Chapter 78 078 His heart was entirely with her

In a side hall of Fengqi Palace, Qingli looked at the sky-blue teacup with peony patterns on the table. The cup was delicate and cool to the touch. Qingli raised her hand to look at the bottom and sure enough, there was a mark of Chuzhou kiln.

With a creak, the palace maids carried the items into the room, heads bowed, each busy with their own tasks in an orderly fashion. The door remained open, as if she didn't exist and didn't care at all that she had run out.

Qingli raised the teacup. The cool moonlight shone on it, creating a hazy glow. This was a masterpiece, and she was reluctant to put it down. As for her identity, Qingli already had a general idea. So many coincidences must have been carefully designed. She would just wait for the people below to make their move.

The Empress let her hair down and, before going to bed, asked, "How is she?"

"After having tea, we rested."

"Keep a close eye on them."

"yes!"

Inside the council hall, Emperor Mingkang was dealing with stacks of memorials in front of him, paying no attention to the person kneeling on the ground.

Meng Qingshan was stiff and remained kneeling for an hour or two without changing his expression. Hearing the sound of pages turning beside him, he twitched his nose, revealing a hint of irritation.

Seeing this foolish look, Emperor Mingkang was furious. He slammed a memorial onto Meng Qingshan's shoulder, breaking it in two. The memorial fell in front of Meng Qingshan and was written in great detail about how the imperial examinations were related to the stability of the country and the foundation of the nation, and that they needed to be thoroughly investigated.

Meng Qingshan glanced at it, his eyes darted around, then he lay down on the ground and shouted that he deserved to die.

Emperor Mingkang took the handkerchief handed to him by Dexi and said slowly, "You do deserve to die! Then tell me, where do you deserve to die?"

When an emperor is angry, even a simple rhetorical question carries the force of thunder. Ordinary people would tremble with fear. Meng Qingshan had already simulated this scene a hundred times. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he said, word by word, "Harboring the offspring of a criminal."

"Ha! It seems you already knew she was the Huang family's lost granddaughter."

"Your Majesty, I only know that she was lost, but I did not know that she belonged to the Huang family. I beg Your Majesty to make the judgment."

How did you know she was lost?

"Because...she was taken home by my mother."

"She's not your cousin?"

"Your subject dares not presume to be the apple of Lord Huang's eye."

"Haha..." Emperor Mingkang found it amusing, and the irritation he had been feeling during the day was swept away. After laughing enough, he stopped and asked, "Aren't you a criminal? Where did this Lord Huang come from?"

"Huang Pu could be a high-ranking official of the court, a prisoner in jail, or even a sinner for all time. I am foolish and confused before I have even grasped the facts."

It was precisely these seemingly arrogant and ignorant words that greatly pleased Emperor Mingkang. Emperor Mingkang disliked the rules and regulations drawn up for him by his court officials. It seems they had all forgotten whose world this Great Jin belonged to.

Whether it's a merit or a demerit, it all depends on his single thought.

After so many years of carefulness, at this moment, his true colors were gradually revealed, provoked. He was pleased with Meng Qingshan's attitude towards Huang Pu—disdainful and impetuous of youth.

"Did you erase the traces?"

Meng Qingshan then bowed deeply, “Before I came to the capital, I concealed some things for the sake of my sister… Miss Huang’s identity. I did not expect that as soon as I arrived in the capital, one person after another came to inquire. I thought they were targeting me, so I did more to cover things up.”

Unexpectedly, by a twist of fate, a smokescreen was set up in front of everyone.

Why conceal her identity?

“She was married off to another place, and her husband’s family treated her badly, so I took her with me to avoid any trouble.”

"Is it really bad?"

"I think it's not good."

Dexi lowered his eyes, savoring the words in his ear. These words were suggestive: his sister had married out of the capital, and his brother, now in power, had taken her with him, changing her status as a cousin. Then he thought of the rumors in the capital, who didn't know that Commander Meng treated his cousin like the apple of his eye, showering her with silks, satins, gold, silver, and jewels? He heard that every month, shops would send gifts to her mansion.

Dexi stole a glance at Emperor Mingkang and saw that the emperor was calm. He knew that he had done the right thing. Emperor Mingkang was gentle and was praised by the people as a wise ruler. But only Dexi knew that beneath the wise ruler was a suspicion and scheming that he never put down. The real Emperor Mingkang was cold and ruthless.

Meng Qingshan, however, did not complain or understand the greater good. He used forceful methods to mask his own selfish desires and achieve his own goals. The two lived under the same roof, and she had been married before. Who could know what was going on inside the house? Meng Qingshan treated Huang Pu in this way, stepping on Emperor Mingkang's heart in every way.

"Even knowing your identity, you should still maintain a certain level of decorum."

Meng Qingshan paused for a moment, then said softly, "I know, but right now she is under the Empress's protection and Consort Mu is worried about her. Even if I had the means... I have nowhere to use them."

Emperor Mingkang couldn't stand such a reluctant person and spat out, "Alright, there's no need to say more about this. It's utterly absurd!"

Meng Qingshan had no choice but to leave. Before leaving, he glanced at Dexi with a warning look in his eyes. Dexi's hand trembled, sensing something was wrong.

Emperor Mingkang spoke up, "How much of it is true?"

Dexi hesitated for a moment, then said hesitantly, "At this point, there's no need to hide it anymore. This old servant thinks Commander Meng is bold in his actions, but also quite upright."

"His mind was entirely on that woman; what kind of uprightness is that!"

