Chapter 119 A Break: Xie Qingyu, let's be strangers from now on. ...
When Yin Yi learned that Yue Yining and Ye Miheng had gone to Jinling together, his first thought was: Oh no, Xie Qingyu is going to explode again.
To his surprise, when he reported this to Xie Qingyu, the latter merely responded with a snort, without even lifting an eyelash. On the scroll, the hand wielding the brush remained as steady as Mount Tai, the face calm and composed, unmoved.
Yin Yi: The sun rose from the west?
He tentatively asked, "Then, is there anything I should do for Lord Ye?"
Xie Qingyu still didn't look up: "No need."
Yin Yi: "......?"
Xie Qingyu was fully aware of Yin Yi's confusion and hesitation. He slightly raised his wrist, put down his brush, and only then did he deign to give his straightforward subordinate even a glance. "Are you curious why?"
Yin Yi's body trembled, and he lowered his head: "This subordinate dares not presume to guess the young master's intentions."
"It's alright to tell you." Xie Qingyu smiled gently, her words ambiguous. "Ye Miheng poses no threat to me. He's just a dog who likes to follow Yue Yining around. He'll never amount to anything. I can tolerate a dog by her side for her amusement. I have that much magnanimity."
If he were to argue or fight with this insignificant Ye Miheng, it would only damage his pure and innocent image in Yue Yining's eyes, which would be a loss rather than a gain.
Yin Yi: "......."
Because of Xie Qingyu's past misdeeds, the credibility of such statements is greatly reduced.
"Understood. I will report back to the eldest son once Lord Yue has departed for the capital."
Xie Qingyu had always arranged for people to infiltrate inside and outside the princess's residence. Now that Yue Yining was not in the residence, those who were assigned to monitor her naturally had to be recalled to do other tasks.
Yin Yi was surprised that Yue Yining returned so quickly, and that she visited Xie Qingyu as soon as she returned to the capital.
Xie Qingyu had given Yue Yining a warrant to the Xie family, which allowed him to visit the Xie residence at any time and be treated with courtesy.
Yin Yi welcomed her inside, thinking to himself, "Even without this warrant, as long as Yue Yining comes to see me, who in the Xie family would dare to turn her away?"
"What has your young master been busy with lately?"
Yin Yi was surprised that Yue Yining would suddenly ask him a question. After a brief pause, he lied, "I don't know, but it should be some clan affairs."
No, he knows it all too well.
Xie Qingyu had made up her mind a few days ago to return the favor to Yue Yining, and had been writing and painting in the Wenmo Room these past few days.
It was mostly finished yesterday. Someone went to the treasury to find a jade scroll and ivory box. All that's left is to present this great gift to the recipient.
Having received the notification, Xie Qingyu waited at the courtyard gate early in the morning. Dressed in a black robe and jade belt, her figure shimmered in the moonlight, her delicate eyebrows gleaming in the clear blue sky, her slender frame radiating a crisp autumn air.
Seeing her walking towards him from afar, he smiled gently, his eyes crinkling slightly.
This is Xie Qingyu, the outstanding eldest son of the Xie family.
His teachers praised him for his discerning judgment and far-sighted vision.
Colleagues described her as having a heart as pure as the cloud and a nature as bright as the moon, as being as clean as jade and as steadfast as a pine tree.
Yue Yining withdrew her gaze, walked straight to him, and greeted him as usual: "Good afternoon, Lord Xie."
She believed she had disguised herself well enough, that she hadn't revealed any of her complicated thoughts. But Xie Qingyu looked down at her, the joy and tenderness in her eyes gradually fading, replaced by a clear-headed hesitation.
"Lord Yue..." He had just started to speak when Yue Yining interrupted him.
She said, "Let's go inside and sit down before we talk."
Yin Yi, being perceptive, noticed the awkward atmosphere between the two. After serving tea and snacks, he sent away all the servants around the room to do their work, only instructing Huang Qiu and Xiao Chuan to guard the door in the corridor.
Inside, the faint aroma of tea mingled with the scent of pine soot ink, creating a bitter yet cool smell.
Xie Qingyu looked at Yue Yining, who had been sitting in front of him for a long time without saying a word, and felt uneasy.
"Why did you come all of a sudden, Miss?" he asked softly. "Did you run into some trouble?"
"If you encounter any difficulties or problems, feel free to tell me, and I'll see if I can help."
Yue Yining came directly to Xie Qingyu after returning from Jinling.
She knew she had to ask Xie Qingyu about this in person, otherwise she wouldn't be able to face Xie Qingyu with a normal attitude in the future.
Yue Yining gripped the teacup tightly, raised her eyes, and met his gaze: "Xie Qingyu."
"I have something to ask you, and you must answer me truthfully."
Xie Qingyu's unease grew, but he composed himself and replied, "Okay."
Looking into his bright, clear eyes, Yue Yining said, word by word, "I want to ask you. Was Xie Zhi's death an accident, or was it something you deliberately planned?"
Thump!
A resounding bell or tripod chime came from outside the window, its sound vast and resonant, shaking the mountains and forests.
She suddenly launched an attack, but Xie Qingyu showed no sign of panic.
