reason

After hearing what Qi Qingyu said, Qi Qinghe raised her eyebrows slightly, "Is this... really feasible?"

"Sister, believe me, this trip will be successful." Qi Qingyu said firmly.

This was the best solution she came up with after much thought.

Her father, Qi Lin, was corrupt, accepted bribes, and bullied others. Qi Qingyu already had some evidence in her hands. Once it was handed over to the prince's desk, he would definitely be imprisoned.

"Sister, don't be afraid that he will reveal the story of the replacement marriage." Qi Qingyu said, "Deceiving the emperor and his superiors is a capital crime. Compared to two or three years in prison, he won't tell. Plus, with the hidden money he has, he won't worry about the rest of his life."

"Mother...my foreign family is also in the capital and has some influence, so life won't be too difficult."

Qi Qing spoke very softly, fearing that someone might overhear him.

However, when Qi Qinghe heard it, it was like a sudden thunder in spring, making her feel uneasy. Then her sister's explanation eased her anxiety a little.

"Then it's up to you." She nodded slightly, "I'll find a way to get my mother out of here."

The two sisters chatted in private for a while before Qi Qinghe stood up and sent her sister to a side hall, letting her stay there peacefully.

I couldn't help but think about this in my mind.

After a while, she hurried back to Mingcheng Palace, picked up a pen and wrote something, then called Yuntao over, "Do you still remember the little girl I met when I went home with you last time?"

"Remember to give this letter to her. Don't let anyone else know about it. Keep your mouth shut. Do you understand?"

Qi Qinghe was very worried, her heart was in turmoil. She really couldn't find anyone else to help, so she had to pin her hopes on Yuntao, who was not very literate.

"What letter?" Xiao Junbai strode into the hall, glanced around, and came towards her, "You can also ask Chengxi to go."

Qi Qinghe subconsciously wanted to put the letter away, but as her thoughts fluctuated, she had other thoughts, "Your Highness is here by chance, and I have something to ask Your Highness."

"I have a wet nurse at home who has been with me since I was little. She has grown older and her health has not been good. I would like to send her back to my hometown in Jiangnan to recuperate. What do you think, Your Highness?"

She randomly gave A Niang another identity, and all she needed was a verbal message from His Highness to get her out of the Qi Mansion.

The servants that Qin'er bought in the past can act as guards and escort A'niang all the way away.

Xiao Junbai stared at her closely. The Crown Princess's delicate cheeks were slightly rosy, and under her thick eyelashes were clear and bright almond eyes.

There was a hint of deliberate flattery in his eyes, which made the prince's face darken.

Qi Qinghe glanced at the prince carefully, and when she saw his expression change, she smiled awkwardly and said, "It's just a small matter, I can handle it myself..."

Before she could finish, the prince grabbed her wrist, told Chengxi to do it, and pulled her away, throwing her onto the bed.

Since then, Yun Tao has been standing sideways with her head down, not daring to look any further. Following the prince's instructions, she picked up the fallen letter and quickly left the hall.

There were only two of them left in the hall.

Qi Qinghe fell on the soft bedding. She didn't feel any pain, but she was a little dazed. She stared blankly at the prince who was leaning over her, her mouth open but unable to speak.

Did she say the right thing just now? She was talking about the wet nurse. Could such a small matter make the prince angry?

She was puzzled and called out to His Highness in a weak voice, asking him what was wrong.

Xiao Junbai remained silent. He leaned closer to look at her and asked calmly, "Do you have anything to say to me?"

What? What could she say? Was she being married off as a substitute? Did the prince really find out?

She looked away, swallowed, and her fingers couldn't help but clench the quilt. She forced herself to be calm and said, "Your Highness wants to hear what I have to say."

Unexpectedly, when the prince saw her like this, he felt guilty and uneasy.

Fu Jingxuan's words were still ringing in her ears. "When a girl is angry, it all comes down to one thing: you don't love her, or you feel that way."

"What girl could remain calm after being falsely accused of adultery? And, Your Highness, have you spoken up for her and explained for her?"

Xiao Junbai recalled what he said at that time. He said that the Crown Princess has always been smart and eloquent, and he believes that these things will not be difficult for the Crown Princess.

This was indeed the case; the Crown Princess had never let him down.

Fu Jingxuan looked as if she expected it. "A girl must feel wronged when she's suddenly framed and wronged. You didn't help her and left her to face it alone. How can I not be angry?"

Thinking back, Xiao Junbai looked at the Crown Princess's pretty face and sighed, "Are you still angry?"

Qi Qinghe was stunned, as if he didn't know what was going on. The words he heard didn't seem real, like a dream.

Is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince admitting his mistake?

While I was distracted, I heard His Royal Highness the Crown Prince continue, "I didn't know, you wanted me to stand up and resolve the situation with you, but why didn't you say anything?"

Xiao Junbai thought back to the past, how the Queen had targeted him twice, how Xiao Juntang had accidentally caused her to fall into the water and become seriously ill. His heart ached so much that he could hardly breathe. Although it was only for a moment, it made him even more sad. He leaned over to get close to the Crown Princess and held her tightly in his arms. His strong arms wrapped around her slender waist, preventing her from struggling.

Qi Qinghe's palm was against the prince's chest, but the burning chest made her withdraw her hand suddenly. The prince's words made her tremble all over, and her deep red ears were burning. She had nowhere to put her hand, so she had to put it casually on the prince's shoulder.

What's the point of saying this now? It's all in the past.

