Chapter 89 089 Mencius' Mother's Plan
Granny Qiu rushed into the courtyard and bowed to the young lady, saying, "Miss, Old Madam Meng has sent an invitation to your residence for a gathering. She said that General Meng sent a message and it is inconvenient to ask someone else to speak for her."
Qingli paused, then quickly arranged for a carriage to head to the Meng residence.
Granny Qiu and Granny Sui sat at the entrance of the carriage, exchanged a glance, both knowing that Meng's mother was all talk and no action. They had advised their young lady, but with important matters at hand, they couldn't worry about such things. They could only tell the servants to be careful.
They entered smoothly, and Granny Qiu grabbed a servant and asked, "Where is the steward?"
The servant, with a smile on his face, said in a slow, gentle tone, "This winter is cold, so the steward went to buy things for the manor to get through the winter."
"Where is Granny Huaying?"
"Granny Huaying caught a cold and is resting quietly in the house."
Qingli looked around at the newly renovated inner courtyard. The layout was fresh and elegant, with covered bridges and waterside pavilions, which had a unique charm. Qingli felt a sense of familiarity for some reason. She quickly put aside her reverie and went into the backyard.
Jiang An leaned against the doorway, dressed in a brand-new peach-colored silk robe embroidered with fluttering butterfly patterns. His wrists, ears, and hair were adorned with brand-new jewelry. He looked at Qing Li, slightly withdrew his foot, and waited for Qing Li to pass before immediately blocking Qiu Mama's path.
Granny Qiu had taught Jiang An some manners, and she used to be a well-behaved girl. She was furious to see her become like this, and with her hands on her hips, she scolded, "You wretched girl..."
Jiang An raised his hand and fanned himself in front of his ear, giving Qing Li a rather provocative look, and said in a high-pitched voice, "The old lady prefers quiet and only allows... Miss to go in alone. You all wait outside."
Qingli had seen many kinds of eyes. Jiang An's eyes held the pleasure of a successful scheme. She glanced back at the tightly closed doors and windows, which seemed like gaping maws in the shadows, ready to devour her.
"You all wait outside." Jiang An gestured to Granny Qiu that everything was alright and strode into the house.
The room was filled with smoke, and the candlelight was faint, as if it were trapped in a fine net. The air felt like a knife cutting into your throat, causing a slight pain.
Meng's mother kowtowed three times before the Heavenly Venerable before getting up and sitting in the chair at the head of the table. She carefully examined Qingli. Her daughter was truly beautiful. In all the years she had been in the capital, she had never seen anyone more beautiful than her. Her beauty was charming and fragrant, like a peony moistened by dew, its bud yet to bloom, yet already deserving of careful protection.
His son is the one he cherishes.
But why should she? She gave birth to her son with half her life on the line, raised him with great difficulty, and the one who should be most filial to her is her mother. Yet he sent her to a Taoist temple for this woman of unknown origin, where she was forced to eat plain porridge and vegetables and chant sutras every day. It was a dull and boring existence, and she could see her death day from the very beginning. She dared not think about it, but the thought was always on her mind.
She ran away and went home.
Her son was ruthless and would never tolerate her return. In this state of anxiety, someone secretly sent her a message, meticulously planning her every word and action. Sure enough, she successfully stayed. Qingli was sent away, and the nobleman only said that he appreciated her kind motherly heart and asked for nothing in return.
Later, when Jiang An came to her side, she felt even more comforted. The beautiful relationship she had worked so hard to build was about to fall apart because of the arranged marriage. How could she allow that?
The important person had only one request, which suited her perfectly. Meng's mother composed herself and pushed the tea beside her over, saying, "Please sit down."
Mencius' mother had a thin, bony face. The entire room was shrouded in layers of gauze, which made her appear even more harsh in the dim light. Her sharp eyes stared at her, and only when she saw her sit down did a slight smile appear on her lips.
