Chapter 71 071 He treated her too well, so well that...her heart softened...
The invitation was returned to her hands. The nannies went out one by one, and greetings rang out from outside the door. Qingli's ears twitched slightly. She turned around and saw that the strong midday sun made her squint. She felt a towering figure enveloping her.
"snort."
With a huff of dissatisfaction, Qingli turned around, opened the post, and pretended to read it carefully, only to have it snatched back by a large hand. "Some of those sarcastic and mean words are too hurtful to read."
Hearing his bold words, Qingli felt the tightness in her chest instantly dissipate. She chuckled softly, then stopped, intending to bring up the rest of the matter, "Some people's words are nice to hear, but they're all empty talk. What can we do?"
Meng Qingshan sat down casually and started chugging from her cup until the teapot was empty. She watched, both angry and helpless. "Is the manor short of water?!"
"We've been talking all morning." After drinking some water, his throat felt much clearer. Looking at her eyes, which held both anger and joy, so lively and expressive, Meng Qingshan felt his throat burning again. He coughed lightly, "The matter is settled, don't worry."
"real?"
"Absolutely true."
He remained calm and composed, while Qingli was taken aback. Her initial suspicion that he knew Duan Heng was now confirmed without a doubt. Her heart ached with a bittersweet feeling, and waves of emotions washed over her, making her eyes well up with tears. She was not a sheltered young lady who could indulge in romantic fantasies of eternal love and perfect happiness. Her heart had been struggling and grappling with conflict for a long time, and she viewed everything with a deep sense of contemplation.
Too rational, too indifferent, she felt several times that the good and bad of the world didn't matter, and that it was enough to protect herself by mixing true feelings with false ones. But then she met him, which made her feel resentful and angry, wanting to get an explanation for what happened back then.
A cold and hard heart was softened by his enticement, and he cherished it day after day, step by step, until now, with just a single sentence from him, she almost shed tears.
He treated her so well that even Ling Shuyao, who was pulling Lu Yunye's ear to imitate his actions, was incredibly envious of Tang Shuqing. He treated her so well that she... softened.
She relaxed her shoulders slightly and slowly asked, "You know Duan Heng?"
Under the table, Meng Qingshan's hands clenched tightly. Remembering the frank conversation he'd overheard outside the door, he hesitated for a moment, then slowly fixed his gaze on her, cautiously, as if afraid of breaking the harmony that had existed between them for so long. For the first time, he found it difficult to speak, "When I was looking for you, I found the Duan family. Duan Heng is meticulous; he's erased all traces of you..."
"So, you knew I was at the Prince of Dingxi's residence?"
"How could that be! If I had known you were there, I would have..."
"What must be done?"
"I will definitely protect your safety."
"Then you did it on purpose when you met."
With a tone that already indicated certainty, Meng Qingshan recalled his actions back then, which were meant to probe her true feelings. Now, being held accountable, his guilty expression stiffened. He coughed lightly and mumbled, "I was worried you were still angry, so..."
"So they take advantage of my weaknesses and rush to beg you."
"No...no!" He subconsciously looked away, still struggling one last time, "You used to treat me like a burden, and you wanted to throw me out."
"I had no choice; you were scheming and plotting."
Qingli thought about how he had played her for the past year, making her body tremble violently. She thought he was a good person, but he was nothing but a wolf in sheep's clothing. He used all his tricks on her!
The maids and nannies outside looked at each other in bewilderment. The teacups placed to the side had gone cold, but they dared not go in, wondering how the two who had just been laughing and joking could have started arguing so loudly.
Seeing that her eyes were red, Meng Qingshan guessed that she was very angry. Feeling sorry for her, he could no longer hold a grudge and lowered his head to admit his mistake, "Don't be angry."
Qingli: ....
He's such a blockhead, all he can say is that. Qingli was too exhausted to even be angry anymore, and threatened him fiercely, "Is there anything else you're hiding?"
"Of course not!"
He answered quickly and confidently, but felt a lingering fear afterward. He prayed that her identity would be revealed soon, not daring to imagine what would happen if this happened again. He quickly shook his head.
To expedite the matter, he picked up the invitation and, thinking of the chaos in the palace, said, "The eldest princess wept bitterly before the emperor, taking advantage of her guilt to gain a great deal, while behind his back she disregarded human life and acted far too ruthlessly."
This was someone he disliked very much. Qingli sighed softly, "I don't know what they were thinking. They actually started organizing a banquet out of nowhere."
“The eldest princess has amassed a considerable fortune through her connections and secrets these past few days, so her motives this time must be impure.”
Qingli listened in silence for a long while, then said, "That's a bit too bold."
"If they go to a marriage alliance, they'll never come back. They'll always plunder everything they have. It's not so much boldness as ruthlessness. Right now, human lives are worth less than five taels of gold and silver." Meng Qingshan was a member of the Imperial Guard and had quick access to outside information, but he couldn't get in touch with the inner palace. The eldest princess was adept at playing both sides, and he wasn't sure who to go to this time.
"The Second Princess's wedding is imminent, and she has been confined to the palace to learn etiquette these days. Otherwise, she would still be able to keep up with some news." Ling Shuyao has been cut off from all communication these days, as she has been kept in the palace by the governess sent by the Lu family. After the marriage was granted, Old Madam Lu brought some people to see Emperor Mingkang. No one knows what they said, but Emperor Mingkang agreed to let them stay in the palace and began to educate Ling Shuyao.
At the beginning of the term, a letter was sent. The letter paper was crumpled and messy, with large patches of ink smudges. It was difficult to make out the general idea. It turned out that her maids and nannies were all locked up outside. She had to train them in complicated rules every day. If she objected, she would be punished by being made to stand and not allowed to eat or drink. The nannies didn't even say a word.