Dexi chuckled twice and continued, "I dare to do what I do and take responsibility for it. But if Lord Huang finds out, he'll probably curse me out. I can't beat him, so I'll just be angry."

Emperor Mingkang glanced at Dexi, saw his smirk, and cursed him a couple of times, saying, "He's not bad, at least better than those who think they're clever?"

"Trying to be clever?" Dexi didn't reply, but let out two soft breaths, feeling that she should have answered correctly.

Meng Qingshan was supposed to be on duty tonight, but after being questioned by the Emperor, someone else was replaced. Before entering the duty room, he glanced at the inner palace with a cold smile on his lips. However, because of his status as a bride in a political marriage, no one can touch him. If the marriage is over, he should taste the feeling of being bullied.

Meng Qingshan lay on two long benches, holding the broadsword close to his chest. The tassel covered his face, tingling and carrying a faint fragrance, as if she were beside him.

At most one night. If there is no movement from Emperor Mingkang, he will rescue her. The Empress is ruthless and there are still hidden dangers. He is really worried about her.

The bed was soft, but Qingli couldn't fall asleep. She hung up the bed curtains and opened the window. The palace maid outside immediately became alert and checked. Seeing that she had gone back to bed, she was about to close the window when she heard a gentle voice instruct, "The air is stuffy, leave it open."

The palace maid withdrew her hand and sat down by the window.

Qingli rarely had trouble sleeping. Back in the Dingxi Prince's Mansion, she could always comfort herself by resting and recuperating. When did she become so picky? Was it because Meng Qingshan was so domineering around her, always arranging everything in a way that left no room for argument?

She recalled his farewell earlier that day. Did he know her identity? Qingli immediately dismissed the idea, but hesitated for a moment. If he had known all along, shouldn't he have been angry? Shouldn't he have lost his temper? Knowing his temper, he would have just grabbed her wrist tightly and mocked her, "Qingli, I really underestimated you!"

If it wasn't him, who orchestrated this whole mess?

Just like that, everyone was perfectly placed in the arranged scene, taking turns to take the stage, each step linked to the next, waiting for her identity to be revealed.

She tried to piece together the events of the day in her mind, but found them to be a jumbled mess, making it impossible to discern who was instigating it.

One can only say that either it was fate, or the person behind it was exceptionally clever.

But she didn't believe it. If God had eyes, how could her family have been separated for so many years?

Having endured so much hardship over the years, I no longer believe in such fantastical things.

She thought, "It must be him." This thought grew stronger in her heart. When did he find out? Suddenly, she felt timid and dared not investigate further. It was as if there were towering waves of heat ahead, and what was wrapped in them made her timidly only dare to look at them from afar.

She backed down.

Past events—from the Prince of Dingxi's mansion to the capital—flashed through her mind in turn. Her past with him intertwined in her heart, clamoring, surging, and desperately proclaiming something.

Her consciousness gradually faded, then a shrill scream rang out, and Qingli abruptly opened her eyes.

Her window was open. She sat up and saw the maidservant at the window watching her alertly outside. There was a commotion and crying, but within two breaths, it suddenly became extremely quiet, abruptly stopping in a way that made one feel uneasy.

The sky was still overcast, with no stars or moon in sight. The candlelight in the lanterns, which had burned all night, had mostly died down, and the desolate and chilly atmosphere grew even more biting.

When the Empress arrived at Manyue Palace, there was not a sound, and an atmosphere of death permeated the air. Consort De clung tightly to the eldest princess like a mother hen protecting her chicks, staring nervously and fiercely at the surroundings.

When Consort He saw the Empress, she pulled her cloak tighter around herself and hurried to greet her, saying with some difficulty, "Your Majesty..."

The Empress glanced at the people standing under the eaves. Apart from the ailing Consort Liu and Consort Mu, who was unable to leave the house, everyone else was there. The Empress gave them a warning look, then walked up the steps one by one and asked, "Where are they?"

No one answered, but she couldn't remain silent, so Consort He had no choice but to step forward and try to speak in a calm tone, "The servants who serve the Princess are so unattended, I have ordered them all locked up to avoid gossip and trouble."

The Empress stepped over the threshold and before she could even stand still, she saw a figure rush towards her, pleading pitifully, "Empress... Your Majesty... You must do justice for the eldest princess! Some treacherous villains are using despicable means to ruin the stability of our Great Jin Dynasty. They've used dirty tricks to lure the eldest princess away, their purpose being to defy the Emperor's decree!"

"Pfft..." A low laugh came from outside, like a needle piercing Consort De's eyes. Consort De completely disregarded her usual dignity, knelt before the Empress, and tightly gripped the Empress's skirt with both hands, begging for mercy.

"Enough!" The Empress's face turned cold, and she glanced at the eldest princess, who was already completely distraught, with disgust. Useless thing!

"Those who do evil will not live long." The Empress ignored Consort De without showing her any mercy, saying, "This matter is of great importance and cannot be concealed."

Consort De's eyes were red and almost bleeding, yet she still struggled to argue her point. If she could gain the Empress's favor, even just a little, she could preserve her reputation. She knew who was in charge in the palace. Over the years, she had been adept at navigating social situations and climbing the ladder of power. Everyone ridiculed her, but after all these years of harming others for this person and doing things for that person, she had long since seen through some things.

"Your Majesty, I have always respected you the most over the years, and have never dared to harbor any resentment. You know my loyalty. I have always taught the eldest princess to obey you. I beg you, as long as you protect..."