Ning Dao Covered with Snow

Chapter 421 Undercurrent
Three days later, Ning Qingyang finally met Li Baizhou as she had hoped.

Ning Qingyang's injuries had not fully healed yet, and her face still looked very pale. She smiled at Li Baizhou and said, "Long time no see."

Li Baizhou said calmly, "I heard you were injured. I've been very busy lately and haven't had time to visit you. Please forgive me."

Ning Qingyang was naturally perceptive, and as soon as the other party spoke, she sensed that their attitude towards her was different from before.

She felt uneasy. Was the rumor true? Was he really going to marry someone else?

"Have you encountered something difficult lately? Why are you so busy?" Ning Qingyang asked tentatively.

Li Baizhou casually replied, "It's nothing complicated, it's just that I've been going out with people a lot lately."

Ning Qingyang asked jokingly, "Is it because you have a date with a beautiful lady?"

Li Baizhou remained silent for a long while before uttering a single word.

"Yes."

The other party's admission was so straightforward that it left Ning Qingyang no room for maneuver, to the point that she couldn't even deceive herself.

Although it was embarrassing, she still wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"I want to know, why have you suddenly changed?"

Li Baizhou wanted to say that he had never changed, but when he met her eyes, he silently swallowed the lie that was on the tip of his tongue.

He said helplessly, "I do like you, but I can't live on love alone. If I marry Minister Qiao's daughter, my future will be much easier."

Ning Qingyang frowned: "Just because of that?"

"Correct."

Ning Qingyang slowly shook her head: "When I first met you, you weren't like this."

"Actually, I've always been this kind of person, I just haven't shown it before. Between feelings and reality, I value the latter more. I know your feelings for me. If you're willing, you can marry me as a concubine. Although I can't treat you with the respect due to a principal wife, I won't mistreat you..."

Before he could finish the last word, he was slapped across the face by Ning Qingyang.

She said in a trembling voice, "You are humiliating me."

Li Baizhou wasn't particularly angry after being hit. He calmly looked at the other person and said, "The truth may be hard to hear, but at least I didn't lie to you."

Ning Qingyang laughed in exasperation: "So, I should thank you instead."

"Ah Yang, we're not children anymore. We should be rational when it comes to relationships."

“You’re right. I should have calmed down after waiting for so long without you showing up.” Ning Qingyang smiled through her tears. “I will return everything you gave me. From now on, we’ll go our separate ways and never have anything to do with each other again.”

After saying that, she turned and left.

Li Baizhou watched her departing figure, his eyes filled with deep reluctance, but in the end, he didn't utter a word to stop her. He was still too weak to protect his beloved. If Ning Qingyang continued to associate with him, it would only embolden Consort Xie to target her even more. It was better to part ways now; it would be far safer for her to stay in the Crown Prince's residence than to stay by his side.

The next day, Ning Qingyang sent a bundle to Li Baizhou through someone.

He opened the bundle, which was full of small gifts he had given her over the past two years. Each item was well preserved, showing how much Ning Qingyang cherished them.

Li Baizhou carefully packed each item into a box, and locked it up along with the stack of medical books that he hadn't been able to send out.

He hid the box in the deepest part of the storeroom and took the opportunity to sort through his mother's belongings. Unexpectedly, he found a letter among them, signed by Pei Yan.

Judging from the contents of the letter, Pei Yan and Consort Rou must have had a relationship before, but were forced to separate. Decades later, they met again. The emotions revealed in their words are enough to prove that Pei Yan still has feelings for Consort Rou. However, since Consort Rou is now a concubine of the emperor, he can only keep these feelings to himself.

Li Baizhou had never heard his mother mention Pei Yan before. The fact that this man could deliver the letter to his mother showed that he was quite capable, which piqued Li Baizhou's interest in Pei Yan.

Just as Li Baizhou was wondering how to find Pei Yan, Pei Yan took the initiative to come to his door.

At this time, Pei Yan had already taken over Fu Zheng's identity and was serving as a Lieutenant General in the Left Jinwu Guard.

He sought out Li Baizhou mainly to ask if Jiang Yan had mentioned him before her death.

Li Baizhou had the idea of ​​recruiting this person to his own cause, and in order to win him over, he told a lie.

“My mother once told me about you. She said she was very sorry for you and told me not to bother you in the future so as not to cause you any trouble.”

Pei Yan believed it to be true and was quite moved: "Ayan is still so kind. She would rather suffer herself than trouble others. I have inquired about you and Ayan. You and your mother have suffered a lot in the palace over the years. Now that your mother is gone, you will be all alone. If you encounter any trouble, just come to me. I will help you as long as it is within my power."

Li Baizhou had been waiting for these words, but he declined, saying, "My mother specifically instructed me not to disturb you. I cannot go against her last wish. Now that I know that besides me, there is someone else in this world who also cares about my mother, I am very content."

Pei Yan had already made up his mind to help him, so he changed the subject and asked, "I know that Ayan was killed by Consort Xie. What are your thoughts on this?"

“I can’t touch Consort Xie now because she has the Xie family backing her, but I know Xie Zhan is not long for this world. Once he dies, our chance to take revenge will come.”

Pei Yan said in a deep voice, "Count me in on your plan. I also want to do my part for Ayan."

Li Baizhou replied with gratitude, "Okay."

Xie Zhan knew his days were numbered, so he focused on training his second son, Li Mingguang. Li Mingguang was indeed quite talented in leading troops into battle, and with Xie Zhan deliberately creating opportunities for him to demonstrate his abilities, he made a series of merits within just three years and was soon granted the title of Prince Wucheng by Emperor Wen.

In the winter of the thirty-sixth year of Tiansheng, the powerful minister Xie Zhan passed away, and the position of clan leader was inherited by his eldest son Xie Chen.

After Xie Zhan left, Xie Chen took his place in the court. Everything was running as usual, and nothing seemed to have changed, but something was subtly stirring in the shadows.

In the summer of the thirty-seventh year of the Tiansheng era, Emperor Wen, Li Jing, embarked on a southern tour. He appointed Crown Prince Li Xuanhe to oversee the country, at which time the Crown Princess was diagnosed with pregnancy.

When the imperial entourage reached Yizhou during their southern tour, Li Jing was assassinated. Xie Chen was injured while protecting Li Jing. After the assassination attempt failed, the assassin committed suicide on the spot. Xie Chen discovered that the assassin came from Lingdie Temple in Luzhou. Lingdie Temple was built with funds from the Crown Prince, and everyone in the temple deeply revered the Crown Prince.

Li Jing did not believe that his eldest son would plot against him, but Xie Chen led the court officials to kneel and beg Li Jing to investigate the matter thoroughly. Li Jing suspected that Xie Chen was involved in the assassination, but he had no evidence. For the time being, he could only comply with the request of Xie Chen and others and issued an edict to place Li Xuanhe under house arrest in the Crown Prince's residence.