xie Yanli smiled gently, his gaze calm.

Qin Jiuwei nodded and leaned against him.

The two of them enjoyed the night breeze together.

Gradually, her mind cleared up a bit.

"I originally thought I would just let Jue-ge'er try it out, since he is too young and Master Shen might not accept him. I didn't expect that he would actually pass."

"It's a good thing, but now that Jue-ge'er won't have to study at home anymore, what will we do with that fake teacher?"

Qin Jiuwei pursed her lips slightly, and then fell into thought after speaking.

“He definitely can’t leave. We suspect he’s one of Meng Ze’s men, but we haven’t found out why Meng Ze sent him.”

Xie Yanli nodded, "We can't let him leave like this."

"Find a reason to keep him here. Even though he doesn't have to attend classes, he can still tutor Jue-ge'er. He has a mission to fulfill, so he certainly won't leave."

Qin Jiuwei nodded slightly after hearing this.

"What you say makes sense, so let's leave it at that for now."

Xie Yanli's hands moved gently, slowly drying her hair.

forecourt.

“Jingyuan Academy? Are you sure?” Meng Chen looked up.

The subordinate bowed his head and said, "I have personally verified that Xie Jue has indeed become a disciple of Jingyuan Academy."

Meng Chen's eyes flickered for a moment, then he revealed a cold smile.

"The Xie family has already arranged a new teacher for him, so my role is no longer important."

"I don't have much time left."

Meng Chen turned his head to the side, his voice revealing a hint of determination: "We'll set off for the Summer Palace tomorrow."

The next day.

“Young Madam, Master Li sent word that he is unwell today and unable to teach for the time being. He would like to request a few days of sick leave.”

A hint of doubt flashed in Qin Jiuwei's eyes: "Do you know what his illness is? Should we ask the royal physician to come and treat him?"

The maid quickly shook her head: "Master Li said it's just a minor ailment, and he'll be fine after a little rest. There's no need to trouble the physician. He can continue teaching after he recovers."

"Since that's the case, then it's approved. Go and tell him to rest well and recover before continuing to teach."

The maidservant responded and withdrew. Qin Jiuwei gazed at the distant courtyard, a smile curving her lips.

The front yard at this time.

Meng Chen, dressed as an ordinary servant, led a black-maned horse out of the side gate.

He glanced back to make sure no one was watching, then mounted his horse and softly called out, "Giddy up!"

The black-maned horse started moving, then sped up through the streets and alleys, galloping towards the city gate.

At this moment, several guards from inside the mansion quickly left the corridor.

He lightly leaped onto a horse hidden in the shadows and quickly followed after them.

He kept a distance, following behind at a leisurely pace.

Qin Jiuwei stood on the pavilion on the artificial hill, watching the guards leave.

Outside.

Meng Chen spurred his horse out of the city gate and galloped along the official road leading to the Summer Palace.

Along the way, the summer breeze outside the city rustled the leaves, and the sound of mountain springs flowing could be faintly heard.

As evening fell, Meng Chen arrived at the Summer Palace.

He dismounted and looked up at the plaque whose paint had peeled off.

The gate of the villa was wide open, and moss crawled through the cracks in the stone path, showing signs of years of neglect.

An old servant with a hunched back was sweeping the steps.

Meng Chen straightened his clothes, adjusted his expression to be tired and innocent, and then walked up to the old servant who was sweeping the floor.

“Old man,” he called out.

Upon hearing the sound, the old servant turned around, looked up and saw Meng Chen, his eyes filled with a hint of wariness.

"Old man," Meng Chen cupped his hands in greeting, revealing a fawning smile, "I'm lost and don't know where I am?"

The old servant glanced at Meng Chen and, seeing his simple attire, lowered his guard slightly.

"This is the Xie family's estate."

Meng Chen feigned surprise for a moment: "The Xie family's estate?"

He looked around at the desolate courtyards again. "How could the Xie family's estate be so desolate? Is this really the Xie family's estate?"

"It naturally belongs to the Xie family, but no one has come here for over twenty years. Only a few of us old servants have stayed to clean it. After all, this is still Xie family property."

"It wasn't sold, so it's just sitting there."

Meng Chen nodded.

He was secretly making plans in his mind, but his face still showed a tired look.

The old servant stopped sweeping. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"