Chapter 246 Powder
"Yes, your parents made mistakes before, and we have no complaints about how you resent us. But blood is thicker than water, and we are still your biological parents. Can you... can you give your parents a chance to make amends and make up for it in the future?"
Xiao Su spoke tentatively, his voice trembling.
The rain gradually subsided, but the water stains on his face did not decrease at all. Hope, regret, and pain intertwined in his heart, and fueled by jars of wine and the rain, this middle-aged man in his forties burst into tears.
He used to pride himself on his high position and power, never indulging in romantic relationships, but he seemed to be bewitched by Gu Linyan, obeying her every word and making many mistakes. In the end, his wife wanted a divorce, his sons lost all affection for him, and his only daughter even changed her surname and left the clan... He was a complete failure as both a husband and a father!
Qi Yuxuan lowered her eyes, the curve of her lips calm and composed, and spoke with unprecedented decisiveness: "No."
She had already figured it out.
Xiao Su and Lin Hui were not first-time parents, yet they vented all their malice and resentment on her, simply because this daughter was not what they had expected. Their belated pity and guilt were nothing more than self-deception; in essence, they loved themselves the most.
If you were to ask her about the biggest difference between these two lives, it would be that she no longer craves others' love and respect for her.
Relying on others is unreliable; reliance on people is fickle. Only when she stands firm on her own will wealth, power, praise, and favor flock to her. And now—
"Whether I am now Princess Chang Le or an orphan in a secluded alley, I do not need your compensation."
"Please close this door and do not cause any further trouble for my mother. From now on, whether we live or die or become rich or poor, we will have no further connection."
She finished speaking, turned and left, her cloak swirling gently in the soft rain, creating a crisp, clean arc.
"No, Yu Xuan, Yu Xuan!"
Lin Hui watched her daughter's retreating figure and instinctively lunged forward, but was firmly stopped by the guards.
"Squeak—Bang!"
The tall, vermilion gate, studded with gold and copper nails, slammed shut before them with a dull, crisp sound.
“Yu Xuan…”
Lin Hui stared blankly at the closed vermilion door, murmuring her daughter's name.
She suddenly remembered that when she was pregnant with twins, she had a premonition that she would have a daughter. She personally came up with several names for her younger daughter, such as Yuyao, Yuxuan, and Yuqi, all of which had excellent meanings. But in her heart, she did not actually ask her daughter to be virtuous and talented or famous in the capital. She only hoped that her precious daughter would have a clear mind, self-discipline, and be happy and carefree throughout her life.
And now, my daughter has indeed done it.
But it wasn't because of her biological parents, but because of the suffering she endured in the Ye family for the previous fourteen years, plus the mother she chose herself later...
She said no, no need, and that from now on, regardless of life or death, wealth or poverty, they would have nothing to do with each other anymore.
Lin Hui recalled the unfamiliar and distant look her daughter had given her just now, and her chest felt tight as if countless bloated stones were pressing and churning inside, a feeling that was both sour and painful.
She stumbled and fell to the ground. Xiao Su hurriedly caught her, and she fell ill for more than a month after that.
In the past month or so, the Xiao family has been re-appointed officials. Xiao Su has been reinstated as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel to assist his former subordinates, while Xiao Jue has remained in the capital, holding a sinecure of the fifth rank.
Meanwhile, several major events also occurred in the capital.
The Qilin Guard and the Lancheng government meticulously investigated the events that occurred at the end of last year, and countless pieces of evidence pointed to Prince Duan, who had kept a low profile for most of the year. The Crown Prince, in a departure from his previous humility and gentleness, directly impeached his uncle in the main hall, bringing along a key witness, the pipa player Qu Qing.
The emperor was furious and immediately dispatched the Qilin Guards to escort Prince Duan to the palace for interrogation. However, Prince Duan's residence was already deserted, leaving only Gu Linyan, who knew nothing about the matter, locked in a room. Her tongue had been pulled out and her tendons in her hands and feet had been severed.
Prince Duan had fled to an unknown location, causing widespread panic in the capital. Many speculated that he might be planning a rebellion. However, after a few days of calm, the people began to talk about something else.
The Empress's maternal family, the Bai family, was exiled to Lingnan for embezzling 500,000 taels of silver intended for the construction of a river embankment. The Empress knelt outside the Imperial Study for three whole days and eventually fell ill. She was seemingly recuperating but was actually under house arrest in her own palace.
In early summer, the evening sun is not too strong, and the warm breeze gently blows past your ears, making you feel drowsy.
Qi Yuxuan sat on the daybed under the grape trellis in the courtyard, flipping through the account book idly. When she got tired of reading, she would switch to a storybook. There was a pile of fruit, snacks and milk tea beside her for her to take as she pleased.
The cicadas were already beginning to chirp, their calls filling the air. Qi Yuxuan frowned, looking up to order someone to catch the cicadas, but then she saw Pei Xing'er tiptoeing closer.
"Xing'er? Why didn't you send someone to announce your arrival?"
She tossed aside the ledger, slipped on her shoes, and pulled her to sit in the shade of the shelf.
Pei Xing'er, who had originally wanted to secretly scare her, had no choice but to abandon her little scheme and obediently sit down.
The eldest princess said that Qi Yuxuan is becoming more and more like a serious little old lady. She always has a stern face, doesn't go out to play, and doesn't meet with the crown prince, the princess, or her friends. She stays at home, either looking at account books, reading books, or making tea and practicing calligraphy.
The eldest princess couldn't bear to watch, so she coaxed Pei Xing'er to relax with her more and not let her get too bored.
"But has there been any progress on the matter I asked you to handle?"
Pei Xing'er had no choice but to nod and take a book out of her sleeve.
“Princess, you really think too highly of us. In the past year or so, you have assigned us so many tasks that we were not up to the task. My grandfather has been forced to keep learning until he is old. He has been working so hard these days that his eyes are red!”
A month ago, Ren Shun secretly took the powder that Xiangqifang had been hiding. Qi Yuxuan asked around and even secretly visited many spice and medicine shops, but no one recognized what it was.
She could only turn to the Pei family, since they had many fragments of the book passed down from their ancestors and knew many doctors. She asked them to investigate what the thing was, what its function was, and whether it was harmful to people.
Xiangqifang has now become the largest cosmetics shop in the capital. Even the ladies in the palace have begun to secretly purchase cosmetics from it. If this trend continues, it may become the only shop in the capital that can dominate the market.
"Your Highness, look, these are the hundreds of prescriptions we've tried over the past month, as well as the records of the volunteers we secretly recruited for drug trials..."
Pei Xing'er opened the booklet, which contained a detailed record of the ingredients, dosage, and preparation methods of the medicine, as well as the time, gender, age, and illness of the test subject, and the reactions immediately, three days, seven days, and one month after taking the medicine.
This method was suggested by Qi You during the epidemic; otherwise, who knows how much effort would have been wasted.
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