Chapter 427: Why Isn’t Second Brother Back Yet?

Chapter 427: Chapter 427: Why Isn’t Second Brother Back Yet?

Suddenly, Xie Ming’an stepped out of his own accord.

The King of Shu’s grim expression faltered.

"Lord Xie, what are you doing here?"

Xie Ming’an cupped his hands in a salute and explained, "This subject came to attend the banquet today, but my mischievous little sister ran off. I was just looking for her. Has Your Highness seen my sister? She’s about this tall."

He gestured to indicate her height.

King Shu shook his head. "Princess Funing? This prince has not seen her."

Xie Ming’an sighed. "That child. Where did she run off to? She’s such a handful."

As he spoke, he looked up and saw Princess Consort Qi with her back to him.

King Shu’s expression remained unchanged as he said, "Princess Consort Qi has twisted her ankle. Could you help fetch a palace attendant for her? It is rather inconvenient for this prince to be the one looking after her here."

"Of course, not a problem." Xie Ming’an nodded, feigning ignorance.

He didn’t turn back, instead starting to walk away in the direction King Shu had come from.

Princess Consort Qi suddenly called out to him.

"Is Lord Xie truly alone? Why were you so quiet behind the rockery just now? Your sudden appearance gave this consort quite a start."

Xie Ming’an cupped his hands again, his sharp gaze lowered.

"This subject was walking straight over. Perhaps the rockery blocked Your Highness’s view of me. It was my fault for startling you."

After he finished speaking, a silent, derisive sneer flashed in Princess Consort Qi’s eyes.

She slowly approached the rockery, glancing at Xie Ming’an’s expression out of the corner of her eye, only to find it completely blank.

Princess Consort Qi went straight around to the back of the rockery.

It was empty.

It seemed Xie Ming’an really was alone.

She discreetly nodded at King Shu.

A smile immediately appeared on King Shu’s face. "This prince was so concerned about Princess Consort Qi that I didn’t notice Lord Xie’s arrival. No matter. In that case, this prince will go with you to find a palace attendant."

"Yes, Your Highness." Xie Ming’an left with King Shu.

Princess Consort Qi searched the bamboo grove repeatedly for some time. Only after confirming there was no one else did she finally relax.

Not long after the palace attendants came and escorted Princess Consort Qi away, Shen Ningning materialized out of thin air from behind the rockery.

She patted her chest with her small hand, her limpid, watery eyes shimmering with a dark luster.

’Thank goodness I have the Immortal Realm to hide in!’

The moment their voices were heard, Xie Ming’an had pushed her into hiding.

After all, it seemed they had overheard something extraordinary.

One was the Emperor’s brother, the other was the Emperor’s concubine.

Xie Ming’an couldn’t let them know Shen Ningning was also there, so he had boldly stepped out and taken all the attention onto himself.

When Shen Ningning returned to the banquet, Xie Mingxu and Xu Jingxi came to find her.

"Little Sister, where did you go? We were looking all over for you."

Seeing that Xie Ming’an wasn’t with her, Xie Mingxu frowned. "That second brother of yours, did he abandon you and leave on his own?"

"No, Second Brother was..." Shen Ningning was about to speak when she saw the Emperor and King Shu entering the Hall of Honored Years, hand in hand and laughing heartily. Mo Lingwei followed by King Shu’s side, his smile serene and warm.

That was the uncle he had said was the kindest to him.

She pressed her pink lips together, her dark eyes fixed on them.

’Where is my second brother?’

All the ministers and their female relatives rose to their feet to greet the Emperor and King Shu. Shen Ningning also stood up with her father and brothers.

As the Emperor led King Shu past Shen Ningning’s table, King Shu made a point of stopping.

"This must be Princess Funing, yes?" King Shu beamed. His face was similar to the Emperor’s, but his forehead was broader and his brow bone higher.

The Emperor laughed heartily. "That’s right! This is the blessed girl I’ve been telling you about, the one who saved our Cangyun Country with a miracle!"

"Ningning, you can just call King Shu ’Uncle’ as well."

Shen Ningning lowered her head, feigning embarrassment. "How could I do that? It would be against etiquette."

Her father, Xie Suzhi, also nodded along. "We are grateful for Your Majesty’s favor, but His Highness King Shu is of noble status. Ningning cannot be so presumptuous."

But King Shu just laughed. "What’s the harm in that? This prince took a liking to Ningning the moment I saw her. By the way, Ningning, I saw your second brother looking for you just now."

Shen Ningning lifted her watery eyes and blinked her big, curious eyes. "My stinky second brother? Hmph! I shook him off on purpose. Otherwise, he’s always nagging me."

Saying this in front of everyone drew spontaneous laughter from the crowd.

