Chapter 44044 Is he really that unworthy of her trust?
Her breathing was already disordered by the piercing sound. Granny Hua Ying's hand gripped her arm tightly, and the shadow cast by her was dark and indistinct on her face.
Under the moonlight, the guard's eyes were bloodshot, and he was panting heavily, clearly having lost his mind. Showing mercy to the women before him was wishful thinking; she had ultimately underestimated the kindness of the people in the palace.
Qingli gestured to Granny Huaying behind her back and whispered, "Go back and call for help."
Granny Hua Ying remained unmoved, saying, "This servant would never abandon you to save my own life."
Qingli felt a warmth in her heart. She had always kept Huaying at arm's length and deliberately concealed the matter of entering the palace, yet Huaying had never asked. Upon reflection, she realized that she had never truly considered her a person she trusted.
"Before I left, I sent Jiang Yue to find the Second Princess. As long as you come back quickly, I can hold on."
"Sizzle..." The ear-piercing sound became swift, and the guard quickened his pace, arriving in front of him in an instant.
There was no time to hesitate. Qingli pushed aside Granny Huaying, revealed the hidden arrow in her sleeve, fired two arrows in quick succession, and shouted, "Run!"
Granny Hua Ying gritted her teeth, turned around, and ran into the dark palace path behind her.
The light ahead flickered, and the guard was slowed down by the sharp wind of the arrows. He looked around sluggishly, his eyes clear for a moment, then quickly turned crimson again. He let out a low growl, exuding a ferocious aura like a wild beast.
Qingli's arms were covered in a fine layer of goosebumps, her heart was pounding like a drum, and her ears felt stuffy as if they were blocked. But she dared not hesitate and moved slightly to the right. As the sound of something cutting through the air rang out, she fired a series of hidden arrows.
The clash of swords and arrows produced brief flashes of light, and the arrows pierced flesh with a dull thud. The opportunity was right in front of her, and Qingli immediately turned to the side and headed towards the light.
The sleeve dart was short, and it only slowed the walking corpse guard for a moment. The urgency behind him grew stronger, and a sudden pain shot through his knee. Qingli fell to the ground, large beads of sweat rolling down his face. Qingli didn't care about anything else and raised the sleeve dart, only to find it empty.
The last arrow has been shot!
The rough, slippery cobblestone ground made her palms numb. The zither music was so intense that her shouts were completely drowned out. The cold wind floating on the ground gradually took away her body heat.
The interplay of light and shadow on the ground not far away was absurd and suspicious. In an instant, Qingli thought of many things. Who was controlling everything? Her breathing became erratic and irregular. She asked the approaching guard, "Are you a member of the Imperial Guard?"
The heavy thud of the shoes scraping the ground went unnoticed by the Imperial Guards, who raised their broadswords high.
A trail of blood slid down from the corner of his eye, dripping onto the ground.
"Meng Qingshan will not let you get away with this!"
Qingli roared, watching the blade tremble slightly as it landed ten inches above her head, seemingly resisting a force. Just when she was about to give hope, she saw the blade rise and slash down even more forcefully.
The situation took a sharp turn for the worse, becoming even more dangerous than before. Qingli's vision blurred for a moment, and she seemed to see a tall figure appear before her. She blurted out, "Meng Qingshan!"
"bite!"
With a heavy thud, the thick stench of blood surrounding her dissipated slightly, and Qingli suddenly opened her eyes. A broad arm swept across from behind, lifting her up and pulling her into its embrace.
The exhaustion from surviving a near-death experience left her with no room for other thoughts, and she trembled with lingering fear.
Meng Qingshan looked at the Imperial Guard lying on the ground. He recognized the man; he had sent him on patrol earlier that day. His father was originally a commander of a thousand men on the border. After being injured, he used his military merits to get a higher official position. He was usually quiet and unassuming, but his current state clearly indicated that he had been poisoned.
Meng Qingshan held her tightly, the slight trembling in his arms feeling like needles stabbing into his heart. He dared not imagine what the consequences would have been if he had arrived later.
He was filled with anger and resentment, angry that she disregarded her own safety, and resentful that he still couldn't protect her.
The Second Princess and Lu Yunye, who came from the other side of the palace road, looked at the scene before them, exchanged a glance, and both realized how troublesome the matter was. However, Ling Shuyao did not want to get involved. She stepped forward, took Qingli from Meng Qingshan's arms, and glared at her with a warning.
