Chapter 24024 He is so evil
Qingli, intrigued, decided to take a stroll to digest her meal in the cool night air. Wandering aimlessly, she discovered that the Meng family mansion had a deep and spacious courtyard, with houses arranged in a pleasing and orderly fashion. The dark tiles and red walls were shrouded in the moonlight, as if covered with a layer of autumn frost and silver radiance, resembling a hazy and ethereal fairy pavilion. In the distance, bright candlelight illuminated the green trees and red flowers, making them sway and dance, creating an exceptionally serene atmosphere.
When she saw the tree, which was as thick as a person's embrace, she realized that she was lost. Jiang Zhao was also new to the place. The two of them looked at each other, somewhat at a loss.
"Miss, would you like to wait here while I go and call someone?"
"good."
"Please don't move, just wait here."
Qingli nodded. Her legs were sore and she really didn't want to walk anymore.
Meng Qingshan stood in the Cuiwei Pavilion on the artificial hill in the backyard, gazing into the distance. His eyesight was excellent, and he saw that the candlelight, as small as a bean, enveloped her, gentle and quiet, just like the heart in his.
Yun Xiu hid in the shadow of the artificial hill, his eyes tracing the waterweed pattern on his master's clothes. He would occasionally look into the distance, and then suddenly pause in surprise. The two men's clothes were one moon white and the other black, making them look like a married couple.
In a moment of casual reflection, while examining his past attire, a sudden chill ran down his spine as he realized he had discovered something astonishing.
For some reason, Yun Xiu thought of how his master had just followed the old lady into the house, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then left. At first glance, nothing seemed amiss, but for the guards, time was extremely sensitive. It was as if ten breaths had passed, just enough time for the young lady to leave the courtyard and catch up.
Looking again at his master's focused eyes, Yun Xiu felt a tremor in his heart, but he forgot that his mind was relaxed and his tightly restrained aura became chaotic. The next moment, Yun Xiu suddenly met his master's gaze.
A deep, cold gaze left Yun Xiu with nowhere to hide his true feelings. Just as Yun Xiu was about to open his mouth to apologize, he saw that his master had turned around to look at him. But the fear in his heart was like falling into an abyss, spreading endlessly until his body swayed and he knelt heavily on the ground.
Yun Xiu suddenly realized that because his master had been so attentive to his mistress during this time, he had forgotten that he had killed countless people on the battlefield, piling up corpses like mountains, and training them to be ruthless and cold-blooded.
They are not young ladies. There is only one young lady in the world, named Qingli.
Realizing this, Yun Xiu broke out in a cold sweat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Jiang Zhao had gone in the wrong direction, and hurriedly reported, "General, I will go and find Granny Qiu."
Although it was only two breaths, it felt like an eternity to Yun Xiu. Upon hearing a deep groan from above, he hurriedly stepped back out of the pavilion. A summer breeze blew, and the back of his neck trembled uncontrollably.
Qingli listened to the rustling of leaves approaching from afar, rubbing her hands together, feeling inexplicably afraid, especially when she heard rustling footsteps. She nervously turned around and saw a bright lamp shining out, revealing Granny Sui and Granny Qiu.
Granny Sui's face lit up with joy, and she hurriedly stepped forward, saying anxiously, "Miss, we were worried that you might get lost since you haven't returned for so long."
Qingli calmed down and felt a little embarrassed when she heard what Granny Sui said. She reassured her, "It's nothing."
"Have you seen Jiang Zhao?"
"The maids in the courtyard have all come out. I reckon you'll run into them. Don't worry."
Qingli slowly walked back, then suddenly asked, "How did you find this place?"
Granny Sui was taken aback and looked at Granny Qiu behind her. Seeing that Granny Qiu was holding a lantern with her head down and not speaking, Granny Qiu said ambiguously, "We found our way here by following one direction."
Perhaps exhausted from the night, Qingli slept soundly until dawn, lazily rolling around in bed. She liked to stay in bed after waking up, trying to shake off her drowsiness.
Hearing the noise, Jiang Zhao and Jiang Yue smiled and hung up the light blue curtains. Jiang Yue bent down to pick up the soft pillow embroidered with lotus flowers that had rolled to the ground. The light fragrance of lotus flowers filled her heart. Jiang Zhao neatly hung up the light yellow gauze curtain embroidered with colorful lotus flowers on the canopy bed and bent down to call out, "Miss, it's time to get up."
Qingli, still feeling the looseness in her bones and muscles, said lazily, "Let me lie down a little longer."
