Chapter 73 073 Playing me like a puppet
When Emperor Mingkang appeared at the banquet, the situation suddenly changed. The women were invited to the other side, and Emperor Mingkang summoned many officials, including the princes and envoys of the Great Di who remained in the capital. All the officials were shrewd and looked around, confused. They all responded with laughter and chatter, creating a noisy and strange atmosphere.
Perhaps wanting to make a good impression on her future husband, the eldest princess acted shyly and reservedly. As Consort Liu slowly moved among the women, Consort Liu chuckled and moved forward on her own.
Qingli's gaze was too obvious, and Consort Liu noticed it. At this moment, she was willing to do a favor and waved with a smile, "We have formed a deep bond during our time in the palace. Go on."
"The Imperial Concubine knows how to handle people. But I wonder if the person she's offering up has the potential to rise to prominence!"
Qingli ignored the eldest princess's blatant threat, thanked Consort Liu, and turned to walk towards the third princess, but her eyes were constantly on Ling Shuyao. As she approached, Ling Shuyao's numb eyes instantly filled with tears, each one brimming with bitterness.
Qingli grasped her wrist and whispered, "Go there."
Her wrist was held in her hand, excessively slender, with prominent bones. Qing Li breathed a sigh of relief, chose a tree, and the edge of the halo of light just reached her feet. Before she could speak, Ling Shuyao had already rushed into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
She gently stroked his trembling shoulders again and again until they calmed down.
Ling Shuyao stood up, looking at the large tear stains on her shoulder, her eyelashes fluttering, and said in a muffled voice, "I was too emotional."
Qingli frowned as she listened. This was not what the straightforward Second Princess had said. She should have been scolded and complained. She watched as Ling Shuyao pulled a white handkerchief from her sleeve and carefully wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Unable to hold back any longer, she suddenly grabbed the handkerchief, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it. In a moment, it was filthy and messy.
Ling Shuyao was caught off guard and, upon seeing what was under her feet, was shocked and enraged. She shouted, "What are you doing!"
Losing her handkerchief would mean another round of punishment, and the thought of those punishments made Ling Shuyao's fingers tremble.
"I'm getting rid of your inner demons!" Qingli kicked the handkerchief away, gripped her hand tightly, suppressed her trembling, and instilled confidence in her. "This isn't the Ling Shuyao I know!"
"Times have changed; I can no longer be so careless!"
"Ha, those lackeys, first isolate you, then brainwash you with stupid words, and gradually win over your thoughts through rewards and punishments, whether you agree or disagree!"
Qing Li's rebuke was like a heavy hammer blow to Ling Shuyao's head. The fog in her eyes dissipated, and clarity gradually returned. Ling Shuyao looked at her in disbelief. Qing Li nodded, delighted to realize that the real Ling Shuyao should have returned.
Damn rules and dogmas, throw them all away.
Although she didn't know why Emperor Mingkang allowed Madam Lu to interfere in palace affairs, she knew from her first meeting with Madam Lu that she was living in the Great Jin Dynasty and still carried the arrogance of the previous dynasty. Although the palace was strictly controlled, Meng Qingshan could easily find out which servants the Lu family lacked and what methods they usually used.
It's nothing more than mental suppression and coercion, forcing people into a state of doubt and unease, and then instilling absurd ideas, such as hypnosis to make people confused and obedient. The previous dynasty was decadent and licentious, and human life was treated like dirt. This kind of method was prevalent in the harem.
When Qingli heard Meng Qingshan say this, she became anxious and couldn't sit still. She even angrily cursed Old Madam Lu for her vicious intentions. Meng Qingshan pressed her shoulders to calm her down.
"The old princess is still not giving up, trying to manipulate the second princess to satisfy her vanity."
“Her methods are so ruthless, I’m worried the second princess won’t survive.”
"We have to endure it, even if we can't. This is Lu Yunye's grandmother; there's no escaping it."
"But we can't just stand by and watch her suffer."
When Meng Qingshan saw her stand up indignantly, her hands clenched tightly, and her indignant expression towards him, he felt both angry and heartbroken. She cared so much about her family, but she always kept a distance from him.
"Only after experiencing this matter can the Second Princess take it to heart and understand that some things cannot be abandoned just because she loves Lu Yunye deeply. Hypnosis is nothing more than taking advantage of her weaknesses."