Xie Suzhi shook his head in fond exasperation, casting a doting look at his daughter.

"Your Majesty and Your Highness must find this amusing. Ningning and her second brother have never really gotten along."

King Shu observed Shen Ningning discreetly for a moment before laughing even more heartily. "With only one daughter, it’s only right for her brothers to dote on her. Here, Ningning, this is a gift for you from your Uncle Prince."

He took a string of Purple Sandalwood Beads from his wrist and handed it to Shen Ningning.

After several attempts to decline, she found she couldn’t refuse and could only accept it.

Mo Lingwei had been watching the little girl with a smile the entire time.

He was delighted to see her receive the affection of his own family members.

However, for some reason, Mo Lingwei felt that the smile in Shen Ningning’s eyes seemed a little forced.

Throughout the banquet, Shen Ningning ate absently.

Her Brother, Xie Mingxu, noticed her keenly. "What’s wrong? No appetite?"

She had barely touched her favorite braised chicken drumstick.

Shen Ningning mumbled, "Brother, why isn’t Second Brother back yet?"

Now that she mentioned it, Xie Mingxu and Xu Jingxi looked around.

Everyone was toasting and drinking, their cups clinking together.

Indeed, there was no sign of Xie Ming’an.

Shen Ningning even began to fear, ’Could King Shu have silenced Second Brother for good?’

Just as Xie Mingxu stood up to go look for him...

Xie Ming’an returned.

The Emperor took the initiative to show his concern. "Lord Xie, why have you only just arrived?"

Xie Ming’an wore a helpless expression. "Replying to Your Majesty, this subject upset my little sister. She ran off too quickly for me to keep up. I searched all over for her, only to find she was already back here enjoying the fine food."

The hall erupted in laughter.

His words matched what Shen Ningning had just said perfectly.

It seemed he really had been given the slip by Princess Funing.

King Shu smiled. "You siblings seem to have an excellent relationship. As the older brother, you should try not to make your little sister angry so often."

"Your Highness is right." Xie Ming’an cupped his hands and then went to sit at the Xie family’s table.

The heavy weight on Shen Ningning’s heart finally lifted.

Lifting her teacup with her small hands and pretending to take a sip, she whispered to Xie Ming’an beside her, "Stinky Second Brother, how did you know what excuse I used to put off King Shu?"

Xie Ming’an chuckled softly, his stern features filled with pride.

"Have you forgotten what your second brother does for a living?" he said with a smirk.

Then, he noticed the chicken drumstick on the plate in front of Shen Ningning was untouched.

"Couldn’t eat because your second brother wasn’t here? Worried about me? Go on and eat. I’m back now, and everything’s fine. Their suspicion won’t fall on you."

Shen Ningning huffed and made a face at him. "Who was worried about you, you stinky Second Brother!"

She was a ten-year-old girl now. Her father had told her she needed to eat elegantly!

So, she no longer grabbed the drumstick and gnawed on it like when she was little, getting her face and hands all greasy.

Instead, Xie Mingxu and Xu Jingxi would help her by peeling the meat off the bone, piece by piece.

Her three brothers sat around Shen Ningning, taking turns looking after her.

The noble young ladies nearby couldn’t tear their eyes away from the Xie Family.

The two brothers, Xie Suzhi and Xie Dizhi, were handsome and aloof, brimming with a noble air. Though both were middle-aged, they possessed a steady and profound aura.

And that was to say nothing of the three sons of the Xie family.

The eldest, Xie Mingxu, had outstanding military achievements and was the most prestigious General in the court. He had sharp, sword-like brows and star-bright eyes, and his posture was as straight as a pine tree—truly heroic and extraordinary.

He had recently reached the age for marriage, and many noble families had their eyes on him.

The second son, Xie Ming’an, had reached the fourth-rank at a young age. His eyes were sharp and pitch-black, and he had an intimidating aura like a block of ice. With his handsome features and tall frame, he was quite imposing.

It was said that the young ladies of the Capital had voted him the most ill-tempered ideal husband.

The third son, Xu Jingxi, also known as Xie Mingyuan, was a natural-born prodigy. He was a prospective official recorded by the Emperor in the Hanlin Register, just waiting to graduate from the National Academy to begin his meteoric rise in his official career.

He had a cool and detached disposition, like a pine or bamboo tree, or even more like a serene, cool moon.

Only with those he was familiar with would he reveal a gentle, faint smile.

That so many outstanding members of the Xie Family all doted on Shen Ningning as a group was the envy of all the other noble young ladies.

After the banquet, Shen Ningning had intended to leave immediately with her family.

Unexpectedly, Mo Lingwei stopped her.

He took her hand. "My aunt said she would like to meet you."