Her aunt disliked it, and she didn't want to go out of her way to see a cold face. She kept to herself and avoided getting in each other's way, which made her feel at ease.
Jiang Zhao coaxed, "Last night, you swore to me that you would get up early every day to exercise."
Qingli paused, realizing she had forgotten, but as the mistress, she had to keep her word, so she let the two of them fuss over. In the corner, a bronze ice chest was emitting cool air, which felt refreshing and comfortable against her skin.
Jiang Zhao pulled the bell, and soon a maidservant was waiting to give instructions.
Seeing her mistress's surprise, Jiang Yue smiled and said, "Miss, we've made our arrangements. Jiang An and Jiang Shui will take care of the outside with the maids, while Jiang Zhao and I will focus on serving you."
"What did they say?"
Jiang Yue nodded and sighed, "They are so kind."
It's wonderful. She doesn't fight or compete, and she does things properly. In just these two days, she feels like she can live without a brain.
As soon as the door opened, Jiang An and Jiang Shui both curtsied, "This servant greets Miss."
"Get up." Qingli looked at the two of them. Jiang An had fair skin, a delicate oval face, and bright, moist eyes, which showed that she was a quiet and gentle person. Jiang Shui smiled, with dimples at the corners of her mouth, showing a playful and lively side. She was also bold and asked, "Miss, is there anything you need?"
"Which part of the manor has a beautiful view?"
"The back garden is a good place to sit and enjoy the flowers. It's next to Xiwan Garden, a bit far away, but nearby is Chenghu Lake with weeping willows along the banks and winding corridors. It's perfect for a stroll and relaxing." Jiang Shui bowed slightly. "This servant will show you the way."
Qingli remained noncommittal, following the river slowly. Listening to her chatter along the way was quite amusing. She learned that Chenghu Lake was originally a lake called Pingchengbo built by the former royal palace. After it was divided into three parts, it became Pinghu Lake, Chenghu Lake, and Shuibo Lake. Although there were iron fences blocking it, the water was still flowing.
To the left of the Meng residence is the residence of Imperial Censor Tang, while the right side remains empty.
The sun had not yet risen, and a cool, damp feeling came with the gentle breeze. As she strolled leisurely, the pores all over Qingli's body slowly opened up. In order to prevent her rouge from smudging due to sweat during her workout, she wore no makeup. Her face was white and tender, like a plump, sweet, and soft glutinous rice ball, inexplicably attracting people's mouths.
Jiang Shui followed behind, swallowing hard twice.
The path is lined with dawn redwood trees that have been planted for decades. Their trunks are tall and straight, and their leaves are emerald green, clearer than the rippling lake water in the distance.
She stopped to admire the view, took a deep breath, and felt refreshed all over.
A swift whooshing sound entered her ears. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw intertwined branches and leaves. She could only see a figure moving in a wide and sweeping manner. Before she could even realize it, she turned and walked forward.
Jiang Zhao was about to call out "Miss" when she unexpectedly found two hands clinging to her arm. Looking down, she saw Jiang Shui with a shy smile, silently saying, "It's alright."
With agile movements, the spear moved with the force of lightning, carrying wind and rain, creating a fierce and muffled gust of wind. Branches and leaves flew up and followed the spear, like a wild green snake dancing, creating a magnificent and turbulent scene.
In an instant, the spear thrust forward, aimed directly at her face. She staggered backward, only to see the sharp spearhead becoming increasingly clear, making it impossible to dodge. In shock, she could only stare blankly. The next moment, he leaped into the air, retrieved the spear, and landed in one fluid motion.
He was dressed in a dark green outfit that accentuated his broad, muscular chest, which rose and fell slightly. He seemed to be strolling leisurely, while she appeared to be wielding a sword or staff.
A ray of light shone through the tree canopy, illuminating the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He stood with his gun in hand and asked, "Is something the matter?"
She swallowed nervously for some reason and slowly said, "I just wandered here and disturbed my cousin's martial arts practice."
He raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and under her gaze, he lowered his sleeves, which were folded up to his elbows, concealing his long, strong forearms, and replied with a playful tone, "Oh?"
The question made her ears burn, and she was somewhat transported back to the courtyard of Taiyuan Prefecture many years ago. Back then, her favorite thing to do was to move a stool and sit under a tree to watch him practice martial arts. He was very intelligent, and with just a few pointers from the master at the martial arts school, he could understand seven or eight parts of the moves. Occasionally, she would get interested and insist on practicing a few moves herself.
