Chapter 332 Secret Order
Although Qin Mengyue didn't want to pay attention to his words, she couldn't help but search her memory at this moment.
Before she married into the palace, her life was not monotonous. It was not uncommon for her to climb over the wall and steal roast chicken from the kitchen, so it is difficult for her to remember it as clearly as yesterday.
After thinking for a while, she vaguely remembered that she had given half of the roast chicken to a stranger servant. She was surprised and said, "So... it was you?"
To her, it was a perfectly normal occurrence. She only remembered it because she had shared half a roast chicken. She even assumed the servant was just a servant in the family, and never connected him with the future Qu Wenmin.
However, seeing that she remembered him, Qu Wenmin was still happy and said happily:
"Miss, I knew you remembered me! After that, I became even more courageous. I rushed to the front in every battle and won the first merit many times. The general also saw my efforts and promoted me all the way. I was finally promoted to the position of deputy general. Although I know that my status is not worthy of the eldest lady of the Qin family, as long as I work hard and make merit, it will only be a matter of time before I am crowned king or a marquis.
So, I brought this up with the Major General—your brother, Qin Ye. The Major General was delighted and agreed immediately, promising that upon returning to the capital, he would personally speak to the general and mother and convince them to marry you. Do you know how delighted I was then? I wished I could fly back to the capital immediately and bring you home in a sedan chair carried by eight men! In the subsequent battles, I fought even harder, and although I suffered many injuries, I also achieved many military exploits. Finally, I had the opportunity to return to the capital with the Major General and receive His Majesty's commendation.
"I was so high-spirited all the way, looking forward to seeing you again. However, when I arrived in the capital, the young general suddenly went back on his word and told me to forget you because you had been betrothed to the Fourth Prince, the current Emperor, to be his consort! He even hypocritically said he would introduce me to other beautiful and well-born ladies from the capital. But, how could he know that I didn't want anyone else in this world, I only wanted the young lady! Although the young general later played a matchmaking role and facilitated my marriage to Zhao, the daughter of Prime Minister Zhao, who was only a minister at the time, but... did he think that the promise he owed me could be written off? How could he know that when I looked at Zhao, the person I was thinking of the whole time was you, the young lady!"
Qin Mengyue trembled and said, "Could it be... because of this incident that you...you bear a grudge against my father and brother, and my Qin family?"
Qu Wenmin angrily said, "Just because? My dear lady, do you know how heartbroken I am when I see you beside that hypocritical, dog emperor? Do you also know how much I feel for you when I see the dog emperor clearly got you, but he treats you with contempt and neglect, turning around to favor other concubines and letting them give birth to one child after another? But... just because you are the prince's consort, you are the queen, I can't even look up at you seriously, otherwise it would be disrespectful!"
"And all of this was caused by your father and brother! They deserve to die just as much as that damned emperor! Everyone who caused me to lose you deserves to die! Because... Miss, I love you to the bone!"
"Qu Wenmin! Shut up! My father and brothers treated you like their own son, but you viciously framed them and put them to death! How dare you say you love me to the bone? It really makes me sick!" Qin Mengyue scolded angrily.
After hearing Qin Mengyue's words, Qu Wenmin's eyes flashed with despair, but he quickly hid his true feelings and said in a hoarse voice, "Miss, I know you blame me. It doesn't matter. We can finally be together in the future. Miss, let's go to a beautiful place with clear water and mountains and live in anonymity. From now on, no matter whether you hit me or scold me, I will bear it. I will spend my whole life repaying the debt of harming your father and brother and making amends for you. What do you say?"
Qin Mengyue stared at Qu Wenmin in shock.
Is this guy crazy? Her father and brother were framed and tragically killed by him, and he still fantasizes that she will go with him?
At this time, Xiao Yunshuo, Qin Guihong, Chen Fenghe and others had already caught up.
Xiao Yunshuo said coldly, "Qu Wenmin, please release my mother!"
Qu Wenmin turned his head slightly and looked at Xiao Yunshuo.
Qin Mengyue suddenly took off the silver hairpin on her head and stabbed Qu Wenmin in the back!
"Ouch!" Qu Wenmin was not on guard against Qin Mengyue, so he was hit directly. The pain was so severe that cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
However, no matter how much pain his body felt, it could not compare to the shock and pain he felt in his heart at that moment.
He turned back angrily, his big hands suddenly clasping Qin Mengyue's neck and tightening: "Miss, I... haven't I already apologized? I love you so much, but you hurt me so cruelly! Ugh!"
As he spoke, he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.
The silver hairpin actually concealed a miniature dagger that was as sharp as cutting through mud, and was a treasure used for self-defense in the palace.
Therefore, even someone as weak as Qin Mengyue could easily pierce Qu Wenmin's heart with the dagger!
The air they could breathe was becoming increasingly thinner. Qin Mengyue weakly scratched at Qu Wenmin's hands, while she spoke angrily with difficulty, "Qu Wenmin...you're dreaming! Even if I die, I will never forgive the beast who killed my father and brother! You might as well kill me now!"
