Chapter 28: Interesting and shocking news!
The eunuch finally agreed cheerfully, "Your Highness, if you are unwell, I cannot force you to do anything. Please wait a moment. I will report the situation to His Majesty and His Majesty."
"In that case, thank you, eunuch." Qi Xin watched the eunuch's retreating figure, breathed a sigh of relief, and turned to Shuangjiang, saying, "Sister Shuang, I have other matters to attend to. Please keep an eye on them and make sure that eunuch or any other outsiders do not enter Zilin Palace."
"Your Highness, what does it want to do? Do you need your subordinates to do it?" Shuangjiang felt a shock in his heart when he heard the sensitive words "Zilin Palace", but he still maintained a calm expression on his face.
"This is your first time entering the palace, and you are not familiar with the places here. If you act sneakily, people will easily find out. Just wait." After Qi Xin finished speaking, he looked around and went towards Zilin Palace.
However, what she didn't know was that when she walked to the back window and listened attentively, Frost had already jumped to the top of the eaves, holding her breath and watching every move.
Qi Xin immediately spotted Concubine Chu sitting at the main seat. After so many years, she still had the same bright eyes and charming demeanor as when he first saw her as a child[1]. Even though she was approaching middle age, her skin did not look loose at all.
Really, what a wonderful person.
Concubine Chu lowered her head, not even glancing at Qi Ling, who was kneeling on the ground. She looked at her own ochre-red nail polish and said slowly, "How dare you?"
Qi Ling's former arrogance and domineering attitude suddenly disappeared. Instead, she whimpered softly like a frightened deer, "Mother, why do you care about him so much? Do you care about him more than father, or your daughter?"
"Ling'er, you are not behaving well again." Concubine Chu turned her head to signal the two maids beside her. The two maids immediately understood and each of them pulled the straps that fixed Qi Ling's skirt on her chest in opposite directions.
Qi Ling suddenly had difficulty breathing, her neck red as she choked: "Mother, Mother, it was Ling'er's fault. Ling'er will never do it again, ever again. Please, please, please let Ling'er go."
Concubine Chu stretched out her slender hand, slightly raised her index finger and swung it backwards slightly. Only then did the two maids understand and release their strength.
"Ling'er, be good. I don't care what you and Qi Xin do, but don't involve him anymore..." Concubine Chu spoke in a very calm tone, but the content was shocking. She used the long golden nails of her ring finger and little finger to rub Qi Ling's cheek bit by bit, and said softly:
"You are my only daughter. I don't want to make things difficult for you, but if you continue to be so willful, as your mother, I will have no choice but to invite you to come to Zilin Palace every day to learn the rules."
After Concubine Chu withdrew her hand, Qi Ling carefully lowered her jaw and said in fear:
"Ling'er, Ling'er will remember mother's teachings."
Qi Xin was extremely surprised and broke out in a cold sweat. He pressed himself against the wall to avoid making any unusual movements.
That was a scene she had never seen before.
Qi Ling, this unruly princess who was not even afraid of her father, was so humble and timid in front of Concubine Chu.
In my impression, Concubine Chu has always been gentle and lovely, and she loves my father very much. However, due to her status as a Western Dan noble, my father has always been lukewarm towards her.
She had thought that it was her father who had let down such a tragic woman who had left her hometown, but she never knew that she was actually the poppy that could be admired from afar, both beautiful and poisonous.
What is she planning?
Who is he?
Her humility and obedience towards her father were all fake!
Could she be connected to the Moon Kingdom's spies? Could it be that Xidan had, at some point, become a common people with the Moon Kingdom? But, but, the two countries were so far apart. If this were true, how could it have been possible?
When you think about it carefully, it's really terrifying.
Qi Xin gently lifted the hem of her skirt and tiptoed to leave, but by sheer luck she startled the magpies perched on the window lattice. They had been sitting in a row by the back window, watching this spectacle of "mother-daughter love," but the rustling of Qi Xin's unconscious rubbing against the wall sent them scattering.
