Chapter 57 057 Moving Out of the Meng Residence
Before the festival, Qingli gave all the servants in the Meng household an extra two months' wages. In the past few days, all the servants have been smiling, genuinely happy, and treating Qingli as their master.
Qingli simply smiled. Meng Qingshan hadn't returned to the manor for a long time, and this wasn't a place for her to stay for long. She would use both kindness and severity to keep everyone in peace, and that would be enough.
The continuous sound of firecrackers outside still shook the ground in the backyard, and the air was filled with the strong smell of gunpowder. The flickering lights illuminated the night, creating a mesmerizing effect.
For Meng Qingshan, it seemed even more bewildering. He still couldn't believe the message Yun Xiu had just delivered: the person searching for Tang Yanqing came from the Huang family, and the person who had been spying outside the courtyard was the son of the Huang family's steward, named Song Yuan. The person Qing Li had asked him to find was named Song Zhang, who had said he was the cousin of a maid. It seemed that the truth was not so.
Yunxiu carefully reported that the young lady had disappeared on the street and that the study she had visited was all related to the Huang family. An old servant of the Huang family, after drinking, said that Heaven had opened its eyes and her wish had come true.
Every single detail proves that she is Huang Pu's granddaughter!
Her grandfather, Huang Pu, was a scholar of the Hanlin Academy; her aunt was Consort Mu; her cousin was the fourth prince; and her cousin was the second princess. She was a member of the imperial family and came from a prominent family.
All of this makes sense now. She was able to send people to find the Tang family's son who had been missing for many years, she was able to receive care from Consort Mu in the palace, and Consort He was able to acknowledge the Third Princess as her playmate. Even without his help, she could still live a safe and secure life in the palace.
Without a candle, Meng Qingshan slumped in his armchair in the darkness, his body unusually radiating exhaustion. The occasional flickering firelight from above illuminated his face, revealing his panic.
The night was deep and cold. When Meng Qingshan entered Liufeng Garden, apart from the brightly lit hall, the surroundings were quiet. He had sharp hearing and could hear the loud noise and commotion coming from the backyard.
She was gentle and kind to her servants. Her two maids and the plump nanny, as well as the nanny Hua Ying and nanny Qiu whom he had hired, were all loyal to her and did their best to protect her in front of him.
The dim candlelight cast a soft, yellow glow on the window, casting a tender shadow that shielded the viewer from the occasional piercing sound of firecrackers outside, imbuing even the passing time with a peaceful and warm atmosphere.
Despite the undercurrents in the imperial court, the lively atmosphere in the streets and alleys remained unaffected. The customs of the Great Jin Dynasty were open, and on New Year's Eve, fireworks and the sound of bamboo flutes echoed all night long, bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new.
After thinking for a while, a colorful firework soared into the sky, illuminating the darkness as if it were daytime. Fireworks continued to explode one after another, cheers erupted from the streets, and a slight creaking sound was heard.
Meng Qingshan looked in the direction of the sound and saw her wearing a bright red jacket and skirt, with a lucky ruby hairpin on her head, which made her fair skin and beautiful appearance even more striking than the dazzling fireworks in her eyes.
Qingli instructed Jiang Yue not to have anyone serve her and gave them a separate table to enjoy the festivities. However, she was surprised to see him and asked in astonishment, "Why are you back?"
Some time ago, I urged him three or four times, and he said with certainty that the Imperial Guards were busy and could not leave my side. Today is the day to inspect the results, which is a perfect opportunity to show his face in front of the Emperor. Could something have gone wrong?
Seeing her nervousness, Meng Qingshan chuckled softly, "I'm not on duty today."
She shouldn't be back at this time, even if it's not her turn to be on duty. Meng Qingshan felt a tightness in his chest, but couldn't explain it. He stepped forward and stood beside her, watching the fireworks outside.
The fireworks were beautiful, but my neck ached from looking up, so Qingli lost her appetite and asked, "Is it time to eat?"