Seeing that Qin Mengyue's face was becoming increasingly purple due to lack of oxygen, Xiao Yunshuo rushed over without caring about anything else.
After hearing what Qin Mengyue said, the despair in Qu Wenmin's eyes became even more intense. Seeing Xiao Yunshuo taking action, he suddenly dragged Qin Mengyue back to the edge of the cliff.
"Don't come over here! Otherwise, I will immediately take the young lady and jump off this cliff!"
However, seeing that Qin Mengyue could no longer breathe, he slightly loosened his hand that was blocking her throat.
Seeing this, Xiao Yunshuo was afraid of the consequences and could only stop abruptly, stopping a few steps away from Qu Wenmin: "Qu Wenmin, if you release my mother, I can spare your life!"
Qu Wenmin sneered: "Haha! Do you think I will believe your nonsense? You are the son of the dog emperor, and the blood in your body is the same hypocritical blood as the dog emperor! Even if I die, I will never accept the favor of that dog emperor!"
As he spoke, he glanced at Qin Mengyue with a look of despair, then suddenly gave a paranoid smile. He said with grievance and pain, "Miss, do you think that the deaths of your father and brother are all my fault? I was just a scapegoat! Even if it wasn't me, someone else would have come forward to frame your father and brother and the Qin family!"
Qin Mengyue shuddered upon hearing this and asked in a trembling voice, "What do you mean?"
Qu Wenmin chuckled and said, "Don't forget, the General and the Major General are the Crown Prince's maternal grandfather and uncle. And yet, the current Emperor—your husband—has disliked the Crown Prince ever since he was favored by the late Emperor. After ascending the throne, he watched the Crown Prince grow up day by day, while the Qin family's military exploits became more and more glorious. How could he not be wary? Those who have surpassed their masters in achievements have never had a good ending. You thought I was selling out my master for fame and fortune, colluding with the Northern Rong to frame the Qin family. How could you know that it was the current Emperor who issued the secret order to kill him!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Qin Mengyue's face turned pale!
Her father and brother died in the battlefield six years ago. At that time, her husband, the current emperor, specially commended the Qin family and posthumously conferred the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery on her father. He even went to her bedroom from time to time to comfort her and accompany her. Hao'er was conceived at that time.
Moreover, even after the death of her father and brother, the Qin family had no legitimate descendants to support the family, and the illegitimate children such as Qin Jinzhong were causing chaos and ruining the Qin family's family tradition. The Qin family's family influence in the capital was greatly reduced. How could the other favored concubines in the harem let go of her, a queen who had lost the support of her natal family? Naturally, all kinds of conspiracies and tricks were intended to make the emperor depose her as queen and replace her.
However, Emperor Cheng personally ordered the execution of two of his most favored concubines who were arrogant and provocative and tried to harm her, thus securing her position as empress. From then on, no one in the harem dared to covet the position of empress. In the following years, he treated her with respect and love.
She always thought that Emperor Cheng must love her.
Until the Crown Prince was falsely accused of treason by the Fifth Prince, she was deposed and exiled...
Now, I never expected to hear such a cruel reality from Qu Wenmin!
Xiao Yunshuo looked at Qu Wenmin coldly, without any surprise on his face.
It was as if he had already seen through all these things.
Qin Mengyue recalled how Emperor Cheng had treated her and kept shaking her head, unwilling to believe that her father and brother were executed by Emperor Cheng's secret order!
"No! Impossible! If the Emperor wanted to kill my father and brother and weaken the Crown Prince's power, why did he confer the title of Marquis on the Qin family? Why not accuse the Qin family of treason, so that he could depose the Crown Prince?"
Qu Wenmin laughed bitterly and said in despair, "Miss, are you really in love with the dog emperor? Even now, with the truth revealed, are you still subconsciously making excuses for him? Why wouldn't the dog emperor think about it? His original secret order was for me to place a forged letter secretly communicating with the Northern Rong among the military documents to frame the Qin family!
"I know that if this were to happen, deposing the Crown Prince would be a minor matter. I'm afraid you'd be banished to the cold palace at best, or secretly executed at worst! My dear Miss, to protect you, I went to the trouble of colluding with the Northern Rong, setting up a scheme where you were trapped in a Northern Rong encirclement, needing a general or a junior general to lead an army to rescue you, only to fall into their trap instead. If not, the Qin family wouldn't have died a heroic death on the battlefield, but would have been convicted of treason and had all nine clans exterminated!"
Xiao Yunshuo couldn't help but show surprise in his eyes.
He guessed that the deaths of his grandfather and uncle were probably secretly instigated by his father, but he never expected that there would be such twists and turns in the matter.
So, although Qu Wenmin was indeed ungrateful and killed a Qin family man, he also did live up to the Qin family's reputation as a loyal hero...
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