Chapter 70 070 Touching her is practically suicide!
After the imperial examinations, banquets and invitations to formally acknowledge teachers and students were held one after another in Kyoto. Even before the results were announced, tales of talented men and beautiful women were already circulating. Since her last meeting with Duan Heng, Qing Li had stayed at home, listening to the news that Granny Qiu was inquiring about outside. She was not bored at all. It has always been a wonder to find a husband after the imperial examinations. Those with the foresight to make their move in advance could gain a good reputation.
She just didn't expect that the Duan family, having only been in the capital for a few months, had already won the favor of the Second Prince. The Duan family was like a leech, adept at scheming and maneuvering. Now that they had joined the Second Prince's ranks, who knew how they would abuse their power.
Thinking of this, she felt a wave of frustration. He reassured her as soon as he spoke, saying that she hadn't seen him all day and didn't know who to talk to.
In the Meng residence, Meng Qingshan sat in the empty main hall. Since Qingli moved away, he felt there was no need to redecorate the mansion and instructed the steward not to waste money. Now, they sat across from each other at a table, large teacups steaming in front of them, creating a veil-like barrier between them. "Second Prince, what is it? Please speak frankly."
The Second Prince chuckled softly, holding his fan. "Commander Meng is quick to speak, but he's overcomplicated things. Why can't I, who am eager to find talented people, come and discuss important matters on the border with the valiant general?"
Meng Qingshan's eyes narrowed, and his brows slowly lowered. The Second Prince was known for his wisdom, but his actions did not please him. Such words made him think deeply. Outside the door, the rouge and face powder prepared for Qingli were placed on the corridor chair, their colors vibrant. He regretted that he should not have let his dirty thoughts taint his mind.
"In the past two days, during my leisure time, I suddenly thought of what happened at the Dingxi Prince's Mansion. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. The Dingxi Prince colluded with foreign enemies and was dissatisfied with the court, so he deserved to be torn to pieces. The officials of the Dingxi Prince's Mansion harbored treacherous intentions and deserved to be punished. However, the women in the backyard are pitiful after all. If there is an opportunity, they can be included in the general amnesty."
Meng Qingshan's arm suddenly tightened, and he slowly looked at the Second Prince. The Second Prince had a handsome face, unlike Emperor Mingkang, but more like Consort Liu. In addition, he had been enjoying success and smooth sailing these days, and his face was even more radiant.
He said each word forcefully, "The Second Prince has a compassionate heart, which is a blessing for those people."
"Of course, those who deserve to be pardoned should be pardoned. However, some people harbor evil intentions and take the opportunity to hide. They may have been confused for a time, but that's fine. If we really investigate, there may be nowhere for them to hide in this vast world. Being condemned by everyone is more painful than being torn to pieces."
The Second Prince calmly watched as Meng Qingshan's face showed panic, feeling an indescribable sense of pleasure. There was probably no greater freedom in the world than breaking a stubborn bone like this. Meng Qingshan was not to be underestimated. He had a high reputation in the armies of Yunxi and Liangzhou, even more so than Feng Wuxiu. The Yanyun Iron Guards were trained by him, and the number of people who obeyed his orders was immeasurable.
More than a year after Meng Qingshan returned to the capital, he actually managed to escape from the camp in the outskirts of the capital. The Second Prince had suspected that the camp had fallen into the hands of the First Prince and had repeatedly sent people in, but to no avail. This made him uneasy, wondering if his trump cards had also been discovered. However, no such evidence was found later, so he simply dismissed it as overthinking.
As for Feng Wuxiu, that old scoundrel, he has always upheld the orthodoxy and has never taken him seriously. He can only use his trump cards as a last resort. If he can subdue Meng Qingshan, he can control the Imperial Guard through him in the near term, and the two armies of Yunzhou in the far term, which will make up for his lack of military power. He came here this time to test and warn him, to make him realize the times. With such help, if he submits to him, he will not treat him unfairly.
The Second Prince relaxed his shoulders slightly. News from Taiyuan Prefecture had come back that everything had actually come true. These two siblings had played such a low-level trick on him! It was as if heaven was helping him.
The second prince leisurely picked up his teacup, took a sip, and a bitter taste spread through his mouth. He looked closely and saw that the tea leaves were withered, thick, and sunk to the bottom. The second prince's face darkened, and he suspected that this was Meng Qingshan's doing. He looked around and saw that apart from two stones, the display cabinet was bare. In the entire hall, apart from the table and chairs where they were sitting, there was no other furniture.