For some reason, Ling Shuyao looked down on Meng Qingshan from the bottom of her heart.
After a moment, Qingli regained some of her composure and shook her head at Ling Shuyao to indicate that she was alright. She then mustered her strength and said, "It's more important to spare his life and find out who the mastermind is behind him."
Meng Qingshan: ...
Is he really such a cold-blooded and ruthless person?
Qingli dared not look him in the eye, only muttering to herself that what he had done was not the behavior of a gentleman.
Lu Yunye squatted down in front of the guard, examined it from left to right, and gestured for Meng Qingshan to step forward. He said in a voice that the other two could not hear, "I reckon it's the forbidden drug Snake Heart Powder from the palace, also known as Dripping Water Guanyin."
Snake Heart Powder was not a secret in the palace of the previous dynasty. This medicine was made by taking the heart of two snakes when they were entwined in mating, adding it to orchids, grinding it into powder, and taking a small amount could cause one to lose control of their desires and become as sincere as if they were Guanyin. It was used by concubines of the previous dynasty to secure their favor. However, if used in excess, one would lose their mind, suffer burning pain in their internal organs, and die from bleeding.
When a previous dynasty fell, this kind of poison caused chaos in the harem, with people indulging in wine, women, and brothels. The former emperor neglected state affairs, which became a harbinger of the dynasty's demise.
Meng Qingshan paused for a moment, then looked at Lu Yunye. He had dropped his nonchalant attitude and his expression became solemn, making his words seem credible.
Is there an antidote?
"You want to save him?"
Meng Qingshan gave him a cold stare. What's going on here? Everyone is either looking down on him or doubting him. Is his character really that bad?
Lu Yunye smiled apologetically and said, "Yes, but it will have to be tomorrow. We need to detoxify him today."
The two exchanged a glance. Ling Shuyao, watching them laugh and whisper, said with displeasure, "Why do you have to keep things to yourself?"
Lu Yunye scoffed, "Why are you asking so many questions about men's affairs!"
"you..."
Qingli's mind was still tense, but she had no choice but to try to mediate the fight.
Seeing her pale face and hoarse voice, Meng Qingshan frowned and approached her, asking, "You've grown bold, haven't you? You don't know your place, do you?"
Qingli's voice was hoarse. She couldn't honestly express her suspicions behind this matter. Her eyelashes drooped, and she only said, "A palace maid sent a message that you should wait for me here."
Seeing her meek and submissive demeanor, Meng Qingshan felt a sudden surge of anger. She was clearly hiding something, and hadn't told the truth about anything all along, including this matter. On the surface, everything seemed the same, but the truth behind it was quite different.
Is he really that untrustworthy of her trust?
Meng Qingshan's heart tightened for a moment, and after calming down for a quarter of an hour, he said, "Whatever you say."
His voice was low and sluggish at the end. Qingli noticed that he seemed a little downcast, so she lowered her head and didn't say anything.
A series of noisy footsteps seemed to be approaching. Qingli suddenly looked up. Meng Qingshan ordered Lu Yunye to take the guards away. Ling Shuyao glanced at Meng Qingshan and wanted to reach out to pull Qingli, but she sensed Meng Qingshan's sudden displeasure. She awkwardly followed behind Lu Yunye and hid in the desolate palace garden next door.
Qingli was carried by Meng Qingshan and jumped twice quickly, leaping into a rockery.
The artificial hill was high up, and under the bright moonlight, one could clearly see the people coming and going below. They were the eldest princess and Feng Yuchan, but their voices were faint and unclear. However, their calm expressions and their looking around suggested that these two were the ones controlling things behind the scenes.
Qingli glared at Meng Qingshan, who had a stern face beside her. On the surface, she was the one who had been caught in the crossfire.
Sensing the dissatisfaction around him, Meng Qingshan carefully explained, "What others think doesn't represent my thoughts."
What are your thoughts?
After asking this question, Qingli almost bit her tongue. What kind of question was this, and what did it have to do with her?
Meng Qingshan stared intently at her, his gaze as fiery as a flame warming the cold artificial mountain.
Their breaths mingled in the hazy moonlight, and a soft moan escaped their lips like a thunderclap.
