Chapter 43 043 Is the Meng Residence Home?
Chen Lihui trembled, a sense of fear welling up inside her, and she hesitated to speak. Feng Yuchan, however, was much bolder and stepped forward to comfort her, saying, "A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years, Princess. We have plenty of opportunities!"
A round tear slid down her cheek, bringing a bitter taste to her mouth. She thought of her mother's years of scolding her for not being a prince, and how everything she encountered with Qingli was going wrong; her mother wished she could make her disappear immediately. Hearing this, her eyes narrowed sharply as she asked, "What opportunity!"
"Haven't you figured it out yet, Princess?" Feng Yuchan knew that her father admired Meng Qingshan's bravery in killing enemies and promoted him many times, but unexpectedly, he severed ties with her father after achieving merit. He even coldly refused her father's suggestion to marry her to him. Such ingratitude is why she could be attracted to the scheming Qingli.
He was unjust, so she was ruthless. Feng Yuchan looked at the eldest princess with growing impatience and said in a sinister tone, "She has found a powerful backer."
“What backer… Meng Qingshan?!” Ling Shuzhi screamed. She was still shaken when she thought of Meng Qingshan’s cold glare at the Feng family. She suddenly realized, “She’s so confident because she’s already hooked up with him.”
Ling Shuzhi glanced at Feng Yuchan, signaling her to continue.
"If Meng Qingshan knew that she had an affair with a guard in the palace, he would wish to send her back to the poor countryside."
Ling Shuzhi became interested and chattered away with Feng Yuchan. Chen Lihui became more and more alarmed as she listened, wishing she could cover her ears.
Inside the Jingsi Hall, Qingli received a message from Yujue. Her anxious heart, which had been restless for many days, suddenly calmed down. She considered that the timing of the meeting was not right, but she could not hide her excitement. In high spirits, she made the tassel within two days.
The jade pendant above was difficult to find, but she knew where to look for it, so she carefully put away the part she had finished.
Inside the east wing, An Shulan continued to cough intermittently. Upon hearing another soft and alluring laugh from the other side, she forcefully suppressed her cough, her eyes staring blankly at the dark green canopy ceiling. The movement of her body caused her to tremble, as if a thick liquid was about to pour down from it, almost suffocating her breath.
Because of the repression, her eyes reddened, and the tears that slid down her cheeks were warm. After being depressed for many days, An Shulan's face suddenly lit up with an unusual light. She called Xuezhi to help her get dressed and then went out.
She left early and returned late every day, and finally on the third day, Xiao Anzi, the godson of Dexi's father-in-law, met her.
The duty room was small and dark, with a messy smell. An Shulan endured it for a while before she could stop herself from covering her mouth and nose. Xuezhi took out a heavy purse from her sleeve, placed it on the table, and carefully pushed it forward.
"Eunuch An, thank you for your trouble." An Shulan had been bedridden for many days, her face pale. Only in the dim light did she appear less emaciated. An embarrassed look appeared on her face from time to time. In the end, she lowered her head slightly.
Xiao Anzi had been bothered by this for many days. He had been scolded by his godfather for half a day and didn't want to get involved in this matter. But since he had already accepted the money, he decided to take this opportunity to make things clear. "Miss An, it's not that I'm being unreasonable, it's just that you've been too audacious. This is a job that could cost you your head."
"A lackey without roots dares to call himself me?" An Shulan's expression finally changed.
Xiao Anzi was a perceptive eunuch, so how could he not see this inner contempt? As the saying goes, a fallen phoenix is no better than a chicken, and besides, she wasn't even a phoenix.
Xiao Anzi's face grew even more arrogant. She pushed the purse on the table back and said sarcastically, "Miss An, your family is poor. You should keep it for yourself. Lord An in prison needs money for many things."
An Shulan's face was tense, and she pursed her lips but didn't open her mouth. It was only after Xuezhi next to her said a lot that the atmosphere was changed a bit.
Standing outside, leaning against a pillar, Bei Shun listened to the conversation inside. Miss? The young lady who went to the palace to choose a playmate for the princess? Her body was still aching, and her feet instinctively wanted to back away out of fear. But she clung to the pillar, her mind racing. She had the Imperial Guards as her backing, and she had such thoughts.
Coincidentally, he actually heard some news while making random inquiries over the past two days.
Given the young lady's beauty, gaining favor shouldn't be difficult. If he were to help her, appointing him as the palace's chief eunuch would be a piece of cake.
Just as Bei Shun was full of calculations, the door to the duty room creaked open. Bei Shun subconsciously lowered his head, and when he looked up again, he only saw the hem of a black skirt and the little maid behind him. He smacked his lips and stepped into the duty room.
"Eunuch An, I've come to see you."
Xiao Anzi raised his eyelids slightly, glanced at her, then lowered them again, annoyed that all he had today were buzzing flies. He said with disgust, "I'm just a lowly eunuch, I don't have the ability to lift you out of the Cold Palace."
Bei Shun looked embarrassed. Which eunuch in the palace could be more important than De Xi? These words were just a way of saying he didn't want to talk to him. He spat inwardly, but forced a smile on his face. "Eunuch An, look at what you're saying. Wherever I am on duty, it's to relieve Eunuch De Xi's worries. I'm here today not to cause you any trouble."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"I'm here to help you out." Bei Shun leaned down again, his back almost level with the table, and slowly said, "I just saw that young lady, and she seemed to be trying to climb the social ladder. Isn't that just making things difficult for us? How can we do what the higher-ups want?"
Bei Shun nodded at Xiao Anzi, feeling hopeful, and said more enthusiastically, "You didn't want to be too harsh because of Commander An's kindness. It's because of your kindness that I remembered something."