Qingli was suddenly struck by a realization, then felt a sense of unease. Her eyelashes involuntarily lifted abruptly, falling into his brown eyes. His gaze was clear and firm, assertive yet not forceful. Scenes from the past flashed before her eyes. He had so firmly guided her to hold onto her stubbornness and perseverance. Her heart trembled three times, and she lowered her eyelashes in self-deception.
However, the man wasn't about to let her go. He leaned forward, not giving her a chance to escape, "Just like you."
"Like...like me in what way..."
She stammered, and an idea popped into Qingli's mind. Before she could stop him in surprise, she saw his slightly thin lips open and close, "He has principles, a bottom line, and ideas. He manipulates me like a puppet."
As the last words fell, Qingli's face was even redder than the sunset outside. She couldn't believe that she had been harboring ulterior motives to use him all along, and she retorted, "Who played with you?"
Meng Qingshan stood up, patted his clothes, and suddenly leaned down, whispering in his ear, "I would gladly accept it."
The hot breath sprayed on her earlobe made her freeze on the round stool, numb and unresponsive. After a while, she covered her face with her hands and said angrily, "I fell for his trick."
It's not about manipulating things behind the scenes, but about the premise.
Love yourself before loving others.
Seeing Ling Shuyao's face change drastically and her body sway with fear, Qingli pulled her into her arms. On one hand, she thought that Meng Qingshan could give Lu Yunye a heads-up, and on the other hand, she thought that it would be best to leave the Lu family after marriage and live in the princess's mansion.
Ultimately, only Ling Shuyao herself knows the truth.
Ling Shuyao's emotions gradually stabilized, and her eyes regained their luster. She let out a low chuckle, with a hint of mockery, and said, "With my mother and you in front of me, how could I still make such a foolish mistake? I'm really getting worse as I get older."
Ling Shuyao, who managed to gain Emperor Mingkang's favor among these princesses, is no naive young girl. She knows best how her mother was suspected by her father and her brother was neglected in the palace. Yet, these days, she has been blinded by love and has become so foolish that she has been fooled and played to such an extent. It is truly shameful.
Qingli gently pinched Ling Shuyao's nose and breathed a sigh of relief. "Ever since I received your letter, I've been restless day and night. Now I can finally put my mind at ease."
Her concern was genuine, and Ling Shuyao's trust in her was also genuine; otherwise, she wouldn't have instinctively rushed towards Qingli when she was in a daze.
"Don't worry, it was just my carelessness."
"I know your situation, but one hand cannot clap."
Ling Shuyao was genuinely touched and tugged at her sleeve, saying coquettishly, "Thank goodness I have you."
"We still need to discuss how to handle this situation when we return."
Ling Shuyao's eyebrows were high and sharp, her eyes looking at her thin, bony hand. "Just settle scores and avenge each other. Don't worry."
"Be careful not to alert the enemy."
"I understand."
Qingli didn't say anything more. She believed that Ling Shuyao knew the proper boundaries in this matter. She was more worried about the purpose of this palace banquet. Tonight, the moonlight was dim, and the waning moon was shrouded in layers of haze, making it even more hazy and obscure.
She stood under the tree, shrouded in darkness, but could clearly see the bright lights on the other side, where people were drinking and exchanging toasts. The eldest prince leisurely watched the singing and dancing below, his eyes arrogant and wicked, looking down on everything. The second prince sat upright, without even a hint of a smile.
Just then, a eunuch and an official rushed forward, their bodies bent low. They stumbled twice, knelt on the ground, held up a stack of papers, and chanted some prayers.
A moment of silence fell over the air as countless eyes watched Dexi present the stack of papers to Emperor Mingkang.
"Clang!"
The wine cup shattered with a crash, and Emperor Mingkang turned and left.
The eldest prince remained smug, a hint of malice flashing across his eyes. Qing Li's heart trembled slightly, a sense of unease creeping over her. The eldest prince had been confined to the prince's residence for many days, yet he had quietly won Emperor Mingkang's favor right under everyone's noses, demonstrating his considerable influence.
"The Empress is recovering."
The lingering echo in their ears made everyone's skin crawl.