Awkwardness spread around her, but the soft moans grew clearer. Qingli, suppressing her embarrassment, peeked out and saw a golden crown swaying in the moonlight. As she tried to see the woman more clearly, a large hand covered her face, and hot breath hit her earlobe. "Don't look at what you shouldn't see."
Without sight, her hearing became exceptionally sharp, especially the sounds of the two people moving freely in the artificial hill next door, their clothes falling to the ground, mixed with some lewd words. Qingli wished she could just disappear from this place.
The temperature in her palms rose higher and higher, as if on fire, while the armor behind him was cold and hard. His domineering aura made her eyelashes flutter uncontrollably.
Meng Qingshan's palms were itchy, and his blood rushed to his head, causing his breathing to be as swift as the wind outside, eroding his remaining rationality.
The hand that had been obstructing her view slowly descended, allowing Qingli to see through the artificial hill below that the Second Princess, with a joyful expression, was calling for people to rush towards them.
not good!
In an instant, dark clouds obscured the moon, as if a curtain had been drawn back, and the surroundings were pitch black, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.
Qingli frantically grabbed the arm that had fallen to her side, "Let's go."
The warmth brushed against her cheek. Qingli's eyes were already limited in the darkness, so she had no time to think. The hurried footsteps outside grew closer and closer. It wasn't until she spoke with a trembling voice that Meng Qingshan led her out of the artificial hill.
Everything tonight is chaotic and disorderly, like a woven net, not knowing who it will catch.
Exclamations and shouts rang out behind me, and the zither music that had been playing in the back garden for so long suddenly stopped.
In an instant, it was swept away by the wind and drifted quite a distance, with faint pleas for mercy intermittently mixed in.
The two had just stepped off a narrow path when they collided head-on with a sedan chair.
Qingli clearly felt Meng Qingshan take a step forward and pull her behind him.
In just one hour, she experienced ups and downs, narrowly escaped death, and witnessed absurd and bizarre events, leaving her with only a bitter smile.
"Come here now!" the person on the sedan chair commanded, his taut voice suddenly relaxing, his anger softening by a third.
Meng Qingshan felt a figure sway, and she stepped forward, responding with a hint of dependence, "Your Majesty."
He frowned, pondering how she had gotten involved with the Fourth Prince's birth mother.
"Commander Meng, things are chaotic up ahead, go and attend to your own business," Consort Mu said lazily, not wanting to say another word to him, only gesturing for her to move forward with her eyes.
Qingli received the look and, wanting to discuss the events of the evening with her aunt, said, "I'm going with Her Majesty to find the Second Princess. You should go back first."
The eunuch beside him deftly lifted the sedan chair. Meng Qingshan stood in the darkness, his eyes slightly lowered, and turned to disappear into the thick blackness.
When the Second Princess arrived at Yingcui Palace, it was already late at night. She felt cold and was fed ginger water by Yu Jue. She couldn't wait to share in the excitement of the night.
Qingli didn't dare to let her know her identity yet. She had been scolded by her aunt earlier, and now she was listening attentively, but the more she listened, the more surprised she became. Compared to the shocking things that happened tonight, she wasn't considered bold.
Consort Mu seemed to know her little thoughts, and coughed lightly, which made her alert.
Ling Shuyao became more and more excited as she spoke, also harboring the joy of having more secrets to share. While sleeping in a side hall, she remarked, "The palace is always bustling, and everything is different."
Ling Shuyao rolled over and lay face down on the soft pillow, her cascading black hair spread out to one side, her eyes sparkling. "Can you believe that Miss Fang was so bold as to dare to make a move on the First Prince? Now she's been cornered in the rockery by the First Princess and her men. I heard that her clothes were even torn off. It must have been quite a fierce fight."
"When Father heard the report, he was furious. He immediately summoned the Empress and, in front of everyone, severely reprimanded her for her inaction. Consort De and her cousin, who was wearing a gauze dress, were said to have knelt on the ground and begged for mercy."
"Poor An Shulan... she chose the wrong time to curry favor, otherwise she could have really made a name for herself."
Ling Shuyao's words were incoherent, but Qingli roughly understood them. However, these matters were like a tangled mess, impossible to unravel. Including her own affairs, she wondered who was stirring up trouble behind the scenes.
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