Qingli had been subjected to her insincere beatings and scoldings since childhood and had never received any warmth from her. Therefore, she did not hesitate and asked directly without even looking at the tea in front of her, "What message did he leave?"
The fact that Qingli could speak so calmly shows that she has long since let go of the past. She has found her family and her true love, and she has many wonderful things to do, instead of getting entangled in the past with an old woman.
If Meng Qingshan could give up the freedom he yearned for deep down and get caught in the vortex to fight for the truth for her, then she could also give up some of her inner reluctance, focusing only on the matter and not on the person.
Seeing her mother's defensiveness and remembering the advice from the benefactor, Mencius's mother felt even more resentful. Instead of answering, she asked, "What? You won't even drink tea?"
The teacup was pushed forward again. Qingli lowered her gaze and replied, "I have important matters on my mind, I can't drink..."
Unexpectedly, ripples appeared in the teacup, spinning in circles. Qingli shook her head, realizing something was wrong, and hurriedly got up, but swayed twice and sank back into the chair, losing consciousness.
Mencius' mother slowly got up, walked to the statue of the Heavenly Venerable, extinguished a stick of incense, bowed sincerely, and said, "The noble person has not deceived me."
In her dazed state, Qingli saw halos of light flashing before her eyes and felt herself being jostled forward. As her consciousness waned, she swayed to the side and heard a sharp complaint, "So heavy!"
After saying that, she let go of her hand, and her body swayed to one side. She thought she was going to fall to the ground, but unexpectedly, an arm reached out from the other side and gently pulled her back. She wanted to open her eyes to see who it was and where her mother was taking her.
In a daze, I lost track of time.
When she woke up again, she opened her eyes and saw a sky-blue curtain. Looking outside, she saw a square table and round stools, unadorned. She immediately knew that she was inside the palace. But the palace was under control. How did she get in?
Hearing the commotion, Jiang An was the first to notice. He stepped forward warily and warned, "At this point, trying to run away will cost you your life. I advise you to stay put."
Half of Jiang An's body was visible behind him; it was Granny Hua Ying.
Jiang An turned to the side with a rather arrogant air, raising his chin, "This time, we really owe a lot to Granny."
Hua Ying, the old woman, seemed not to understand the sarcasm in the words. She glanced at her quietly and then turned her back.
Qingli's limbs were no longer so weak. She got up and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Jiang An indifferently and said, "Since you have already done this, there is no need to talk about feelings anymore."
"You..." Jiang An pointed at her, not noticing her furious and betrayed expression. He muttered a few hateful words and finally declared, "You'll get what's coming to you."
Qing Li chuckled, "I am the granddaughter of a cabinet minister, the fiancée of the commander of the Imperial Guards, and the cousin of a prince, all betrothed by the Emperor. I'll see who gives me what I deserve."
Jiang An's eyes blazed with fury, his heart burning with jealousy and a desire to tear her mouth apart, but he ultimately dared not. He blurted out, "Such arrogance! But there are heavens beyond heavens, and people beyond people, Your Majesty..."
"...Not to mention you're not even married yet."
The conversation started quickly, but Qingli discerned some meaning, and then felt a little sad. Meng Qingshan was such a proud person. His father died when he was young, and he had been supporting the family since childhood, but even his mother did not stand behind him.
Seeing her displeased expression, Jiang An thought she had hit a nerve, and felt a little better. He arrogantly turned around and leaned against the door, squinting at the outside, waiting for some news. Half an hour later, heavy footsteps sounded outside. Jiang An shuddered and hid behind the door.
The next moment, the door was pushed open, and two burly old women grabbed Qingli and walked out. Huaying, the old woman, recognized her as a ruthless executioner from the Palace's Caning Division. She knew that the executioners were cruel and ruthless, and Huaying quickly followed, speaking very cautiously, "I was sent here to bring her. This old servant needs to keep an eye on her."