She recalled the scene of her face-to-face confrontation with the Queen, and realized that the Prince knew of her innocence but refused to defend her. The unspeakable grievance surged in her heart again, her nose felt sore, and her eyes reddened.

After a while, she raised her hand and placed it on the prince's back, stroking it slowly and whispering softly, "It's all over, Your Highness."

What became increasingly clear in her mind was what her sister had said today. No matter what happened in the past, she didn't want it anymore. She didn't want to stay in the palace any longer. Faced with endless difficulties, she just wanted to leave.

Xiao Junbai pretended not to hear, stepped back a little to create some distance, lifted the Crown Princess's chin with his big hand, and kissed her rosy lips.

A hot breath flowed between the two of them.

The touch in his hands was delicate, Xiao Junbai rubbed it back and forth, sliding down the slender neck and pressing on the Crown Princess's shoulder.

Qi Qinghe only felt that the places touched by the big hand were as hot as fire. The broad hand grasped her shoulders with such force that it caused a dull pain. The other hand was held tightly by the prince, with their fingers intertwined and clenched, leaving her no room to escape.

Her thin lips were rubbed repeatedly by the prince, and her tense body could not break free and gradually relaxed.

After a long time, Xiao Junbai let go of her and buried his head in her shoulder. His warm breath sprayed on her neck, instantly dyeing it red.

He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say, so he closed it, turned over and lay beside the Crown Princess, hugging her sideways without losing any strength.

In the end, the two did nothing and no one spoke.

Qi Qinghe slept for a long time that night. When he woke up, it was already noon. His head was dizzy and he was not very clear-headed. His drooping eyelids seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. In a trance, he broke the teacup on the small table beside the bed.

Yun Tao heard the noise and walked into the hall. She hurriedly helped the person up and fed the empress two cups of tea before she felt better.

"Your Highness." Yun Tao helped the person sit in front of the dressing mirror and picked up a wooden comb to tie the Queen's hair. "What happened between Your Highness and His Highness? His Highness left early this morning and didn't seem very happy."

Qi Qinghe drooped his eyelids and said casually, "Maybe it's because of the numerous government affairs."

"By the way, Your Majesty, Chengxi left the palace this morning with a letter. Don't worry, Your Majesty." Yun Tao saw that Your Majesty didn't seem very interested, so she changed the subject and said, "You have nothing to do today, Your Majesty, would you like to go to the garden?"

"Have you forgotten?" Qi Qinghe laughed. "Your Majesty has confined me, how can I go out? I have nothing else to do, why not bring out the scriptures?"

On a leisurely afternoon, dark clouds covered the sky, not a single ray of sunlight could be seen, and a cool breeze blew through the room, bringing a chill.

Qi Qinghe sat upright at the desk, writing something with a pen in hand. Her thick, curled eyelashes trembled slightly, making her eyes look dark and shiny. She stared intently at the scripture in her hand.

The Qi sisters sat opposite, talking about something with excited looks in their eyes, which made the Crown Princess giggle.

Xiao Junbai walked by the corridor and couldn't help but look sideways for a few more times, then he looked away and strode away.

Qi Qinghe seemed to sense something and looked up from afar, only to see a fluttering piece of clothing disappear from her sight.

Qi Qingyu was talking to her with great joy about a popular story in the streets. It was about a scholar who left his wife to live a carefree life in the capital, but was divorced by her. When he saw his sister staring at the windowsill in a daze, he looked in the direction she was going, but saw nothing.

"Sister, what are you looking at?" Qi Qingyu asked softly, shaking her head left and right.

Qi Qinghe came back to his senses and said nothing happened.

"Your Majesty." Yun Xing trotted into the palace, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine is here."

Qi Qinghe raised her eyebrows. Why did the imperial concubine come here at this time?

The imperial concubine followed the palace maids and slowly stepped into the Mingcheng Palace.

As soon as Fang entered the palace, the Crown Princess hurriedly came to greet him, "Mother, why are you here at this time? His Highness is not here at the moment, I will go..."

Qi Qinghe thought that the Imperial Concubine came to the East Palace to look for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and was about to send someone to invite the Crown Prince down.

"That's fine." The imperial concubine stopped her. "The Crown Prince has a lot of official duties, and it's inspection time, so there's no need to bother him."

"I came here to look for you." The Imperial Concubine turned her head and met the Crown Princess's blank eyes. "Luo'er said that you saved her that day."

"I was dissatisfied with you before because you were weak in temper and could not bear the position of the Crown Princess. But from what I have seen recently, it is not the case. Especially when you were in Xuanming Palace, you seemed a bit like the Crown Princess." The imperial concubine came this time for this reason and spoke quite directly.

"I forgot. People always change." The imperial concubine smiled and said, "You saved Luo'er this time. I am very grateful. So I selected some thank you gifts. Please keep them."

"I don't know why Luo'er likes you so much, but since she does, you can come visit more often. If the Queen wants you again, just come to me. I have a way to solve the problem."

Qi Qinghe listened obediently, bowed to thank his mother for her kindness, and accepted the gifts one by one.

The imperial concubine said that she had picked out some items, but in fact it was a whole small box, containing everything from gold, jade, and jade head ornaments to earrings and jade pendants.

Qi Qinghe took a quick look and thanked him again.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was not at home, so the Imperial Concubine only sat for a short while, explained her purpose, and asked some personal questions about her health before leaving.

After everyone left, Qi Qinghe sat alone behind the screen, not moving for a long time.

He even seemed to have not heard His Royal Highness the Crown Prince enter the palace.