The Second Prince paused, abandoning his thoughts, and concluded that Meng Qingshan was dull and uninteresting, coming from a poor background, and that his chance encounters were nothing special. He felt that being recruited by Meng Qingshan was already a stroke of good fortune for him.
The two chatted for half an hour until the Second Prince was parched. He then stood up and tentatively approached, saying, "Commander Meng, I'm waiting for you."
Before Meng Qingshan could react, he had barely managed to escort her to the corridor when he could no longer contain his violent temper. His eyes were cold and intense, as if he wanted to use a cold blade to cut through the scorching summer sun. To touch her would be tantamount to courting death!
A series of heavy coughs came from behind, followed by footsteps that were sometimes heavy and sometimes light. Meng Qingshan glanced at the rouge on his right and frowned. It had been tainted with an unpleasant aura time and time again, which was a major taboo for him. Such a filthy thing was no longer worthy of that delicate person.
Unfortunately, he had to come empty-handed today. The timing was unpredictable. He had been busy both inside and outside the palace for many days and only now had this moment of leisure. Being disturbed like this, when he turned around, the coldness emanating from him made Jiang An hide behind Meng's mother.
Meng's mother was dressed in dark blue silk with intricate embroidery. Beneath her wide sleeves, a corner of a thick black jade bracelet was visible, its value evident even without a full view. Her hair was unadorned, giving her a simple and unpretentious appearance. Her grayish-brown skin was full of wrinkles, and she exuded a strong fragrance. This complex and contradictory appearance aroused suspicion in Meng Qingshan's heart.
Mother Meng straightened up and shielded Jiang An behind her. Since he had made everything clear last time, Mother Meng knew that he would never soften his heart again. The fact that he hadn't driven her away was just the responsibility that the outside world imposed on people. Since that was the case, no matter what she did, the situation wouldn't get any worse.
Meng's mother inwardly scoffed. Her son was so affectionate. She returned to the mansion, and he emptied it out, gave it away, and rebuilt a new one. Ha! But what could she do? No matter how sincere he was, she had used the debt of giving her life and raising her, along with the tearful pleas and threats from her deceased father, to make him bear the consequences of what happened back then.
This matter is like an insurmountable chasm, which has long separated the two of them by an insurmountable distance. Now that she has received a promise from a nobleman, she is just waiting for the right time to take that person's life. As for her, she is still the old lady of the Meng family.
Thinking of this, Meng's mother commented directly, "The Second Prince's maternal family, the Liu family, are all civil officials. The highest-ranking official is still Consort Liu's father, who is just a second-rank official. Their descendants are getting worse with each generation. Moreover, the Second Prince is neither the Empress nor the eldest son of the principal wife. He only has a good reputation. His personal visit to the mansion is not for pure purposes. We should be careful."
"I never knew Mother had such a profound insight. What other teachings does Mother have? I am all ears."
After Mencius' mother finished speaking her tongue-twisting words, she felt relieved. Seeing his respectful attitude, she became even more pleased and began to instruct him, "You have only recently entered officialdom, so you have not yet seen through the true nature of these people. They say one thing to your face and another behind your back. Why is the dignified prince so easy to talk to? Isn't it because he wants you to work for him? I think he is audacious and delusional. He doesn't even know his own worth."
Meng Qingshan continued, "Mother is right, but where is the bright path?"
"It is the Emperor..." Meng's mother's clothes were suddenly pulled tight from behind, and she almost couldn't breathe. But when she paused, she regained her senses, her back was covered in cold sweat, and her voice became softer, "It is the Emperor."
Meng Qingshan looked at his mother without any expression. Meng's mother shut her mouth awkwardly, realizing that she had almost been tricked into saying the truth. Her face turned red with anger, and she could no longer stay there. She flung her sleeves, turned around, and went back to the courtyard.
The steward looked at the general standing alone under the corridor and pursed his lips. The old lady had made a mess of the mansion and didn't care about the general at all. When the general returned home, there wasn't even a warm drink or a hot meal. Not only did the general not want to return home, but he himself wanted to run away.
"General."
Meng Qingshan withdrew his gaze and asked, "Has Mother left the manor recently?"
"The old lady went out of the mansion a few times a while ago, saying she was going to buy things, but she only brought back small items."
"I will send Yun Li over. You keep a close eye on things, and if anything unusual happens, have Yun Li investigate thoroughly."
"Yes...yes."
“Remember, don’t overlook any small matter.” Meng Qingshan, recalling his mother’s timely reaction earlier, asked, “Go and investigate Jiang An’s background again.”