"No need to trouble yourself."
Qingli glared at him. This man was talking nonsense today. It wasn't her who made the meal, so why was it a problem? It was perfect that she didn't have to eat, and she could have something to say to him.
These days, especially today, she is even more convinced that it is time to part ways. He has his mother to support him, while she has her grandfather. Her staying up late at the Meng residence for the New Year has already disappointed her grandfather, who has expressed a lot of resentment towards her.
This is her problem. Back in Yanmen City, she planned to leave the Prince of Dingxi's mansion and go her separate ways. However, due to the assassination attempt, she became entangled again. After arriving in the capital, her grandfather was worried that she would be harmed, so she used his name to move into the Meng family mansion. Then he was seriously injured, and she entered the palace. Each and every incident was like a tangled ball of yarn, with no end in sight.
A new year, a new beginning; if it remains unclear and ambiguous, it loses its meaning.
She is not the type to be slow-paced or procrastinating.
"We'll have to wait a while longer to stay up all night." Qingli stepped into the house first, sat down at a sandalwood table, held a teapot, and filled the cup with bright, clear tea. The tea was fragrant and steaming.
Meng Qingshan didn't want her to do these chores of serving tea and water, nor did he want maids to be hanging around in front of him. Usually when he came, it was mostly the nanny who served him. But today there were only the two of them in the courtyard. Qingli didn't think that serving him water was a loss of face or status. So she lowered her eyelashes and used her slender fingers to pick up the water and place it in front of him.
No matter how fierce his expression was, she could simply ignore it; this was her recent strategy for dealing with him.
Meng Qingshan stared intently at her, his long eyelashes casting shadows that obscured the emotions in his eyes. His slightly parted lips were wet with tea, making his bright red lips appear exceptionally vibrant.
"I plan to move out in a few days."
At the same time, a burst of firecrackers rang out outside, the noise drowning out her words. Qingli looked at Meng Qingshan and saw that he was focused on looking outside, his brows furrowed, his hands on his knees, and his brocade robe slightly wrinkled. She guessed that the sound from before had been drowned out.
Qingli was about to repeat herself, but just as she opened her mouth, the butler rushed into the courtyard in a panic.
"General! General..." The butler couldn't shake his habit of being easily startled.
Meng Qingshan immediately stood up, stepped forward and opened the door. The steward ran to the outside of the corridor and stopped, bowing deeply, not daring to presume to look inside. He only said, "General, news has come from the palace, requesting that you return to the palace immediately."
Because the affairs of the palace were so complex, the steward was still carefully considering his words when he saw the general stride past him. The steward suddenly realized the general was a wise man; his hesitation would only hinder the general's plans. He had been narrow-minded. He quickly scurried after him, muttering, "His Majesty is furious..."
The last words drifted back into the room. Qingli heard only a few words and immediately felt that something big had happened in the palace. She sighed inwardly that the New Year was not yet over, and the beginning of the new year had already started to be unsettling.
The fireworks and firecrackers had stopped, and the air was thick with the smell of smoke. Everything was white and foggy, and the cold air felt like a burning sensation in my lungs. Meng Qingshan mounted his horse, pulled on the reins, and couldn't help but take a deep breath to suppress his earlier panic. One moment he thought her red lips were alluring, and the next he was able to speak words that pierced the heart with calm and composure.
He panicked and didn't know how to react.
He paused for a moment, then instructed, "Tell the young lady that it is dangerous outside, and to stay safely in the manor and not to worry about her."
The butler, though quick-witted, immediately realized that the general was giving the young lady a signal. After seeing the general off, he returned to Liufeng Garden, having already prepared his words: "Miss, the general asked me to tell you not to worry. The general is there for you. It's chaotic outside. The general instructed this old servant to be extremely careful when you go out."
