Chapter 335 Using Both Soft and Hard Approaches

Qingling looked at Prince Xin and had nothing to say.

There was a long silence as the two looked at each other.

Yao Qingling scrutinized and speculated; Prince Xin feigned profundity.

They were locked in a silent standoff.

Qingling thought it was a waste for Prince Xin to use his spies in the palace to keep an eye on her alone. What did she do to deserve such attention from him?

A thought flashed through her mind, her eyes flickered slightly, but she dared not show it and lowered her gaze.

Prince Xin closed his fan and said with a smile, "When Lady Yao is with me, she always seems to have little to say. We finally have some time together, how can we get to know each other if we don't talk?"

Qingling gave a slight twitch of her lips: "Your Highness has many female confidantes and many male confidantes. Your food, clothing, housing and transportation are all taken care of by female officials and close maids. Thinking about it this way, it seems that there is nothing I need to do."

"And I have no merits whatsoever. I didn't do well when I was with Zhan Xingzhuo, otherwise we wouldn't have divorced."

“Hey, Madam Yao, why be so modest? If it weren’t for Madam Yao’s magnanimity, how could Zhou Zhining and her son have lived so well those years? It was because they were too greedy, and Xing Zhuo was too biased, which made Madam Yao sad. I wouldn’t have done that.”

"Oh, Your Highness means that if I am willing to follow you, Your Highness is willing to dismiss all the concubines in your household and all the other mistresses, and even give up the Princess?"

Prince Xin raised his eyebrows and sipped his tea, without answering her question.

Qingling didn't expect him to respond, so she turned to look at the window.

The carriage was so large that if you wanted to see the scenery outside, you had to get up and walk a few steps to the window.

She and Prince Xin weren't the only ones in the carriage.

Two beautiful maids stood on either side of Prince Xin to serve him, while two handsome servants stood on either side of the doorway.

In other words, her conversation with Prince Xin at this moment would soon reach the ears of his concubines, mistresses, and mistresses in his household.

She chuckled to herself.

Prince Xin looked at her and asked, "What are you laughing at, Lady Yao?"

Qingling said, "I was just wondering why Your Highness didn't answer my question."

"Oh, what answer has Madam Yao come up with?"

Qingling said, "Princess Xin is of noble birth, and Your Highness cannot divorce her. I have also heard that Your Highness has several concubines, all of whom come from prestigious families. Qingling is merely from the Marquis of Zhongyong's household, and cannot compare to them."

"As for those mistresses, they are all the prince's favorites. Those who can win the prince's favor must have something special about them, something that Qingling cannot compare to... So Qingling is just making things difficult for the prince."

Prince Xin said, "See, I told you you were clever. I didn't need to say it, you've already given me a way out."

Qingling shook her head: "Unfortunately, although I am of lowly birth, I am very petty. The prince has tried everything, but I just can't get over my own mental block."

Prince Xin's brow twitched slightly, realizing that Yao Qingling's words had a hidden meaning.

"Using both soft and hard tactics, what do you mean by that?"

Qing Ling's smile held a sharp edge as she met Prince Xin's venomous gaze.

"Your Highness, if I may be so bold as to ask, is the fire at the dock warehouse related to you?"

Prince Xin took a sip of tea and placed the cup on the table with a soft clatter. He pressed his left hand against his knee, leaned forward, and stared at Qing Ling with sharp eyes, like a tiger baring its claws, ready to pounce and bite at any moment.

Qingling looked at him with a half-smile, without backing down.

Prince Xin looked at her for a moment: "How dare you doubt even this?"

Qingling said, "Your Highness can even travel on the streets with these six carriages, so what does it matter if a warehouse is burned down?"

She pressed on, "Your Highness, is that you?"

Prince Xin curled his lips slightly, his sharpness undiminished: "If I admit it, you can go back and complain to the Empress that I burned down your warehouse?"

Qingling said, "Your Highness is wrong about two things. First, the Emperor trusts and favors Your Highness, so even if Your Highness really burned my goods, I think the Emperor wouldn't say anything. At most, he would ask Your Highness to make up for my losses."

"Secondly, that warehouse doesn't belong to me. I just have a personal relationship with the warehouse owner, and my goods just happen to be stored there."

Prince Xin looked at her with amusement: "You still have something to say? Why don't you say it all at once? I enjoy talking to you."

He straightened up and sat casually in the chair, his posture relaxed, like a tiger that had caught its prey but didn't kill it with a single bite, instead letting the prey play around, while the tiger adopted a lazy posture.

Qingling pursed her lips, feeling parched, but she dared not eat anything from the carriage.

Outside, He Yin should still be in her carriage, following behind.

Qingling suppressed her restless thoughts and said, "Your Highness just said, why don't I come and beg Your Highness? I thought that Your Highness returned that painting and punished Zhou Zhining before, which was a favor; burning my goods was to warn me, this is your power."

"Your Highness has used both kindness and severity, but this fire has affected innocent bystanders. I dare not let others know that this fire is related to me."

Prince Xin found this intriguing and asked with a slight smile, "Why?"

Qingling said, "Because if Boss Sheng finds out that this fire was started by me, wouldn't he make me pay for it? I've already lost most of my wealth, and I can't afford to pay for it."

Prince Xin raised an eyebrow and nodded: "Madam Yao just said that she had some connections with that Boss Sheng, but then she said that she was reluctant to lose money. It seems that Madam Yao's friendship with her friends is not very good."

Qingling smiled bitterly and said, "When faced with interests, one must first protect oneself. Isn't that human nature?"

Prince Xin held his fan, tapping his palm absently as he scrutinized Qing Ling, seemingly wondering whether he should take her in.

This flower is special, but it is poisonous and has thorns.

But if we let her run rampant, what if her influence grows too strong and threatens us?

It would be such a pity to destroy her. She was a unique flower; if you kill her, you'll never see her again.

Prince Xin stared at Qing Ling for a long time until the carriage stopped at the palace gate.

Qingling got off the carriage, thanked Prince Xin, and then walked towards the Empress's Palace under the guidance of the nanny.

On the way, the old woman asked, "Does Madam Yao have any connection with Prince Xin?"

Qingling shook her head: "No."

The old woman then realized that it was Prince Xin who had provoked her.

The old woman didn't say anything more.

Qingling didn't say anything more.

There are rules in the palace; people speak only to the point and never say more than half a word.

On the way, she wondered if what she had said in the carriage had misled Prince Xin, making him think that she only thought about her personal grudges regarding the fire.

Upon entering the palace, the Empress was drinking her medicine. After she finished, a maidservant offered her mouthwash.

Qingling waited on the side.

After a while, the Empress waved her hand, and the surrounding maids all withdrew.

Qingling guessed that the Empress had probably drunk a fertility potion.

The Empress had been married to the Emperor for many years but had never conceived, which was a disadvantage for her. She had previously inquired about any methods to become pregnant.

The Empress spoke slowly: "Lady Yao, your goods were burned. Have you come to the palace to borrow money from me?"