Unexpected
Cui Lingxian led Ping An around several places they used to frequent, but Ping An's mood remained unchanged. Dejected, she led Ping An back to the study, where she noticed that the atmosphere seemed a bit off.
She pondered for a moment, then walked over to Lu Fengping and whispered, "Idiot, did Ju'an and Siwei tell you who the person who ruined Ping An like this is?"
Lu Fengping was already in a state of confusion because he had learned Shen Meiwu's true colors and the reason why Shen Meiwu was dealing with Ping An. When he heard the question, he subconsciously nodded, but then quickly shook his head after realizing what he meant.
Cui Lingxian was completely baffled by Lu Fengping's reaction.
"It's either yes or no. What do you mean by nodding and shaking your head like that?"
Lu Fengping glanced at Cui Shenzhi and whispered, "Because it's uncertain."
"uncertain?"
"Yes, it's uncertain, so we can't tell you now. We can only let Shenzhi investigate. After all, if you knew, you would definitely have the Imperial Concubine punish that person. It's not time to tell you yet. We will definitely tell you when the evidence is conclusive."
Cui Lingxian was somewhat dissatisfied. Why should she be the only one kept in the dark? But Lu Fengping was right. If she knew who had bullied Ping An, she would definitely be unable to resist reporting it. If it turned out to be a false accusation, it would be an injury to the innocent.
Because of this dissatisfaction, Cui Lingxian inevitably showed some emotion on her face after returning to Chengqian Palace. Upon learning of this situation, Shen Meiwu immediately rushed over.
She pulled Cui Lingxian into her arms, pinched her cheek with a hint of probing, and said affectionately, "Why does my precious daughter look unhappy? Did Shen Zhi say something to you? Or did that little palace maid who appeared at the East Palace gate upset you?"
Cui Lingxian shook her head.
“Shen Zhi wouldn’t say anything to me,” Cui Lingxian thought of Qi Kang’s instructions and added, “That little palace maid didn’t upset me either, it’s just that I suddenly feel a little annoyed.”
Shen Meiwu could tell at a glance that Cui Lingxian was lying, but she didn't call her out on it; instead, her gaze gradually sharpened.
Cui Lingxian is her and Cui Sugong's only daughter. There are not many people in this world who dare to upset her. Among them, the only one who can make her hide her feelings and refuse to talk about them, and who is also in the Eastern Palace, is Cui Shenzhi.
But Cui Shenzhi had just returned from Nanzhou, and Cui Lingxian had gone to check on him. What kind of conflict could have arisen between them? Could it be that Cui Shenzhi had been the crown prince for too long, and because of the great prestige he had accumulated during his trip to Nanzhou, he had been praised too much and felt that he had the world under his control, so he no longer took Cui Lingxian seriously?
Shen Meiwu could not tolerate that.
You must understand that the reason Cui Shenzhi has everything he has now is because he is Cui Lingxian's future husband, not because he has any ability. Now he dares to use his status to displease Cui Lingxian, isn't that making him a rebel against the Heavenly Gang!
However, this was just Shen Meiwu's guess, and the truth might not be as she expected. In addition, Cui Shenzhi was a child she had watched grow up. After thinking it over, she decided to find some time to talk to Cui Shenzhi later.
If she guessed wrong, then we should ask her what happened. If she guessed right, then we should find a suitable time to make Cui Shenzhi realize his true identity.
*****
After Cui Lingxian left, Cui Shenzhi thought that Yuesheng and Ping'an had been inseparable for some time, and perhaps Ping'an would still be somewhat close to her, so he called Yuesheng over, but Ping'an still did not react.
After learning the reason why Cui Shenzhi had summoned her, Yuesheng told Cui Shenzhi that Ping An had a very close aunt named Qingya in the Cold Palace, and that Ping An had also given Qingya the sheepskin cloak that Cui Shenzhi had given her.
Cui Shenzhi quickly led Ping An to the Cold Palace.
He dared not let Ping An out of his sight under any circumstances.
When Qingya heard that Cui Shenzhi had brought Ping An to see her, she was both surprised and confused, but she understood everything after seeing Ping An.
Seeing Ping An's lifeless appearance, Qingya felt heartbroken and had many dark suspicions about Cui Shenzhi. However, she was powerless to do anything about it and could not blame Cui Shenzhi. Otherwise, she and Ping An might lose their lives here.
She could only suppress her sadness and indignation and bow to Choi Shin-ji.
“Your Highness, I do have some connection with Ping An. Please allow me to try. I might be able to help Ping An recover some of her strength. However, it is not appropriate for Your Highness to hear the private conversations between women. Please keep Ping An by my side for a while. I will take good care of her.”
Cui Shenzhi shook his head, thinking about the numerous injuries, large and small, on Ping An's body.
“Ping An’s condition is not good. She needs someone to take care of her. I can’t bear to leave her in the cold palace.”
Qingya already suspected that Cui Shenzhi was responsible for Ping An's condition, and hearing this confirmed her suspicions.
If Cui Shenzhi hadn't harmed Ping An, why would he be so worried about Ping An staying? He was simply afraid that Ping An would say something she shouldn't have.
