Chapter 404 Reconciliation
Actually, Wei Qingqing came here this time hoping for a lucky break.
No one except Qi Jun and Xiao Jue knew that Qi Yuxuan had lost her memory, so she could use this as a precondition to persuade her.
“Your Majesty, the Xiao family, the Xiao family is, after all, your blood relatives, family... even if the bones are broken, the tendons are still connected. I know that the Xiao family was a bit blinded by a leaf before, but it was not their own choice..." Wei Qingqing said a lot with a stiff upper lip, while Qi You's eyes widened.
If he had known that Wei Qingqing was coming to say these things, he would never have brought her to Chang Le Palace!
This is truly a case of a newborn calf not fearing a tiger. Wei Qingqing probably hasn't realized that she's not in some fictional world in a book, but in a real world where bloodshed and death are real.
What she said was tantamount to raping someone in the face. If it were someone with a bad temper, they would have pinned her down and sent her to the Ministry of Justice before she even finished speaking.
Just as I was thinking this, I heard a soft laugh escape from the Empress's lips on the throne.
Looking at the anxious girl, Qi Yuxuan couldn't tell whether it was the Xiao family's idea or Wei Qingqing's own decision.
However, regardless of which one it is, they are making a ridiculously foolish and ignorant judgment of her.
She asked slowly and deliberately, "Then tell me, what benefits will I gain if I reconcile with the Xiao family as you suggested?"
Wei Qingqing sensed something was wrong, but she couldn't think of any other possibilities. She only wondered if Qi Yuxuan had heard other rumors and still harbored resentment towards the Xiao family. She continued:
"If Your Majesty can reconcile with the Xiao family, it will be a wonderful thing in the capital. In the future, the people will praise Your Majesty for being kind, benevolent, and generous."
Qi Yuxuan: "Oh? So in your opinion, if I don't reconcile with the Xiao family, then I'm being petty and vindictive?"
Wei Qingqing was stunned. Why was the conversation going in a completely different direction than she had expected? Qi Yuxuan was being too unreasonable. Besides, what she said wasn't wrong. Qi Yuxuan had no memories of her past life and didn't know that the Xiao family had killed her. Why wouldn't she forgive them?
She hurriedly explained, "No, that's not what I meant..."
Qi Yuxuan withdrew her gaze from her and turned to Qi You: "Seventh Brother, do you think so too?"
Qi You was sweating profusely. He stood up immediately and pulled Wei Qingqing up with him. The two of them knelt on the ground again.
The thin young boy hunched his back, bowed his head deeply, and said with utmost humility, "Your Majesty, please understand, this humble brother had absolutely no such intention!"
“Miss Wei’s words were rude and offended Your Majesty. It is all my fault. I will now take my men and leave so as not to disturb Your Majesty’s peace. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me…”
Qi Yuxuan snorted: "Want to leave? Fine."
"However, I remember that the women of the Wei family were not supposed to be government servants. Wei Qingqing, you ran away from home and misled an official of the court to take you as a concubine. Now you speak rudely and make outrageous remarks in front of me. What is your crime?!"
"Guards! Take this fugitive away and interrogate him thoroughly!"
Every word she uttered carried the majesty and inviolability of an empress, making one's heart tremble.
Wei Qingqing had never seen anything like this before. Her legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground. Qi You reacted quickly and caught her.
At this moment, the palace servants who had heard Qi Yuxuan's instructions from outside the door quickly walked in, preparing to arrest Wei Qingqing.
Qi You was a man of great loyalty and couldn't bear to see his fellow human being killed so easily. His mind raced, and he quickly pleaded:
"Your Majesty, there are other hidden reasons behind Miss Wei's actions. I beg Your Majesty to be lenient with her. If it is truly necessary, please allow Miss Wei to serve in my palace!"
Qi Yuxuan stared at the two of them, a smirk playing on her lips: "Seventh brother, do you really think that protecting her this time is for her own good?"
"Very well, it is common for young people to fall in love and for two people to be mutually attracted... By imperial decree, Wei Qingqing is a criminal daughter of the Wei family in Kuncheng. She ran away on her way to the capital to become a maid, and then she colluded with an official of the court and committed insubordination. Now she can be spared the death penalty but cannot escape punishment. She shall be given thirty strokes of the cane and punished to be sent to Beichen Palace as a low-ranking maid."
As the cold verdict fell, Wei Qingqing trembled all over. Forgetting that Qi You was holding her, she immediately said, "Your Majesty, I helped you. You can't punish me by making me a lowly palace maid!"
"Those fireworks, if it weren't for... mmm..."
Qi You reacted quickly; as soon as he heard the word "fireworks," he immediately reached out and covered her mouth.
Qi Yuxuan heard it too, but showed no reaction in front of her. She waved her sleeve and pretended to be tired, then had someone take her away.
Qi You had no choice but to bow and take his leave along with them.
It wasn't until they left Chang Le Palace that Wei Qingqing finally had a chance to speak. Qi You gestured for the palace servants to release her so he could talk to her and not delay her punishment. He then took out a lot of gold, silver, and peanuts from his sleeve and stuffed them into her hands.
The palace servants looked at each other, then stepped back a few paces, not going far, but standing a few steps away, watching the two.
Wei Qingqing was almost in tears: "Why?! Why does she treat me like this? I helped her, and you won't even let me say anything!"
Qi You felt his forehead throbbing: "My brother has already kept this matter a secret from my sister-in-law. If you reveal it now, it won't just be a beating and being made a palace maid, it will be a crime that costs you your head!"
Wei Qingqing rolled her eyes: "You've only been here for a few years, and you've already become a native of Qi? Seriously, what's with all this talk about being beaten and made into palace maids, losing your head? This is just a lousy novel, do you have to scare me like this?!"
"Don't think I don't know. You're just smug about your higher status and think you're better than me! If I hadn't tipped you off, we might all have messed things up and the world might have collapsed by now!"
Qi You tried to persuade her, lowering his voice and saying, "Calm down. There's nothing wrong with being a palace maid. You're in Beichen Palace, which is my territory. After I come of age and leave the palace, I'll take you with me. We can stay away from the plot and the male and female leads. We can be as happy as we want with money and power. Why do you have to be so stubborn and insist on going against them?"
Wei Qingqing then realized what was happening and clapped her hands: "That's right... Now that you mention it, I understand. Does that mean I've already gotten rid of the Xiao family?!"
Qi You breathed a sigh of relief. "Mhm! From now on, we can just stay here and be freeloaders, with no worries about food or drink. Isn't that great?"
Before Wei Qingqing could say anything more, the palace servants quickly walked over and interrupted their conversation.
One of them looked at Qi You and said respectfully, "Seventh Prince, we should go now. Please don't make things difficult for us."
After talking for a while, Qi You didn't insist any further. He cupped his hands to the group and said, "Miss Wei is my friend. I hope you can go easy on her."
Wei Qingqing: "Huh?! Aren't you coming with me?"
The palace maid grabbed her hand and tugged at it, saying impatiently, "Seventh Prince, you are of noble birth, how could you go to a place like the Imperial Prison? Hurry up and leave! The sooner the execution is carried out, the sooner we can get to Beichen Palace!"
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