The two old servants, their brows furrowed with murderous intent, coldly glanced at Granny Hua Ying, knowing she was merely obeying orders, and continued on their way without a word. Granny Hua Ying followed.
The night was starless and moonless, pitch black and enveloping. Only scattered firelight flickered within the palace, adding to the eeriness and mystery. The cold wind howled and whistled, lurking in the corners and then swirling around.
In Qichun Palace, the doors and windows were tightly shut. The Empress and the Imperial Concubine were locked in a fierce confrontation, their atmosphere tense and fraught with anxiety. They were silently pulling at each other, neither daring to break through the first barrier.
"Your Highness, please invite the Emperor out."
"If you have anything to say, Your Majesty can tell me."
"Is the Imperial Concubine capable of bestowing favors evenly upon the harem, or of ruling the entire realm?"
Consort Liu was not buying it. The eldest prince's absurd acts, such as summoning singers and dancers in the council hall, were repeated every day. In his drunken stupor, he even had sex with someone on the spot. The affairs of the court had long been handed over to those ministers.
The Empress gritted her teeth and endured the lack of discussion. Her people couldn't get close to Emperor Mingkang at all, as she was surrounded by secret guards. She realized that some things had gotten out of control. What was even more alarming was that the treacherous Second Prince had actually brought the Chu Yang Army under his command. They had bypassed the main camp in the suburbs of the capital and were already approaching the capital. Yet, even now, she still couldn't figure out the location of the Yang Army.
Thinking of this, the Empress's expression changed drastically. If the Second Prince succeeded in the short term, all her schemes would be in vain.
Emperor Ming Kang must live; he must live. Meng Qingshan still has a chance to make his move gradually.
Sidun, the Empress, led by her maids, advanced step by step toward the bedchamber. The Consort's nanny tried to stop them, and for a moment, chaos ensued. However, no one noticed that the gates of Qichun Palace had been closed and a large number of soldiers had surrounded it.
The messenger reported, "Second Prince, the nannies from the Cane Division have taken two people into custody. Upon investigation, we have learned that they are Qingli, Huang Pu's granddaughter, and a nanny from the Meng family."
"Who gave the order?"
"The eunuch who led the way was from the Empress's palace."
The Second Prince frowned. He was instinctively extremely cautious when it came to matters involving Meng Qingshan. He had intended to use the Chuzhou incident to challenge the Empress through Meng Qingshan. Things went as he expected, but the two were evenly matched. The Empress destroyed the evidence in Chuzhou, and Meng Qingshan returned to the capital peacefully. Meng Qingshan thought he could reap the benefits, but the three parties were still locked in a stalemate.
He originally planned to have Meng Qingshan silenced in Chuzhou, and then expose the Chuzhou affair to gain fame throughout the land. The Fourth Prince would no longer be afraid, and he could even bring Huang Pu under his wing. If the Empress's faction suffered a major setback, he would have an advantage over the Fourth Prince, as both of them were sons disliked by their father.
But...none of them are easy to deal with.
Then let's go all out.
Are our people safe?
"In the secluded garden of the Cold Palace, the Imperial Guards were unaware."
The thousand Chu Yang soldiers who accompanied the Second Prince into the palace this time took advantage of Meng Qingshan's absence from the capital and ambushed the palace city, but they had to be careful not to let Meng Qingshan find out.
"Bring the person here."
The visitor clasped his hands in a fist salute and left.
Meanwhile, Qingli was being carried in a sedan chair. Two old women deliberately jostled the chair, which was filled with rough, sharp stones. Anyone who bumped into them would instantly turn blue or purple. This was a form of punishment. Qingli gripped the low stool tightly to avoid looking disheveled.
With a sudden landing, Qingli was jolted off the low stool and landed heavily back down. There were two muffled groans outside. The next instant, the sedan curtain was lifted, and her mouth and nose were covered. Qingli's consciousness was hazy. She only felt the sedan turn and run forward quickly.
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