All Hail Cousin Brother

175 King Ping’s Movements

“Third Cousin, you’re knocking on my head again. How can you be my cousin like this?” As she spoke, Yu Youyao turned around and looked at Zhou Linghuai. “Cousin won’t knock my head with a fan.”

Although he would knock her forehead with his hand…

The little girl’s pitiful gaze made Zhou Linghuai frown. He turned his wheelchair and walked up to her, asking gently, “Does it hurt? I brought medicine with me…”

Yu Youyao blinked at her cousin innocently. “It was a little painful at first, but it stopped hurting when you showed concern.”

Zhou Linghuai did not know whether to laugh or cry. He suddenly understood Xie Jingliu a little. He felt his hands itch to hit the little girl’s forehead with his fan.

The two of them were childhood sweethearts and loved each other, but she had forgotten about him, her “third” cousin. Xie Jingliu felt very stifled.

Zhou Linghuai had clearly only lived in the Yu Residence for two months and he had never interacted with her before. No matter what, he could not compare to his relationship with her in the Xie Residence.

However, he saw that his younger cousin and Zhou Linghuai had an invisible tacit understanding. Even if no one could interfere, it was no longer just the word “close”.

At this moment, Yu Youyao thought of her third cousin and turned around. “Third Cousin, I have to write a letter another day and tell Eldest Cousin and Second Cousin that you don’t want me to call you Third Cousin. Let’s see if Eldest Cousin and Second Cousin will listen to you.” After saying that, she pouted and said seriously, “Third Cousin is already so old. Why are you so particular about how to address you?”

Xie Jingliu’s expression cracked!

Yu Youyao even sighed, looking troubled. “My two cousins are both present. I can’t possibly call both of you cousins, right? If I really did, wouldn’t it be awkward if both of you responded?”

A smile appeared on Zhou Linghuai’s pale lips.

Xie Jingliu turned to look at him and felt stifled. He was about to say, “Then why can’t I be your cousin while the other person is Cousin Zhou?”

Then, she heard Yu Youyao say in distress, “I can’t call him Cousin Zhou, right? There’s no point in being distant. Besides, there’s only one cousin in the residence, and all the other sisters call him Cousin. It’s not appropriate for me to call him Cousin Zhou.”

He looked at his little cousin who was acting like a little adult and shaking her head as she explained everything. She looked so cute compared to how big he was. Xie Jingliu was speechless after being taught a lesson by her.

There was only one cousin in the Yu Residence, so it was only natural for her to call him cousin. The Xie Residence had a few cousins, so she couldn’t possibly call him cousin.

These words were clearly reasonable, but they made him feel unhappy. Xie Jingliu looked at Zhou Linghuai and did not miss the faint smile on his lips, but it was a little hurtful.

With this commotion, the matter of name addressing was over.

On a whim, Yu Youyao asked Chun Xiao to bring over a tea set and place it under the Parasol Tree. After the leaf buds were opened, the leaves on the tree looked different every day. In the first two days, they were still tender green, but now, they were green and the leaves were much bigger.

Under the mottled sunlight, the three of them sat together and chatted.

Yu Youyao wanted to show off her tea skills, so she performed a few difficult tea patterns on the spot, winning the praise of her two cousins. For a moment, she smiled until her eyes curved, unable to hide her smug expression.

She then performed some tea techniques.

Her tea whisking skills were even better than her tea dividing skills. The tea she divided was already a little overboiled.

The tea liquid fused together. The tea was like cream and fat, thick and dry. It was top-grade even though it was not removed from the cup. Even when competing with others, it was still presentable.

The fragrance of tea filled the air, and the atmosphere became much warmer.

It was rare for Xie Jingliu and Zhou Linghuai to have a conversation. Most of the time, they were talking about some articles and theories, mixed with some government affairs.

At first, Yu Youyao could understand them. She held her cheek and smiled as she listened. However, after a while, Yu Youyao felt dizzy from listening, so she took the opportunity to go to the small kitchen.

As soon as she left, Xie Jingliu changed the topic. “To be honest, I didn’t come to the capital just to see Yao Yao.”

Just now, the two of them had been chatting casually, but they were just testing each other.

In this way, they could roughly figure out each other’s depths.

Zhou Linghuai looked sick and weak, and he was still young. However, his shocking talent was rare in the world, so it was inevitable that he felt a sense of admiration for him.

Zhou Linghuai did not seem surprised. He held a teacup in his hand. It was the tea that Yu Youyao had just made. “But what happened to King Ping of Liangzhou?”

Liangzhou was located in the extreme south, where there were many large and small barbarian tribes. The barbarians were good at poison and insect control, and were not close to Quanzhou. However, the two were also in the south. Liangzhou was in the extreme south, and Quanzhou was in the hinterland, so they were a little related.

There were many trade routes in the south of Quanzhou. All of them had to pass through Liangzhou, so they knew the situation in Liangzhou better than the Imperial Court.

Xie Jingliu’s eyes flickered slightly, and there was a hint of meaning in his eyes. “Before the new year, the Southern Barbarians sent troops into the city. King Ping led his troops to fight, but he was ambushed and severely injured. The Southern Barbarians plundered wantonly in the southern border, and many people died. Not long after, there was a report from Youzhou. The Marquis of Changxing made a contribution in the north and handed a memorial to the imperial court. As a result, the entire court focused their attention on Youzhou, and very few people noticed Liangzhou.”

The fact that Zhou Linghuai had noticed Liangzhou showed that he was a shrewd person.

Zhou Linghuai did not say anything. The tea in his cup melted as soon as it entered his mouth. It was smooth and fragrant. “Without the crushing defeat in Liangzhou, how could the Marquis in Changxing have his glory?”

With Liangzhou as a foil, after the Palace Examination in April, the glory of the Marquis of Changxing’s Residence could no longer be suppressed. At that time, Xia Yansheng would have a headache.

Xie Jingliu laughed. “You really understand what’s going on. The vassal king guarding the border has a relationship with the new nobles of the Imperial Court. How interesting.”

Zhou Linghuai looked up at him. It was really interesting that he could still smile at this time.

As expected, Xie Jingliu smiled for a moment before stopping. “The Xie family has received news that King Ping will be bringing the heir to the capital to apologize soon.”

Zhou Linghuai’s expression was calm, as if this shocking news was not as important as the tea in his mouth. “The vassal king is not allowed to enter the capital until he has been summoned. If he violates the order, he will be guilty of conspiracy. Not only did King Ping enter the capital himself, but he also brought his heir. I’m afraid that the plan is very serious. He’s sure that the emperor won’t punish him, and the Weining Marquis Residence will also protect him.”

It was satisfying to talk to smart people. Usually, one would be able to hear the zither and understand the elegant exchange of words. Xie Jingliu smiled faintly. “Why do you think Prince Ping entered the capital?”

Not only had he suffered a defeat, but he also dared to enter the capital on his own accord. It was not an exaggeration to accuse him of “conspiracy.” However, King Ping was fearless. After thinking about it carefully, he might be able to figure out the deeper meaning behind this.

Zhou Linghuai said calmly, “Since he brought the heir, it must be related to him.”