Worried about Ling Shuyao's situation, she secretly wrote to her aunt. Her aunt was reprimanded by Emperor Mingkang for meddling in her affairs, but her aunt sent someone to tell her that she was trying to find a solution.
When Meng Qingshan heard this for the first time, he couldn't help but frown. "Lu Yunye is out there eating and drinking leisurely, but I don't see him having to deal with all this mess."
The words were crude, but Qingli felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Most men ignored the methods used in the inner quarters, thinking they were just minor squabbles and nothing more than matters of life and death. Little did they know that women who left home to marry were already filled with fear, and their in-laws, relying on the guise of rules, actually manipulated and bullied them. If their husbands were also blind and deaf, they would be like a lone boat in a stormy sea, filled with anxiety and uncertainty, not knowing where the storm would take them.
Meng Qingshan is domineering and tough, but he has a kind heart.
“Since we can’t refuse, then we’ll go to the palace for the banquet. I’ll be on duty that day. As for the Second Princess, I’ll find time to talk to Lu Yunye.”
With the second princess marrying into the Lu family, her aunt and she couldn't interfere too much. If they could persuade Lu Yunye to mediate, the matter would be easy. However, they were worried that he might interfere in the Lu family's affairs for her sake, which would cause a rift between the two brothers. "Then we'll have to talk to him properly."
He scoffed and laughed, "You think he doesn't know?"
"Perhaps he's been busy since his transfer to the Ministry of Revenue."
“If he can’t even handle those old fogies who hold positions without doing their jobs, then he should step down as soon as possible, otherwise all the hard work that the Fourth Prince and I have put in will be in vain.”
"Who? The Fourth Prince!" Qingli saw him looking at her hesitantly, then immediately realized she was overreacting and changed to a blank expression, asking, "When did you and the Fourth Prince become so close?"
“We have always been on good terms. The Fourth Prince is insightful and quick-witted. My relationship with him is not based on interests, but solely on our personalities.”
Qingli carefully examined his words, which seemed quite certain and not like empty talk. She couldn't be sure whether they were true or false, or why her cousin hadn't told her. However, she felt a sense of relief, knowing that her good relationship with her cousin was a good thing.
Perhaps she didn't even realize that she always wanted her grandfather and cousin to have a good relationship with her relatives.
Seeing her biting her lip, looking like she wanted to know but didn't dare to ask, Meng Qingshan's lips curled into a smug smile.
Hearing the growing harmony inside, and the perfect atmosphere, Granny Hua Ying immediately served another cup of hot tea, along with red bean cakes brought by Meng Qingshan. These cakes were piled high like a small mountain on a porcelain plate, still warm and emitting the sweet aroma of red beans.
In an alley in Kyoto, there was an old woman who was good at making red bean cakes. I don't know how he knew, but the old woman had caught a cold and stopped making them. However, he invited a doctor to treat her and get medicine, and only asked her to make red bean cakes by herself.
Every now and then, a stack of these would be served. Qingli had long disliked the taste and mostly gave them to Jiang Zhao and the nannies. They ate them with relish in front of her, and they would always snatch them up in one go, which made her heart flutter.
The soft, milky aroma was mixed with a hint of sweetness. She pinched a piece and put it in her mouth. The red bean paste was soft and glutinous, sweet but not cloying, leaving a lingering fragrance in her mouth. Just then, a cup of tea was handed to her. Qingli took it, and their fingertips touched. She immediately let go, feeling as if her fingertips were burning. The heat almost made her lose her composure.
Meng Qingshan twisted his fingers back and forth, the tingling sensation in his fingertips provoking his difficult-to-maintain demeanor. He could no longer suppress the corners of his mouth, and they turned up high. Qing Li happened not to see this scene, and did not see him in such a frivolous manner.
The eldest princess's marriage was scheduled for the end of May. With only five days left, the banquet was to begin on the third day at Shenshi (3-5 PM). When Qingli arrived, the procession in front of the palace gate was already endless. For some unknown reason, the procession was slow to move, and the western sun lingered, scorching the crowd.
When officials' wives entered the palace, they wore formal attire and elaborate dresses. Even the best makeup was ruined by sweat, making them look somewhat disheveled, but they dared not show it, and each of them looked embarrassed.
As soon as Qingli's feet touched the ground, a eunuch who had been cutting in front of her rushed over and called out in a high-pitched voice, "Miss Qingli has arrived. The eldest princess has been waiting for you for a long time. This way, please."
It was unknown who the person was, but Qingli immediately knew that such a shout would arouse suspicion and resentment. Everyone would divert their anger at being ignored in the summer heat. They dared not blame the eldest princess, a woman from a poor and remote place, whom they, as noble consorts, naturally looked down upon. They could not ignore the resentful glances cast at them.
Qingli stood still, staring intently at the eunuch in front of her. The eunuch couldn't help but tremble, feeling that her gaze was like a knife. Seeing that she remained unmoved, he chuckled twice and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
The eldest princess's methods were still so low-class yet effective. Just as Hua Ying was about to make a couple of excuses, the palace gates opened wide, and the officials' wives couldn't wait to enter one by one. Raising her voice would only play right into the eldest princess's hands, earning her a reputation for being arrogant and ignorant.
"Miss, please be careful today."
Qingli nodded, looking at the long palace path illuminated by golden light, the cold darkness gone, the entire palace immersed in the tranquil gentleness of the sunset, the crowds hurrying towards the ethereal sound of silk and bamboo instruments, the crouching beasts on the rooftops stretched long by the light and shadow, majestic and brave, always ready to deter the demons and monsters in the night.
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