Qingli nodded. Looking at the steward's thin frame, she knew that even if she was in a hurry to leave the Meng residence, she wouldn't bother him. She simply said, "I'll send a maid to inform you if anything happens."
After the housekeeper left, Qingli's frustration finally surfaced. It was a bad start; the words she had been nervously preparing for days had vanished as soon as they left her mouth. Meng Qingshan hadn't even heard them. All her efforts over the past few days had been in vain.
Qingli sat on the armchair by the window, her hands pounding with resentment as she opened the window. The cold wind rushed into the room, and she gradually calmed down. Then she realized that he hadn't heard her. She had legs to stand on; she could move out of the Meng residence first.
The moon was hazy and indistinct in the night sky, and its cold silver light made Chengming Hall seem even more desolate. The maids and eunuchs knelt on the ground, trembling, and dared not even utter a sound to beg for mercy.
Several corpses lay in the center of the hall, and bloodstains on the ground snaked down to the throne. Emperor Mingkang held a long sword, its blade stained with blood, and the dripping sound struck the eardrums of everyone in the hall, almost stealing their breath.
Emperor Mingkang's face was a mixture of anger, disappointment, and defeat. His majestic aura, undiminished after so many years on the throne, was now unmistakably revealed. "You call yourself '朕' (Zhen, the imperial 'I')?!"
The eldest prince was completely panicked. The dizziness caused by the alcohol had long since disappeared. He was now perfectly clear-headed and knew that his crime was heinous. No matter how greedy or treacherous he was, it was nothing compared to destroying his father's dignity. He racked his brains trying to think of a reply, but he had just acted like a madman and poured out all the words in his heart, even mocking and teasing his father.
The eldest prince kowtowed heavily, the sound echoing through the vast palace. A few drops of blood were already on the floor. He cried out, "Father, spare me! I know I was wrong! I was drunk and made a mistake, and I was bewitched by these lowly servants..."
Emperor Mingkang watched helplessly as the expression on his face gradually faded. He had always been proud of his position at the top of the clouds, looking down on all the mountains and witnessing all the ways of the world. But he never expected that the clouds would obscure his vision, and that he would be standing on a cliff. One wrong step and he would fall off the cliff and be smashed to pieces.
He started a rebellion in his youth, appreciated talented people, and befriended capable and ambitious individuals. With a million soldiers under his command, he raised his arms and shouted, and the masses responded. He stormed into the capital and sat in a high position. He never dared to slack off, working diligently day and night. He readily accepted advice from officials and broadened channels for communication, creating the peaceful and prosperous country we see today.
But when everything came to the mouth of his most valued son, it was ridiculed and mocked in such a way that Emperor Mingkang was enraged. After losing his mind and killing a bunch of people, there was only an endless void.
"Guards!" Emperor Mingkang threw his sword to his feet and called out loudly.
"Are they all dead?!"
The eunuch Dexi shakily entered from outside and knelt down as soon as he entered.
Meng Qingshan sent all the imperial guards outside, leaving only himself and Lu Yunye. The two exchanged a glance, knowing that some innocent people would die unjustly tonight.
"Take the eldest prince away; this is about the imperial prison."
De Xi was so frightened that he lost his mind, because he knew how important the eldest prince was to the emperor. The fourth prince was sent to investigate the collapse of the dam. Although the emperor did not say it explicitly, he implied in his words that the fourth prince should be treated lightly. However, the fourth prince did not answer what the emperor wanted to hear. The emperor was furious and waved his hand to drive the fourth prince out.
His Majesty had been worried for many days. Taking advantage of the palace's joyous gathering tonight, with all the princes staying overnight, he urged His Majesty to come and find the eldest prince. He never expected such a mess to happen. Once he was imprisoned, everything would be over. De Xi was drenched in sweat and begged for mercy, "Your Majesty, please calm down."
"Bang!" Emperor Mingkang slammed his hand on the armrest, cursing, "Are you all trying to rebel?!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