Consort Liu's face fell, her gaze sweeping across everyone's faces, but she couldn't find anyone who would say anything more.
The palace banquet ended unhappily. Qingli and Ling Shuyao exchanged glances and followed the others out of the palace.
Upon returning to the mansion, she paused for a moment in front of the brightly lit room before she could see Meng Qingshan dressed in official robes, sitting wearily in a chair. He only opened his eyes when she approached and the light and shadow flickered.
It was dark and gloomy, filled with complex emotions.
Qingli couldn't understand it.
"The Duan family is finished."
Qingli understood, yet also didn't quite grasp it. Seeing the dark red bloodstains on the hem of her inner robe, she was shocked and urgently asked, "Have you cleaned up the traces?"
Meng Qingshan laughed, his body trembling. As expected of his little darling, she was efficient and decisive. Seeing her worried expression, he reassured her, "They won't find anything on me."
"What exactly happened?"
Which matter are you referring to?
Qingli pulled up a round stool and sat opposite him, staring at him with wide eyes, silently urging him, "You promised me that we would discuss things honestly with each other."
"Honesty?"
For some reason, Qingli felt her cheeks flush when she heard those two words from his mouth. She assumed it was because they had been in a hurry, and said loudly, "Are you going to go back on your word?"
Looking at her menacing appearance, Meng Qingshan felt a strange turmoil in his heart that had been building up since he killed Duan Heng. She sat gracefully in front of him, dressed in a sky-blue brocade dress, bringing a touch of coolness to the summer night.
"Of course not," Meng Qingshan replied, speaking slowly. "The eldest prince deeply regretted his previous actions and copied Buddhist scriptures every day to atone for his filial impiety. He even mixed his blood into the ink. After a while, he fainted in the prince's residence. The imperial physicians were worried that something bad had happened and reported it to Emperor Mingkang. Emperor Mingkang secretly went to see him and saw the eldest prince about to cut himself to bleed.
This is too much of a coincidence.
Today, the Crown Prince's complexion is rosy, not like someone who has lost too much blood.
"Emperor Mingkang felt sorry for the prince and ordered the door to be opened. The knife that had been on the prince's wrist fell to the ground. The prince crawled forward on his knees and cried out his remorse."
"That's truly excellent acting."
Emperor Mingkang's act of bringing his eldest son out in front of all the officials made him appear to be a loving father, and his favoritism towards his eldest son was excessive.
Qingli then asked, "What's going on with the Duan family?"
"Duan Heng cheated on the imperial examination and was reported to the Dali Temple by the students."
The Court of Judicial Review was responsible for handling criminal cases involving officials in the capital, and it wouldn't accept petitions from students without official academic qualifications.
"Song Shuo, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was a classmate of the Empress's elder brother."
The Empress's family had sacrificed their lives to protect Emperor Mingkang's ascension to the throne. Her father died and her brother fell ill. The Imperial Hospital was only able to keep her alive for three years with scarce medicine. After that, neither the Empress nor the eldest prince had anyone to support them. Unexpectedly, such a relationship was hidden behind them.
Qingli looked at Meng Qingshan, her mind racing. She instinctively felt that this matter was related to him. She suddenly remembered that Lü Hansong had asked for help before the exam. The cheating was real or fake. The leak of the questions was real, and Duan Heng's allegiance to the Second Prince was also real. "Was it really cheating?"
"I received some guidance."
To receive guidance is already a great advantage; to call it cheating is not an exaggeration.
Looking at this guy's nonchalant demeanor, Qingli sighed inwardly at his deep thoughts and how he was stirring up trouble behind the scenes. But she didn't feel that he was malicious. She only felt that the First Prince, the Second Prince, and the Duan family and their ilk deserved it for taking advantage of their noble status and disregarding the lives of ordinary people.
When two sides fight, it's best if both are severely injured, thus restoring order to the world.
"So what's going on?"
Qingli pointed to the bloodstains on her robe.
Meng Qingshan lowered his head, seemingly unwilling to see it, and covered the area, saying, "He's more useful dead than alive."
The eldest prince was arrogant and underestimated the second prince's speed. If they waited for the Dali Temple to arrest the Duan family father and son and imprison them, who knows what they might reveal? It would be better for him to help the second prince.
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