Chapter 365 Return to Court
Xiao Jue flicked his sleeve, dismissing everyone, before approaching Wei Qingqing step by step, gritting his teeth as he said:
"What trick are you playing now?! Why did you tell my mother that you had given yourself to me?"
"Let me tell you, no matter what your purpose is, I didn't beg you to save me when I was at the bottom of the cliff. How much silver do you want? I'll give it to you, and then get out of the Xiao family!"
The Crown Prince and his sister have already returned; how could he possibly care about this woman's life or death? The fact that he didn't simply send someone to get rid of her is already an act of great kindness on his part.
Wei Qingqing, however, was completely unfazed, showing none of the apprehension she had felt two weeks prior, and confidently stated:
"Fine, you kick me out, then the Crown Prince and your dear sister can just wait to die!"
"Only I know how they managed to return to the palace smoothly and how they managed to ascend the throne smoothly, humph!"
She wore an expensive Shu brocade outfit and a thick rabbit fur cloak, making her look warm and fluffy. What was supposed to be an endearing and adorable look was, in Xiao Jue's eyes, vulgar and disgusting, quite repulsive.
Xiao Jue suppressed his displeasure, clenched his fists at his sides, and closed his eyes briefly: "What exactly do you want to do?"
"What do you know?!"
Wei Qingqing glanced at him: "Want to know? You're not going to lock me up this time? Let me tell you, I'm the kind of person who responds better to soft words than hard ones. If you threaten me, I'll just give up and show you!"
"Say some nice things to me, make me happy, and I'll naturally tell you how to help the Crown Prince and your sister, how about that?"
Xiao Jue: "..."
Three days later, at the Princess's residence.
The eldest princess leaned back on the daybed, pushing away the congee Meng Xian offered, her brows furrowed with exhaustion.
"No, I don't have an appetite."
Meng Xian looked distressed: "Your Highness, the Princess and the Crown Prince are blessed by the heavens, they will be alright. If you don't eat something, what if you don't even have the strength to get out of bed when they return?"
The eldest princess pressed her forehead to her hand and closed her eyes: "Come back? Can they really come back...?"
She had only felt a little better yesterday, but the thought of her only daughter and the Crown Prince both dying made her feel weak all over, and she had no appetite or interest in anything. She was even too lazy to care when she heard that Qi Huan was gradually gaining power and that even the Empress Dowager had to avoid his sharp edge. She just wanted to stay in the Princess's residence and not go out, just like she was when her husband died.
"Meng Xian, tell me, am I truly an unlucky person?" The princess's voice was muffled. "First my children who died young, then the prince consort, and now Yu Xuan and the crown prince..."
Meng Xian put down her spoon. She had already offered the advice she needed to yesterday, and now she didn't know where to begin.
“Your Highness, no matter what, the Princess would not want to see you like this. Moreover, if you really don’t pull yourself together, I’ll presume to say something, but the Fourth Prince… is not a good ruler. Do you really want to watch Qi decline and villains rise to power?”
The eldest princess shook her head: "To be honest, among my brother's children, only Jun'er is capable of taking on great responsibilities. As for the other children, let's not even mention them..."
"But even if I wanted to, I couldn't. The mansion is heavily guarded now, and I'm afraid not even a bird could fly out. Oh well, if this is truly the fate of the Qi Kingdom, then I can only accept it."
Meng Xian looked at the lifeless Princess, his face full of disapproval. Just as he was about to say something, he heard a noise outside.
Meng Xian put down the bowl and went out first.
Outside stood a second-class maid, who usually came to deliver messages. Now, she stood outside the door, her face filled with barely suppressed excitement and joy. Seeing Aunt Meng come out, she quickly said, "Aunt Meng, good news, good news!"
Meng Xian frowned. What kind of time is this to be acting like this? If the Princess sees this, it will bring bad luck and upset His Highness.
She said sternly, "You'd better say that the princess and the crown prince have returned alive, otherwise if you continue to act like this, don't blame me for making you suffer punishment!"
The maid was taken aback for a moment, then beamed with joy: "Aunt Meng is truly a prophet! How did you know that this was what I was going to say!"
"His Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Chang Le have indeed returned, and they even returned with General Xiahou's returning entourage! It seems the previous news was a misunderstanding; they are both safe and sound!"
"...The servant who came to deliver the message said that Princess Chang Le and the Crown Prince have to go to the palace first and will return to the Princess's residence later. This is the Princess's token. Aunt Meng, please go and inform His Highness quickly!"
The young maid was quick-witted and articulate. She recounted the whole story in just a few words, all while smiling, which warmed the heart and brought a smile to the face of the listener.
Meng Xian immediately snapped out of his daze, forgetting even his promise to reward the maidservant, and hurriedly turned to go inside.
As soon as they entered, they saw the eldest princess supporting herself on the table, trying to get off the daybed, her face full of disbelief.
"Your Highness, please be careful!" Meng Xian quickly stepped forward and helped the person up.
"What did she just say?! Did those two children come back? Did they?" The princess grabbed Meng Xian's hand, wanting to smile, but fearing it would be in vain, her expression like that of a lost child. "Did I hear that right?"
Meng Xian nodded repeatedly: "Yes, that's right. The Crown Prince and the Princess have returned, along with General Xiahou and the others. They're on their way to the palace right now, saying they'll go straight home after they leave..."
The eldest princess was no longer listening to what she was saying. She struggled to sit in front of the dressing table and do her own makeup. Then, as if remembering something, she immediately got up, picked up the bowl of porridge, and swallowed it in big gulps.
"Your Highness, be careful, it's hot..." Meng Xian only had time to say this before he saw that the Princess had already finished the bowl of porridge, roughly wiped her mouth, and sat back down in front of the bronze mirror.
The eldest princess urged her anxiously, "Come quickly, help me with my makeup, I need to go to the palace now!"
Meng Xian exclaimed, about to step forward and pick up the comb, but then hesitated, saying, "But the Fourth Prince still has men guarding the door..."
The princess's expression changed, her previous fatigue and numbness vanished, and she coldly snorted:
"So what? I am the eldest princess, and what is Qi Huan? Let alone the fact that he is just a bald prince now, even if he really becomes the crown prince, it is not up to his men to block my way!"
"I'd like to see which blind fool dares to frame the Crown Prince and my Yu Xuan..."
Seeing the princess finally regain her former radiance, Meng Xian, who had been worried for a long time, finally showed an excited smile and quickly agreed.
At this moment, at the palace gate.
Xiahou Zhong and his son Xiahou Yin dismounted together and knelt on one knee outside a simple yet spacious carriage, completely ignoring the palace servants who were inviting people into the palace.
"This humble general respectfully invites Your Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Chang Le to alight from their carriage and enter the palace!"
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