Meng Jiangming looked at Xie Yunliu and said, "This驸马 wants a person, I wonder if General Xie would be willing to part with them?"
Xie Yunliu narrowed his eyes and asked, "I wonder who the 驸马 desires?"
Meng Jiangming's gaze fell behind Xie Yunliu. Xie Yunliu's body stiffened, and he took a step to the side, thus firmly blocking the person behind him.
"驸马," Xie Yunliu said slowly.
Meng Jiangming withdrew his gaze, returned to his seat, and said, "This 驸马 hopes General Xie will part with Xiao Luo."
Xie Yunliu's entire body trembled, and his gaze turned cold, "What does the 驸马 mean by this?"
Meng Jiangming smiled and said, "This 驸马 feels that Xiao Yue serves this 驸马 with utmost dedication and diligence. This 驸马 cannot find anyone else like him. Therefore, this 驸马 has decided to request him from General Xie. I hope General Xie will be willing to part with him."
Xie Yunliu clenched his hands tightly within his sleeves. He raised his head and said coldly, "驸马, this general may not be able to make this decision."
"Oh?" Meng Jiangming looked at Xie Yunliu, then smiled and said, "General Xie speaks wisely. How about it, Xiao Yue, you tell me."
Xie Yunliu frowned, still turned around, and looked at Xue Xingyue, whispering, "Don't be afraid. Just say no. I'll handle the rest."
Xue Xingyue looked at Xie Yunliu gratefully. She raised her head and looked at Meng Jiangming. After a long pause, she bowed slightly and said, "I beg the 驸马 to give me some time to consider this carefully."
Meng Jiangming nodded upon hearing this, "Of course."
Back in Xie Yunliu's room, after closing the door, Xie Yunliu said, "You... what's going on? Consider what? This is something you should refuse outright. I'll handle everything, what are you afraid of?"
Xue Xingyue raised her eyes and looked at Xie Yunliu, saying, "I am not afraid. I am thinking about whether or not to go to the capital."
Xie Yunliu's entire body trembled. He looked at her and said, "You... are you crazy? Go to the capital? Don't you want to live? Knowing that Xue Tianyue is actively searching for you, and you're voluntarily walking into the trap? Xue Xingyue, I've noticed that you've been a princess for several months, has it addled your brain?"
After speaking, Xie Yunliu suddenly felt something was wrong. He sighed and said, "I... I didn't mean it like that. Please don't misunderstand. It's just that the capital is extremely dangerous, and I don't agree with you going."
Xue Xingyue naturally understood Xie Yunliu's intentions. Moreover, when they were in Zhenwu Pass, Xie Yunliu had never treated her as Princess Xingyue. Therefore, she had naturally become accustomed to it.
"Xie Yunliu, I know what you mean. But if I don't go to the capital, how will I know what the situation is there now?
How will I find out the cause of Imperial Brother's death, and how will I investigate how Xue Tianyue colluded with the Qi Kingdom to cause Imperial Brother's death?
All of this can only be understood by going to the capital. Before, I wanted to wait until Meng Jiangming left to go to the capital, but that would have been very inconvenient. Now that Meng Jiangming is here, I think it will be much more convenient." Xue Xingyue said.
She had her own considerations. If she wanted to live a peaceful life, she could have remained anonymous and ignored the cause of her Imperial Brother's death or anything else. But she couldn't. She couldn't stand by and do nothing knowing that her Imperial Brother had been framed and died.
She couldn't do that.
Xie Yunliu sighed upon hearing this and said, "I know that you never go back on your decisions. Since you've decided, I can't stop you anymore. But you need to think carefully, do you really want to go to that dragon's den, the capital?"
Xue Xingyue raised her head, looked at Xie Yunliu, and said word by word, "Yes, I do."
"If that's the case, then I'll give you the Xie family's hidden sentries in the capital. If anything happens, you can contact me through them. Xue Xingyue, the Xie family army will always belong to you, Princess Xingyue. You don't need to worry about this."
Xue Xingyue was slightly stunned upon hearing this, "Xie Yunliu, thank you. If it weren't for you, I really wouldn't know what to do."
Xie Yunliu smiled at this and said, "Who asked us to be brothers who fought side-by-side in the same trench?"
Back then, when Xue Xingyue arrived at Zhenwu Pass, Xie Yunliu was by General Xie's side. He was General Xie's only legitimate son. When he first saw Xue Xingyue, he was somewhat dismissive. Such a frail young man, clearly a pampered young master from a noble family, sent here for training after making a mistake. He truly felt unconvinced, especially having to become someone's subordinate. Little did anyone know how unwilling he was.
Thus, Xie Yunliu kept finding things to do for this frail young master, while also trying every means to drive him away.
Until one time, when his grandfather led the troops to engage in battle with the Qi Kingdom, and only he and this frail young master were left in Zhenwu Pass, no one expected the Qi Kingdom to use a feigned withdrawal to lure the enemy into a trap.
The army attacked Zhenwu Pass. At that time, there were only two thousand soldiers in Zhenwu Pass, facing fifty thousand Qi soldiers. It was like trying to hit a stone with an egg.
He was lost for ideas then. It was this seemingly frail young master who made all the arrangements, even personally appealing to the citizens of Zhenwu Pass. In the end, even with the strong and healthy citizens, they could only muster five thousand men to face the well-trained army of the Qi Kingdom. It was simply a joke.
However, this frail young man told him to stay in Zhenwu Pass and obey her orders, while he himself rode out alone to meet the enemy. The Qi army, unaware of the situation in Zhenwu Pass, had to halt their advance.
They held their ground like this for three days, and his grandfather was finally returning. The Qi army also discovered the empty city stratagem and began their assault.
He never knew that the seemingly frail young man possessed so much cunning and excellent martial skills. When he was wounded by an enemy arrow, when he thought he was going to die, it was this young man who descended like a god, came to his side, and repelled the surrounding enemies.
Later, when the imperial decree arrived, he finally understood that this seemingly frail young man was actually the renowned Princess Xingyue.
From that moment on, he harbored a different kind of thought, but he only dared to bury it deep within his heart. Princess Xingyue held such a noble status, while he was merely the grandson of a general. It was a mismatch of social standing.
Thus, he buried all his feelings, until the news of His Majesty's assassination and Princess Xingyue's disappearance arrived. It was only when he saw Princess Xingyue again that he gradually began to reveal the buried feelings.
"Xue Xingyue, take care!" With that, Xie Yunliu turned and left.
She was not unaware of Xie Yunliu's feelings for her, but she had no intention of considering them at the moment. She wanted to avenge her Imperial Brother and question Xue Tianyue about why he had done what he did.