The mother and daughter in the house noticed the noise, but before they could react, the two maids had already gone over here.
Qi Xin didn't dare to run away and make more noise, so he could only pray and move to the blind spot in the corner which was only an arm's length away.
Then, the next moment, she heard a tiny whistle from above the eaves, and then a creature with a brown body and a white tail swooped down. At the same time, a figure came down from the eaves, pulled her up, and covered her mouth tightly, silencing her instinctive cry of surprise.
"Your Highness, I'm sorry."
As Qi Xin was about to rise to mid-air, he saw the two maids sticking their heads out of the back window, scanning the area vigilantly. They then noticed the magpies perched on the lattice windows, steps, and corners of the opposite wall. He heaved a sigh of relief and turned around to say,
"My lady, it's a magpie."
"Your Majesty, you are blessed by heaven. Even such auspicious things like this favor our Zilin Palace!"
The two maids flattered Concubine Chu and completely eliminated her vigilance.
Qi Xin was hanging in the air, with someone grabbing her shoulders tightly from behind to prevent her from falling. Although the man spoke in a very low voice, she still recognized his identity - Shuangjiang.
She was able to show up so promptly, so she must have been observing secretly for a long time.
I'm afraid that saving me was just a side job, and his real purpose was to follow Qi Ling in response to his master's orders.
Tailing Qi Ling? Oh no, why would Master be staring at that loser? Wouldn't it be easier to get information from me?
No, no, everything is messed up. What was I doing here in Zilin Palace in the first place?
Yes, yes, yes, I want to find out the reason why Qi Ling and Concubine Chu became estranged.
The master knew that Qi Ling seldom visited Zilin Palace, but he was so interested in it. Could it be that it was because of Concubine Chu?
Concubine Chu, Concubine Chu, why does Master care about her so much?
Concubine Chu, she, she, oh yes, she was originally a Xidan noble, Xidan...
Master is probably still secretly investigating the cause of death of the old Duke on the western battlefield.
Before she could finish her thoughts, Frost had already brought her steadily to a secluded path not far from the back door of Kunhe Palace. The creature with a brown body and a white tail seemed to understand human nature. It twisted its neck and flew away silently.
Qi Xin finally saw clearly that it looked like a hawk-like creature. Shuang Jiang saw that her face was pale, and then he knelt respectfully and said, "Your Highness, please take care of the important matters first. I will escort you back to the Princess's residence and then explain to you."
Qi Xin didn't even glance at her, and went straight to the main gate of Kunhe Palace, where he ran into the eunuch who was leaving with a whisk in his pocket. Before she could speak, the eunuch winked and said,
"Your Highness, you are finally here. If you hadn't come, we wouldn't have been able to hold on any longer. His Majesty is quite angry this time, so please go in and humbly admit your fault. Perhaps, His Majesty will consider your contribution to the marriage with the Yue Kingdom and let this matter go."
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, sir. I would like to thank you in advance." Qi Xin resisted the urge to tear off his mask and responded with a forced smile.
"Your Highness, you are too polite. I will take my leave first." The eunuch left with wrinkles on his face and a smile on his face.
Qi Xin calmed his mind and walked steadily into the main hall of Kunhe Palace. Then he knelt on the ground, with the backs of his hands facing outwards, stretched his arms in front of him, and crossed his thumbs behind him. The remaining four fingers were tightly pressed against his thumbs and overlapped together. He leaned forward slightly and said:
"I, your son, am unfilial and have come to apologize to my father, the Emperor, and my mother, the Empress."
Emperor Shengde personally stood up from the throne, walked over slowly, helped her up, and led her to the throne. He said in a gentle voice, "Apart from me and your mother, there is no one else here. Ah Xin, come closer and talk."
Emperor Shengde's reaction was beyond her expectations. Qi Xin didn't dare to say much and could only stand beside the chair, waiting for him to ask questions.