He had no choice but to stop, watching her eagerly try, without stopping her. She tried two or three times, but couldn't lift the 20-pound broadsword. Embarrassed and annoyed, she sat back down in a huff. In the end, he coaxed her and promised to buy some jewelry and food.
He made his demands casually, and she never took them seriously or held them against him, but every time she thought about it, she could always find that he had actually done it.
"Is it all put away?"
She snapped out of her reverie and brought her thoughts back to the present. "The maids and nannies in the courtyard are very efficient and organized."
The maids and nannies were his servants. If they did a good job, she would still praise them in front of him, her master, since she had no money at the moment and could only offer words of thanks.
"Is that so?" He handed the spear to Yun Xiu, stood in front of her, looked at her bright eyes and said slowly, "Wait for me to go and take a look."
Qingli paused. What was she looking at? Was she checking if the maids and nannies were handling things properly or organizing things efficiently? Seeing that he had already walked past her, she slowly followed and tentatively asked, "Cousin, has the assignment been finalized?"
No.
Then she couldn't go out. She was thinking of wandering around Kyoto and asking around for information, but she couldn't very well urge him to go on duty. So she said in a relaxed tone, "It's good to take a break for a while."
"You won't be short of money, will you?"
Qingli was momentarily stunned. Why was he speaking to her in such a reassuring tone, as if a wife were urging her husband to go out and do chores? Besides, she had seen that box of silver notes and, considering her food, clothing, and daily necessities, how could he be poor?
She had left the box of silver notes to the guard out of spite, and now, thinking about her current financial straits, she couldn't help but feel remorse.
You can't use your emotions for money.
Qingli chuckled twice. He followed beside her, leading her along half of the lake three times until her legs were sore. She had no choice but to make an excuse, "Cousin, there are still things to do in the courtyard, so I'll head back first."
Meng Qingshan noticed a fine layer of sweat on her forehead and nodded slightly.
Qingli let out a breath and hurriedly walked back. Judging that he couldn't see her, she sighed softly, "Jiang Zhao, Jiang Shui, my foot hurts."
The two helped her back to the house. Her skin was delicate, and the soles of her feet were red. Soaking in warm water relieved her fatigue. The next day, she couldn't open her eyes no matter what she did. It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky and she felt no more fatigue that she slowly got up.
Jiang Yue was still smiling with his lips pursed, while Qing Li turned away angrily, thinking to herself that he was really cunning.
Granny Qiu, carrying a box of books, bent down and entered the room. "Miss, the General was worried you'd be bored, so he sent you some books."
The books were presented, and Qingli flipped through them casually. The more she looked, the more familiar they became, and her face turned both shy and embarrassed. These were all books she used to love reading. He really had a perverse sense of humor.
Granny Qiu, unaware of the implications, then replied, "The general said you may make annotations as you see fit."
"Alright!" Qingli hurriedly interrupted Granny Qiu, her long eyelashes lowered, concealing the awkwardness and embarrassment in her eyes.
Thinking she had done something wrong, Granny Qiu retreated in fear and huddled in the room. Three days later, when she heard Jiang Shui say that the young lady had asked about her whereabouts, she cautiously went back into the room.
As summer faded into autumn, the cicadas' chirping subsided, and the oppressive heat subsided. Inside, the windows were open, and Qingli, dressed in a pea-green dress embroidered with colorful butterflies, sat on a daybed. A low table sat on the bed, and her glossy black hair was tied up in a bun with a jade hairpin as she intently read a book.
Jiang Zhao, sitting idly by the door on a stool, saw Granny Qiu and, having not seen her for several days, asked with concern, "Granny Qiu, are you feeling unwell?"
Granny Qiu glanced at her young mistress and whispered, "It's nothing, just a stomachache that's lasted for two days. Is there anything you need, young mistress?"
"If only I had any instructions," Jiang Zhao thought, feeling utterly bored, and waved his hand listlessly.
Granny Qiu whispered, "The heat has subsided, and there are more banquets in the capital now."
Qingli had wanted to go out for a while, but the courtyard had everything she needed. She couldn't find a reason to go out, and she couldn't see him. She didn't know what to do, and she didn't want to ask Meng's mother for help. She was anxious and anxious at the same time, and she remembered that he had said he would come to see her.
"Miss can go?" Jiang Zhao's eyes lit up, and Jiang Yue also looked over curiously.
Granny Qiu wasn't sure, "It should be possible. Everyone in the capital knows that the general has brought back his cousin, so there will be invitations."
"And him?"
