Chapter 267 The Position of Crown Prince
Nanping Bo snorted and walked over to Su Chengniang's bedside to sit down. Seeing that Su Chengniang was asleep, he reached out and tucked the blanket around her. He then turned to the two of them and pointed to the outer room, indicating that they should go outside to talk.
The three went to the outer room. The Earl of Nanping glanced at Lu Yunqi, his eyes clearly conveying: Please leave.
Logically, Lu Yunqi should have said something and taken his leave at this point, but unfortunately, his son-in-law didn't even glance at him. His daughter pulled her husband to sit down with her, blatantly ignoring the Earl of Nanping's hint.
The Earl of Nanping took a deep breath. Oh well, this kid was involved from beginning to end. Those witnesses and testimonies were even fabricated by his people. What do he not know? It doesn't matter whether he avoids suspicion or not.
"Today, I spoke harshly in front of the Vice Minister's residence, but Qingci, you have always been a sensible and understanding person. You should know that it is impossible to send Qiao Shi to the authorities, since your mother is currently safe."
I'm not trying to exonerate Qiao, but I will never forgive her for daring to poison your mother.
However, she has been the mistress of the household for so many years, and most importantly, she has given birth to three children for me. Whether you acknowledge them or not, your eldest brother and Qingyan and Qingying are your siblings.
If their birth mother is accused of murdering their stepmother, how will they face their future? Qingyan's in-laws, the Cheng'an Prince's Mansion, will surely look down on her; Qingying's future marriage will likely be difficult; and your eldest brother, Qingyun, will inevitably have trouble even taking the imperial examinations...
"A single hair can affect the whole situation; as her father, I must consider these factors before punishing her."
Yu Qingci listened quietly, her face expressionless.
"I promise you I will punish Qiao Shi severely, imprison her in the Buddhist hall of the mansion, strip her of her power as the mistress of the house, and prevent her from causing trouble again."
This approach will preserve the reputation of the Earl's Mansion, give the Vice Minister's Mansion a way out, and will not jeopardize your future as siblings.
"Qingci, your mother needs to rest now, and it's really not advisable to cause any further trouble in the manor."
Yu Qingci looked up at her father, the ice in her eyes growing thicker and thicker. She had long expected that her father, who had once been as majestic as a mountain in her heart, would become so indecisive. His so-called "severe punishment" was utterly worthless in the face of the heinous crimes committed by the Qiao family.
A mocking smile appeared on Yu Qingci's lips; her voice was as cold as ice.
"Father really went to great lengths for my elder brother's future, for Yu Qingyan's dignity in the Prince's Mansion, for Yu Qingying's marriage, and even for the 'stepping stone' of the Vice Minister's Mansion. My mother's life is only worth a Buddhist temple where she is imprisoned?"
Father, Mother almost died! Father, have you ever thought that if Yingge hadn't run to the General's Mansion to report the news in time that night, and if my husband hadn't found Doctor Rao and Doctor Wu to do their best to treat my mother, what you see now would probably be a cold coffin!
Your so-called 'severe punishment' is nothing more than beating a dog behind closed doors to silence public opinion!
"Who taught a woman from a secluded household like Madam Qiao to resort to such insidious tactics? I don't believe that the old woman from the Vice Minister's mansion isn't behind this. Father, have you investigated all of this? Do you dare to investigate?"
A barrage of questions struck Nanpingbo's heart like a hammer blow, tearing apart the facade of calm he was trying to maintain.
The Earl of Nanping wanted to get angry, but fearing he would wake his sleeping wife, he could only suppress his rage and say:
"How dare you! It's none of your business how I conduct myself! I said I would deal with it, and I will! What more do you want? Do you really want to make a scene and ruin your elder brother's future before you're satisfied?"
Seeing her father's furious expression, Yu Qingci's last glimmer of hope vanished.
She slowly stood up, her gaze sweeping over her father's face, contorted with anger, before finally settling on the crystal curtain hanging at the entrance to the inner room.
She knew that it would be difficult to bring Qiao to justice in the end. Qiao's biggest bargaining chip was her three children. For the sake of these three siblings, unless her mother really lost her life this time, her father would not be able to bring himself to do it.
They are their father's own flesh and blood; he could never bear to part with them.
Although she knew it in her heart, she still felt a chilling coldness and disappointment.
However, even if she couldn't kill Qiao, she would still make Qiao suffer greatly.
"Father, please calm down."
She gave a slight curtsy, her movements impeccably precise, yet her voice was utterly devoid of warmth.
“Qiao must not be kept in the Earl’s mansion, nor can she be imprisoned. Once bitten, twice shy. If she finds an opportunity to make a comeback in a few years, I dare not gamble with my mother’s life.”
The Earl of Nanping also fell silent; he dared not gamble.
The atmosphere became tense for a moment.
Lu Yunqi's deep voice rang out: "Then divorce her. From now on, Qiao is never allowed to appear in the Earl's mansion again."
The Earl of Nanping glared at her disapprovingly, too lazy to reply. Wouldn't divorcing his wife cause difficulties for the future of his two other children? He also wanted to divorce Qiao, but he was hesitant to do so.
Lu Yunqi said slowly and deliberately, "In order not to affect our children, we can take a step back and tell the outside world that Qiao Shi is sick and needs to recuperate outside. In a few years, when Qingbai grows up and the eldest brother should also be married and established, we can separate from the family and live separately. Qiao Shi will be taken care of by her siblings."
Yu Qingci didn't understand for a moment, but the Earl of Nanping's heart skipped a beat. Lu Yunqi's words meant that he was certain that his eldest son, Qingyun, would be the one to separate from the family. In other words, the position of the heir of the Earl of Nanping's mansion could only be Qingbai!
This was another turbulent night.
The next morning, the two elders from the Vice Minister's residence, along with their son and daughter-in-law, arrived. This time, it was the daughter-in-law, Madam Ruan, who came. They didn't expect Madam Ruan to help with the gossip, since at least she was more legitimate than Wen Yuexiu.
The elderly couple hadn't expected their daughter-in-law to be of any use, and their son hadn't been of much use either. Qiao Chengfeng had thought of his words all night, but after only a few exchanges, he was rendered speechless by the Earl of Nanping. Not to mention, there was a young general waiting there who hadn't even spoken yet.
Seeing that they could not rely on either of them, the two elders had no choice but to step forward and engage in a heated debate themselves. The attitude of the Earl of Nanping and his daughter and son-in-law became increasingly straightforward and unyielding:
They must be handed over to the authorities; they are not afraid of losing face.
Having exhausted all their options, Vice Minister Qiao and his wife had no choice but to back down.
As long as it doesn't involve the authorities, anything can be discussed; we have to think about the children!
The Earl of Nanping waved his hand and said: "Then let's write a letter of divorce. The Vice Minister's Mansion can take her back. The Earl's Mansion can't afford such a vicious woman."
Upon hearing this, Qiao fainted.
Madam Wen was also heartbroken: "My dear son-in-law, you can't be so heartless. What difference is there between you divorcing her and taking her life?"
Vice Minister Qiao: "That's right. Let's talk this out. Considering how many years she's given birth to your children, you can't just divorce her like that."
Just then, a crying sound came from outside the door. Yu Qingyun and Yu Qingying, the two siblings, rushed in and knelt down to kowtow as soon as they entered.
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