Xiao Anzi guessed that this servant was up to something again, but An Shulan was a real threat, and he had to get rid of her as soon as possible. "What is it?"
"Consort De has brought her younger sister from her clan into the palace, and tomorrow she will hold a Jade Mirror Banquet in the warm room."
Tomorrow is the fifteenth. The Emperor stays at Fengqi Palace on the first and fifteenth of each month, which is an unshakeable rule. The Emperor has been in Yingcui Palace for many days. Opportunities to meet the Emperor are rare. On the way from Yingcui Palace to Fengqi Palace, we passed through the warm room. Consort De's Jade Mirror Banquet was not for pure purposes.
Xiao Anzi was a servant and had no authority over the Empress, but the opportunity had been given to her, and it was up to fate. Xiao Anzi chuckled and tossed the purse from her sleeve.
Bei Shun accepted the full cup, pondered for a moment, and replied with a smile, "Eunuch An, you can rest assured that I will handle things properly."
"Now that Grandpa Beishun has made his fortune, don't forget the old folks."
"I will never forget your great kindness." Bei Shun came out of the duty room, walked to a secluded place, opened his purse and counted the money. There were a total of three hundred taels. He quickly took out the silver notes and put them in his pocket, stuffed the rest into his sleeve, and floated towards the Jing Si Hall.
Along the way, looking at the azure sky, it felt as if I was walking on floating clouds, and I felt that the road ahead was smooth and easy.
So when he saw the familiar maid coming out of the Jing Si Palace, he stood arrogantly, looked her up and down. The young lady was composed, and even the maid was so calm. He took out the purse from his sleeve and threw it to Xue Zhi.
Xuezhi looked at the familiar purse, her face turning deathly pale. She could barely stand, her heart filled with anxiety, wondering if her mistress's plan had been exposed.
Xuezhi gritted her teeth and said, "Father-in-law, this servant does not understand what you mean?"
Bei Shun scoffed, "Meet me in the back garden tomorrow night at dusk. I'm giving you the chance; it's up to you whether you come or not."
Xuezhi could hardly wait for Beishun to leave. She hurriedly returned to Jingsi Palace, entered the east wing, and closed the door heavily. The young lady was afraid of the cold and had already gone to bed. Xuezhi lifted the curtain and told her what she had just said, word by word.
"What!" An Shulan exclaimed, immediately jumping out of bed and gripping Xuezhi's hand tightly, asking again to confirm, "Is that really true?"
Xuezhi's hands, which were covered in frostbite, were now cracked and bleeding, but neither the master nor the servant noticed. They nodded with tears in their eyes.
That night, the east wing bought some hot charcoal, which was rare for them. They used hot water and poured it into the courtyard, basin by basin. The water froze on the ground, causing Jiang Yue to fall and sting slightly. She got up and went back into the house, still grumbling in dissatisfaction.
Qingli checked carefully and comforted her, "Be more careful next time. We'll be able to go home in just two days."
"The Meng residence?"
Qingli was taken aback. In Jiang Yue's heart, was the Meng family home?
As for her, undeniably, at that very moment, she was also thinking of the Meng family.
She thought she just hadn't gotten used to it yet, which didn't mean anything, and that she would get used to it over time.
The next day was another sunny day, unusually warm.
Qingli felt a little flustered. She thought that when she talked about Meng Qingshan last night, she dreamed of that anxious night at the Dingxi Prince's Mansion, tossing and turning as if she were being tested and forced to admit it.
Jiang Yue's ankle swelled up last night and even became a little feverish. Qing Li asked Granny Hua Ying to watch over Jiang Yue. Since she was fine, she lay on the couch in a daze all day.
The sunset in the west was magnificent, carrying the lingering warmth of the setting sun, and emitting a brilliant red glow.
The light shone through the window lattice into the room, casting a hazy, pale shadow.
A figure flashed by, and a voice rang out from the doorway, "Miss Qingli, Commander Meng asked you to wait for me on the palace road some time ago."
Qingli remained skeptical, "I don't know anything about Commander Meng."
The figure branded on the door frame seemed to raise its head slightly, and still said, "Then this servant does not know."
After saying that, he left.
When Qingli got up and opened the door, she didn't see the palace maids yet, but she ran into An Shulan, who was about to leave. An Shulan was wearing a pink satin peach blossom dress, without a cloak, and looked pretty and bright. She glanced at An Shulan coldly, then took Xuezhi's hand and swayed out the door.
Qingli frowned, pulling herself out of her thoughts. She thought about Meng Qingshan's invitation to her. Only he, Granny Huaying, and that eunuch knew about the palace affairs, which made her suspect that the eunuch was behind it all.
But she did take Hua Ying Granny out the door. Winter nights get dark quickly, with only a sliver of light hanging in the west, and the surroundings were so dark that her face was not visible.
The palace road was deserted of servants; only echoes remained, and all that could be heard were sobs.
Qingli's unease intensified, and she stopped in her tracks. Huaying, the old woman, then raised her foot to block her way.
At the end of the palace path, in the corner of my eye, amidst the interplay of black and white, a tall figure stood there.
The wind whistled against the armor, and the broadsword, detached from its sheath, reflected a cold light.
The full moon hung high in the sky, its silvery light spreading across the ground like a layer of frost. In the distance, the melodious sound of a zither being plucked rang out, its ethereal notes stretching the palace path longer and deeper, seemingly both near and far, like a dream.
Suddenly, a rustling sound rang out; it was the tip of a knife gliding across the bluestone bricks.
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