Qingya bit her lip, her grief and indignation growing stronger. But she was just a servant, and a servant who couldn't see the light of day. Cui Shenzhi, on the other hand, was the Crown Prince, who was at the height of his power. She had no way to cause trouble for Cui Shenzhi, so she could only lower her head and say, "Your Highness, could you please stay away? I'll tell Ping'an some stories from the past. Perhaps she'll recover some of her spirits after hearing them."
"That's fine."
After saying that, Cui Shenzhi led Siwei and Qi Kang to a short distance away, keeping his eyes fixed on Ping An. After all, he didn't know Qingya, and the Cold Palace was Shen Meiwu's territory. What if Qingya was Shen Meiwu's person and wanted to harm Ping An?
Qingya, however, assumed that Cui Shenzhi was spying on her and Ping An and eavesdropping on their conversation. So she hugged Ping An tightly, turned to the side, and whispered in Ping An's ear, "Ping An, tell me the truth, did Cui Shenzhi harm you?"
Ping An couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Qingya thinks she became like this because of Cui Shenzhi? That's too strange. Qingya admires Fu Yunjin so much, she's practically worshipping her. How could she think that Cui Shenzhi, Fu Yunjin's child, would do such a thing? And why did Qingya so quickly decide on Cui Shenzhi instead of someone else?
Just as Ping An was puzzled, Qing Ya continued, "He...he knows you are the Empress's daughter, doesn't he? That's why he harmed you like this. Not only is he unwilling to let you leave, but he also keeps a close eye on you, afraid that you will say something you shouldn't."
Upon hearing this, Ping An froze completely.
What is Qingya saying? She's not Qingya's daughter, she's the 'Empress's daughter'? But the Empress Qingya speaks of... has only ever been Fu Yunjin!
So, "refined and elegant" means...
Is she Fu Yunjin's daughter?
But didn't Fu Yunjin die after giving birth to Cui Shenzhi? People can't come back to life, so how could she give birth to her a year later? Besides, if she were Fu Yunjin's daughter, how could she have ended up in the Cold Palace? Moreover, in the more than ten years she spent in the Cold Palace, no one ever said that she and Qingya were not mother and daughter. Even the Mad Concubine never said that. This is enough to prove that when she appeared in the Cold Palace, she was 'Qingya's daughter'.
So this statement is a lie?
Regardless of why Qingya lied to her out of the blue, given the extent to which Qingya admired Fu Yunjin and disliked her usual behavior, even if Qingya were crazy, she would never associate her with Fu Yunjin.
Unless... she is Fu Yunjin's genuine biological daughter.
She is Fu Yunjin's daughter, but Qingya said that Cui Shenzhi would harm her. The fact that she resisted her getting close to Cui Shenzhi before shows that there is a conflict of interest between them, and a very big one at that.
Then there's only one possibility.
—She is the child of Fu Yunjin and the Emperor, while Cui Shenzhi has no relation whatsoever with Fu Yunjin, the Emperor, or the royal family.
—She was a princess whose identity was stolen, and Choi Shin-ji was a raccoon dog who took her place.
Only in this way would Qingya believe that Cui Shenzhi would harm her, because once her identity is exposed, Cui Shenzhi, who has nothing to do with the royal family, will lose everything he has now, including his life.
Then Ping An started thinking in that direction.
She was a princess, and Choi Shin-ji wasn't a member of the royal family, so who replaced them?
Fu Yunjin?
Impossible. Putting everything else aside, if Fu Yunjin wanted to switch the princess for a higher status, she wouldn't risk her life. After all, even the greatest wealth and honor can only be enjoyed if you're alive.
Refined and elegant?
It's possible, but unlikely. Qingya was already having a very difficult time living in the Cold Palace, so it's impossible for her to bring Cui Shenzhi into the palace from outside. Besides, if Qingya had that ability, she wouldn't have just been trying to persuade and coax her when she saw her fawning over Guo Shu, without being able to do anything about it.
emperor?
That's quite possible. Although she didn't have many channels to gather information, she knew that the emperor's reputation wasn't good, whether in the palace, among the common people, or among princes and ministers. Naturally, he needed a prince who could inherit the throne—whether it was real or not.
However, the emperor has only had one son and one daughter over the years, which means that the emperor's health may have deteriorated as early as the year Fu Yunjin and Shen Meiwu became pregnant. Under such circumstances, it would be a normal choice to bring back a baby boy from outside the palace to serve as a prince. However, the emperor has no reason to abandon his own daughter.
There must be other reasons for this.
Could it be... Consort Shen Meiwu?
Yes, Shen Meiwu.
She had heard so much about the discord between Shen Meiwu and Fu Yunjin in the Cold Palace. Given the relationship between the emperor's unfavored principal wife and the emperor's true favorite concubine, Shen Meiwu would certainly not want to see her, Fu Yunjin's daughter, outrank Cui Lingxian. She just didn't know whether Shen Meiwu had acted first and informed the emperor later, or whether the emperor had tacitly approved of her decision to abandon her.
In short, there's a high probability that she's a princess, and if that's the case, then she has to take it back, whether it's the title of princess or anything else—anything that rightfully belongs to her, she has to take it all back!
As for what Choi Shin-ji will do after she gets everything back that belongs to her...
It's none of her business.
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