After giving his instructions, Meng Qingshan strode forward.
The butler looked at Rouge on the veranda and called out, "General, these are Miss's things."
"It's dirty, throw it away."
The butler sighed twice, looking at the unopened rouge, somewhat puzzled.
Qingli had just received a letter—though it was called a letter, the wording was harsh and commanding, leaving no room for negotiation. She handed the letter to Granny Huaying and asked, "Granny, what do you think?"
“The eldest princess has always acted domineeringly in the palace, and with the marriage alliance imminent, in this old servant’s opinion, we cannot refuse.”
Qingli thought of the message the Second Princess had sent. The First Princess had been beating and scolding servants frequently these days, and her methods had become increasingly harsh, resulting in the deaths of many people. The Empress was still recuperating and not concerned with affairs. Consort Liu had given her a few words of advice, but after the First Princess returned home, she continued to do as she pleased. Out of respect for Consort De, Consort Liu simply let it go.
The emperor pretended to be deaf and dumb, and everyone else pretended not to know. The eldest princess's arrogance grew even higher. It was said that a maid had heated her fingertip with tea, so she chopped off one of her fingers.
Qingli disliked this disregard for human life, and even her previous sympathy as a fellow woman had vanished. At this banquet, seeing her swaggering and committing evil deeds, Qingli felt resentful. "I heard that she punished many servants in the palace."
“He was a former servant of the eldest princess. He used his connections to avoid being included in this marriage alliance, but instead lost his life. A servant’s life is worthless. A servant should not have his own ideas and should just accept his fate.”
There was an indescribable resentment in Hua Ying's voice, mixed with a trace of sadness, which made people's eyes sting.
Jiang Zhao couldn't stand hearing human lives being treated like grass and trampled on so casually. "Granny, why are you saying all this?"
With a gloomy face, Granny Hua Ying said coldly, "Those born to be slaves who betray their masters deserve to die."
Qingli, hearing the sarcasm in the words, looked at Granny Huaying. Granny Huaying was cautious and disciplined in her work and rarely spoke. This was the first time she had shown such emotion. However, Jiang Zhao did not understand the sarcasm in the words and put her hands on her hips, saying, "Granny's words are biased!"
Jiang Zhao broke free from Jiang Yue's obstruction, stepped forward, and argued, "Born as a slave, one is still born as a human being. Humans are just like all things in the world. Even plants and trees know to strive to climb and seek the morning dew and bright sunshine. As long as one does not harm others, it is all understandable."
A glint flashed in Hua Ying's eyes, but it quickly disappeared. She then asked, "Those who betray their masters have never had a good ending."
Jiang Zhao's cheeks flushed, and she was speechless for a moment. She looked at her mistress helplessly, and seeing her mistress encouraging her with a smile, she thought of her mistress's previous teachings and said firmly, "Betrayal depends on the situation. You can't generalize like that. There are people in the world who save money to redeem themselves and become masters. If someone sells out their master for personal gain or survival, whether they are a servant or a friend or family member, it means that their character is bad and they will suffer the consequences. But if it's for a good life and no one else is affected, why be so harsh?"
Granny Hua Ying thought Jiang Zhao was naive and pointed out, "Ignorant."
“You…this is what Miss said, Granny. Is Miss also ignorant?”
Granny Hua Ying realized she had misspoke and quickly bowed. Qing Li chuckled, enjoying watching everyone in the room express their opinions. She didn't like everyone to be like a perfectly carved ornament; she preferred them to be lively and vibrant.
"No master in the world is as generous as Miss."
"Better safe than sorry. It's only right that you, Granny, are cautious." Qingli first affirmed Granny Huaying's actions. Seeing Jiang Zhao's pouting expression, she added, "We are like a grain of sand in a vast ocean, with insignificant abilities. We cannot save all living beings, but we can do what is needed for the present and the people in front of us. We must always be vigilant and not direct our anger at those around us. Some people will accompany you for the first half of your journey, some will just pass by, and some will arrive late but accompany you for the rest of your life."
"If you have any thoughts in the future, feel free to speak frankly with me. Let's be honest with each other and avoid any misunderstandings. That's the bond between us, master and servant."
One by one, their eyes reddened, and they responded loudly. Granny Hua Ying's eyes flickered, and she finally retreated to the back of the group. Qing Li pretended not to notice.
Meng Qingshan felt a surge of emotions outside the door. Should he be completely honest with him?
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