She suddenly asked a question, and Granny Qiu paused for a moment before quickly replying, "The army has arrived in the capital, and the general has returned to his camp. He will soon lead his troops into the capital to receive an audience."
"The streets outside are bustling with activity; many young women are waiting for this once-in-a-lifetime scene."
No wonder I haven't seen him. He rode his horse through Kyoto, young and dashing, captivating the hearts of countless girls.
She pursed her lips slightly and looked at the book again, feeling that the romantic love stories in the novels were really too sentimental and tedious.
Inside the West Garden, Li Qingwu sat at the lower end. After crying, her eyes were red and her tears left a wet mark on her cheeks. Her makeup was smudged and her hair was adorned with gold and jade, a dazzling array of jewelry that made her dizzy.
Unable to bear it any longer, Meng's mother gave him a look and said helplessly, "If we can't go in, then we can't go in. Qingshan said she'll probably leave in a few days."
Out of sight, out of mind. If I see it and it keeps bringing up that incident, it's really unpleasant.
Li Qingwu cried miserably, her jealousy and resentment incomprehensible to anyone. She just wanted to see what kind of life she was living, but every time she went to Dongwan Garden, the guards were always there and refused her with various excuses.
Her heart was itching, especially when she heard the delicate food being served in the kitchen, which she certainly didn't want!
Outside, the steward Kang Da requested an audience. Mother Meng let Li Qingwu into the inner room and summoned others in.
Kangda held the gold-embossed invitation in both hands, greeted Meng's mother, and reported, "Madam, the General Protector of the Nation will be holding an autumn banquet in three days, and has specially invited you and the two young ladies to attend."
Mencius' mother was illiterate, and Kangda was chosen by Meng Qingshan. She was always cautious and prudent in her work, and had not accepted an invitation. She instructed, "The old general has been kind to Qingshan, so I will go. In your opinion, what kind of gift should I prepare?"
Kangda replied, "Although it is to celebrate General Feng's great victory, on the surface it is because Old Madam Feng wants to hold a grand autumn banquet. The gifts should not be expensive but should be unique. How about I find a rare and precious flower that is both elegant and not flashy?"
"Alright, go and search for it quickly."
Just as Kangda was about to turn around, he heard Meng's mother call out to stop him. After a long while, she said, "Take it over there."
Kangda thought for a moment, then bowed and said yes.
Li Qingwu, who had been eavesdropping at the door, heard everything clearly. She rushed out in a panic, her face darkening, and said disapprovingly, "Aunt, why are you calling her!"
"The entire capital knows that the Meng family has two cousins. If only one of them went, how can that be explained?"
Meng's mother took Meng Qingshan's words to heart. Since the fourth prince had recognized her as his cousin, she should make it official and not let it affect her son's future.
"Just say she's unwell," Li Qingwu muttered, inwardly disgusted by her aunt's indecisiveness. If she had shown the same force she had back then, Qingli, who had no support, would have been driven out of the mansion long ago. Moreover, she disdained her actions and thought they could whitewash the evil deeds of the past.
I just hope that the right time, the right place, and the right people will come again.
Seeing that she was unhappy, Meng's mother instructed Lin, "Have the ladies of Jinxiu Workshop make two more sets of clothes for Qingwu."
Li Qingwu was delighted, "Auntie, I also want a bracelet."
"good."
That evening, finding an opportunity, Granny Lin said, "If we only make it for Miss Biao, the General will be unhappy."
Mencius' mother's face turned cold, devoid of her daytime gentleness. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes creased, a mixture of disgust and suppressed resentment. Finally, she said sarcastically, "They live in luxury over there. They won't even notice our petty favors."
Lin Mama choked for a moment, knowing that Miss Bairi's words had really taken to heart. Perhaps she couldn't be blamed; her prejudice was already deep-seated. She softened her tone and said, "The General is the most important."
Meng's mother glared at him and scolded, "After two or three years in the capital, I've come to understand that the affairs of officials' families and their backyards are like those of poor people fighting for food in a poor alley. They're jealous, instigating, and tripping each other up. My son's future, which he risked his life for, cannot be ruined by those people's disgusting envy, nor can I let a mere concubine ruin it!"
"Madam!" Granny Lin cried out in alarm.
Mencius' mother scoffed and retorted, "If he forbids it from being mentioned, then it's not true."
She glanced at Granny Lin's pale face and said sarcastically, "What are you afraid of? I'm doing this all for his own good."
Granny Lin lowered her head and silently asked herself what was good about it.
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