"You were in the room in the back garden at that time, and there was someone in the room, right?" This was obviously a question, but Qi Xin could not hear any ups and downs in his flat tone.
Qi Xin folded his hands in front of him and nodded, "Yes, Father."
Emperor Shengde was a little fed up with her push and pull, so he simply said frankly, "Axin, you can speak frankly. I will also know your recent progress."
Qi Xin knew very well that this "you" referred to her and her master.
Given that her father appears kind on the surface but is actually suspicious and violent on the inside, he will neither fully trust her and the master, nor will he fully trust Yingduwei.
When a chain of clues emerged, he would inevitably seek multiple verifications, both overtly and covertly. Rather than being secretive and treading on thin ice, it would be better to tell the truth about what he knew. White can't be turned into black, and telling the truth would not only prevent anyone from finding fault, but also, if it worked, it could deflect the blame.
Qi Xin spoke calmly and quietly, "Your Majesty, please understand. The power of my blood pill has enhanced my five senses. I noticed that the coconut and taro pastry had been tampered with, so I didn't actually eat it. However, Princess Xiang Ning accidentally ate it. She suffered this disaster because of me, so it is my duty to protect her."
"Sure enough," Emperor Shengde sighed with a deep smile in his dark eyes, "Brother Ye, you brought him here."
"At the beginning, it was indeed a temporary measure. The main reason was that the drug Princess Xiangning was injected with was not an ordinary aphrodisiac, but a soul-sucking powder. I had no other choice but to ask the emperor's uncle, who was in a neutral position, to put in a few kind words so that I could take the princess to receive treatment."
"What did you say? Soul-stealing powder?" Emperor Shengde was so shocked that he choked and coughed several times. After Empress Yuan patted his back to help him breathe, he said:
"I've already ordered this thing to be destroyed nationwide. How did it resurface? Besides, there's only one way to cure it. Will Brother Ye agree?"
Qi Xin said coldly, "I don't need to tell you who gave me this medicine, your Majesty will know it. However, I am still investigating how she obtained this medicine. As for how the princess recovered, I believe your Majesty has learned most of it from the Shadow Capital Guards. I don't know what else your Majesty would like to know, please tell me clearly."
Empress Yuan, who was standing by, saw that the situation was not right and quickly said with a wink, "Axin, how can you talk to your father like that?"
"No problem, no problem," Emperor Shengde gently patted the back of Empress Yuan's hand, then turned to Qi Xin and said, "What Ah Xin said is true. I have discovered the traces of the Soul-Snatching Powder for several months now, but every time the Shadow Capital Guards track it down to a key point, the clues are completely cut off. I wonder if Ah Xin has any other solutions?"
Qi Xin asked, "Father, do you know the ingredients of the Soul-Snatching Powder?"
Emperor Shengde swore confidently, "Of course, there are only a few places selling medicinal herbs like Night Jasmine and Five Stones Powder."
Qi Xin smiled and asked, "So, Father wiped them out completely, but still got nothing?"
"That's right." Emperor Shengde responded in a deep voice.
Qi Xin continued, "These herbs are already quite rare. Even ordinary people would be very careful when purchasing them, leaving no trace, let alone the bigwigs behind them. Father, do you know that there is a resistant herb among them - Castanopsis wood powder? Have you checked it out?"
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The author has something to say: Note:
[1] Bright eyes and a radiant gaze——
Cao Zhi of the Wei Dynasty in the Three Kingdoms Period wrote in his poem "The Goddess of Luo River": "Her lips are bright red, her teeth are white. Her eyes are bright and charming, and her cheeks are graceful and graceful."
"Gift to the Scholars Joining the Army" by Ji Kang of the Wei Dynasty during the Three Kingdoms Period: "As fast as the wind and lightning, he follows the shadows and chases the wind; as he soars across the Central Plains, he looks around with grace."
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