After swallowing my anger and taking the blame, I became the lucky little queen

The two were three or four steps apart. Nian Susu smiled back and invited him to sit in the pavilion next to them. Xiao Jianting did not refuse.

The two sat face to face, each waiting for the other to speak first, so they were both silent, and the atmosphere was a little awkward for a moment.

Nian Susu finally gave in and took the initiative to ask, "Master Xiao, are you here to visit your father?"

Judging from the direction he was coming from, it seemed to be the North Courtyard, and apart from this reason, she couldn't think of why Xiao Jianting, who had been hiding in the mansion for more than three months, would appear in the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Xiao Jianting did not comment. "I heard from my father about the things happening in the court and I was very worried. The Prime Minister is an elder whom I have always admired, so I came to visit him while I am still in the capital these few days."

"While we are still in the capital these few days?" Nian Susu widened her eyes in surprise and raised her voice. Xiao Jianting was also shocked by her big reaction. She returned to normal in a sullen tone, "Where are you going?"

"Go to Jiangnan." Xiao Jianting said calmly.

These three words frightened Nian Susu greatly. Although he looked calm on the outside, his heart was in turmoil. He guessed all the possible reasons. Of course, the worst result was that Xiao Jianting knew that Li Yaoyuan was still alive and in Jiangnan, and he wanted to go find her.

But how did Xiao Jianting know that Li Yaoyuan was still alive?

But there is another possibility, that is, the emperor has assigned him some task.

Nian Susu suppressed his excitement and pretended to be calm: "Going to Jiangnan again? What is the emperor sending you to do this time?"

Xiao Jianting exhaled heavily, and tightened his hands on the stone table. He looked at the scenery in the distance, and his mind seemed to be no longer here. "It's getting close to summer, and there's a lot of rain in Jiangnan. Your Majesty is worried that the dam will burst, like the flood a few days ago, flooding crops and villages. The Ministry of Works has proposed to reinforce the dam, and I volunteered to go to Jiangnan to supervise the work."

Nian Susu suddenly realized and breathed a sigh of relief. It would be better if he didn't go to find Li Yaoyuan.

She held up her chin and looked at him blankly, "But Master Xiao is a rare talent who can lead troops in battle. Isn't this a bit of a waste of his talent?"

Will General Xiao agree?

Will the Emperor agree?

Will all the civil and military officials in her court agree?

Of course, they disagreed, so Xiao Jianting fought with them for a long time.

He had submitted his letter of self-recommendation a month ago, but after waiting for more than half a month without any response, he knew there was no hope. However, he still claimed to be sick and did not attend court for the rest of the month. Since he had made no contribution anyway, it would be better to let him go out and relax, and the emperor agreed.

"Southern Xinjiang has been pacified. There shouldn't be any more wars in the next few years. Even if I'm very capable, I have nowhere to use my skills. It will only take a month or two to build the dike in Jiangnan. After that, I'll return to Beijing to report on my work. I won't stay there as a minor local official for the rest of my life."

"So... letting you go is indeed the best choice."

Xiao Jianting had previously eradicated the bandits in Jiuhua Mountain and won the hearts of the people. The people in Jiangnan admired him very much, which reduced a lot of trouble in his work.

Xiao Jianting smiled to himself, but there was a hint of bitterness on the corners of his mouth.

Nian Susu always felt that there was something meaningful in his eyes. On the one hand, he was worried that he would be depressed and would never be able to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy again. Wouldn't that be a waste of a great general?

On the other hand, she was worried that Xiao Jianting would meet Li Yaoyuan in Jiangnan.

If he knew that Li Yaoyuan was still alive... She didn't dare to think about whether Xiao Jianting would go crazy or become insane.

As she thought about this, her eyes became strange.

Xiao Jianting felt uncomfortable being stared at, so he said goodbye in a hurry and went home.

A few days later, Nian Susu received the news that Xiao Jianting was going to the south of the Yangtze River, and he would leave immediately, without even waiting until after her birthday.

Xiao Jianting didn't have many good friends in Beijing. One of them was beaten with a stick and was lying in bed, and the other had a congenital strange disease for which there was no cure. When he was leaving Beijing, no one came to see him off except Nian Susu.

Their friendship was not actually very deep, but they had many common friends, and both of them had a good relationship with this "common friend", so even if he had to come on behalf of a friend, Nian Susu felt that he should come.

Xiao Jianting was riding a horse, with a bag on his back and a sword on the horse's back. He looked like a wandering knight, stopping here to rest temporarily and now ready to leave again.

He pulled the horse and stopped in front of Nian Susu.

The two met at the city gate. Xiao Jianting still couldn't believe it, "Miss Nian is here to see me off?"

Nian Susu chuckled, "Why? Master Xiao thinks I shouldn't come?"

"No." He raised the corners of his mouth and smiled sincerely, "I just didn't expect Miss Nian to come."

In his heart, their relationship was not that good.

And... he couldn't get over Li Yaoyuan's death. He believed that Nian Susu couldn't forget it either, let alone forgive himself.

He felt guilty every day for the past year.

In his opinion, Nian Susu should hate him for killing her best friend, but she didn't. When he was about to leave, she was even able to see him off alone with a smile.

Xiao Jianting felt very uncomfortable.

Nian Susu knew what he was thinking just by looking at his strange expression.

She smiled and explained, "Mr. Xiao, just think of me as coming here on behalf of the Crown Prince."

"I'm here on behalf of Miss Xiao or Mr. Xiao Er. Otherwise, I'm here on behalf of Mr. Cui to see off his old friend. How do you think this is acceptable?"

Xiao Jianting lowered his eyes, feeling a little at a loss.

She mentioned everyone except... that person.

His reaction was indifferent, and Nian Susu lost interest in joking. She calmed down and sighed, "Mr. Xiao, you are going to a long journey, and I don't know when you will be back. Please take care of yourself."

Xiao Jianting nodded, "Thank you, I will."

Nian Susu remained silent. After he had said what he needed to say, he could leave.

But he hesitated for a moment, took out something from his arms, held it in his palm, handed it to her, and opened his palm. It was a hairpin.

Nian Susu recognized it at a glance. This was the jade hairpin with a flying kite engraved on the top that he took away from the body of "Li Yaoyuan".

Xiao Jianting's eyes fell on the hairpin, and he was reluctant to part with it. He smiled at Nian Susu and said, "Birthday gift."

"I don't have anything good to give you. Miss Nian probably doesn't need those material things."

"This... I'll give it to you as a souvenir."

His eyes were sincere and ardent, but his expression was miserable, making him look haggard.

Nian Susu didn’t answer.

As for commemoration, she still has a silver bracelet, but if Xiao Jianting loses this hairpin, he will have nothing.

"Master Xiao..."

She was about to refuse, but he interrupted her, "Miss Nian, you should keep it. I think... she probably doesn't want her things to stay with me."

He was so persistent that Nian Susu had no choice but to accept it.

Xiao Jianting felt relieved, sighed heavily, tied up his bag, and got on the horse.

He looked down at Nian Susu and smiled cheerfully, "Miss Nian, see you later."

"drive!"

With the sound of horse hooves, he left Shengjing.

Nian Susu tightly grasped the jade hairpin in her hand, looked at the lonely figure, and murmured, "See you later."