With his eyes half-closed, his familiar harmless yet heart-wrenching expression, he spoke softly: "...This charge is far too serious, Qingyu is utterly terrified."
"I don't know if someone is spreading rumors about me to you again, but please be clear, I am not such a heartless person."
Yue Yi Ning looked at him quietly, and waited for him to finish speaking before saying, "To be honest, I have always had doubts about the downfall of the Wang family."
“I started a secret investigation into the people involved in the downfall of Wang in April, as well as the truth behind it. I know that the downfall of Wang was orchestrated by Prime Minister Xie. Prime Minister Xie did this because he received false information and mistakenly believed that the Wang family intended to rebel. In order to protect the Xie family, he decided to strike first.”
“And the person who fabricated the intelligence about the Wang family’s rebellion and misled Prime Minister Xie,” Yue Yining said with a deep look in his eyes, “is you, Xie Qingyu.”
"...Why do you think that, Miss?" Xie Qingyu said in a low voice. "Wang is my maternal grandfather. Why would I fabricate information and deliberately sow discord between my father and my maternal grandfather? Isn't that absurd?"
“I didn’t understand at first either. I couldn’t find any reason for you to murder the Wang family.” Yue Yining said slowly, “Your mother and your uncle are both from the Wang family. You have half Wang family blood in your body.”
“But every clue I’ve obtained points to you. If it was you who did it, then everything makes sense.”
"Shortly after the Wang family's downfall, the Seventh Prince, Wei Xueyu, officially announced his participation in the struggle for the throne. At that time, Xie Zhi left the capital with his wife to pay respects to their ancestors, while you, Xie Qingyu, represented the Xie family and publicly sided with the Seventh Prince in the capital." Yue Yining stared intently at him. "Do you still remember what you told me back then?"
For this reason, she made a special trip to see Xie Qingyu.
The rumored seventh prince was aloof and taciturn, disliked fighting, and averse to power and fame. It was truly illogical for such a person to suddenly decide to vie for the position of crown prince. The Xie family almost immediately and publicly sided with the seventh prince. Later, she discovered that Xie Qingyu had already contacted Wei Xueyu as early as January.
Yue Yining suspected that Xie Qingyu had played the role of a coercer, and that the Xie family harbored regency intentions, aiming to indirectly control the Dongxi court by supporting the seventh prince to the throne. She almost questioned him.
Xie Qingyu explained the reasons to her earnestly.
He said that since the downfall of the Wang family, Consort Duan, the daughter of Vice Minister Wang and the birth mother of the Seventh Prince, had gone mad. She abused the Seventh Prince and demanded that he participate in the struggle for the throne for her sake, which the Seventh Prince only agreed to out of filial piety.
He said that the seventh prince was learned and his ability to govern far surpassed that of the third and fourth princes. He was just introverted. Now that he had made up his mind, he would surely become a wise ruler if he was nurtured in the future.
“…Those words are all true,” Xie Qingyu said in a hoarse voice. “I didn’t lie to you.”
"Yes, you're telling the truth. You're too clever; you never tell a complete lie, but you don't tell the whole truth either. A half-truth is what makes it hard to tell the difference." Disappointment gradually showed in Yue Yining's eyes. "You said you wouldn't lie to me. Then let me ask you, what did you reveal to Consort Duan through the Seventh Prince?"
Xie Qingyu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she could no longer restrain herself.
He gradually realized that Yue Yining might have investigated everything thoroughly before coming to confront him.
Yes, she has always been cautious and kind, unwilling to easily wrong innocent people, but she also wouldn't let any evildoer go unpunished. Until the very last moment, Yue Yining would never doubt someone she deeply trusted.
If he lies again, it will only make her more disappointed in him.
Xie Qingyu remained silent, and Yue Yining understood the answer through his silence.
Shock, bewilderment, understanding, anger... countless emotions surged into her heart, almost burning her to the core.
Yue Yining looked at him, her chest heaving slightly: "So you admit it."
"You revealed to the Seventh Prince that the mastermind behind the downfall of the Prince was your father, Prime Minister Xie Zhi. You know he will definitely tell Consort Duan, and this truth will undoubtedly add fuel to the fire, a devastating blow, for Consort Duan who is already on the verge of madness. Her closest relatives were betrayed by the Xie family, whom they considered allies, and now she has fallen into a state of ruin, while the murderer is still at large, living happily ever after. Tell me, how angry and resentful she must be!"
"You've calculated everything. As long as you tell Consort Duan, she will definitely kill Xie Zhi by any means necessary. All you need to do is put on a sorrowful appearance and distance yourself from your father who has committed heinous crimes, and Consort Duan will not touch you—after all, you are one of the few friends of her taciturn son and a key minister who supports his struggle for the throne."
"Your methods are truly brilliant, but unfortunately, I encountered a member of the Wang family who could help me uncover the core of the case. You have already dealt with most of the correspondence and the people involved. He searched for a long time before finding a witness for me, the servant who hired the killer for Consort Duan. Unfortunately, that servant has had his tongue cut out and he is illiterate, so he is completely unable to identify the real killer."
“Wang Zhou originally intended to take him to the princess’s residence to see me, but no one expected that when they passed by the Xie residence in their carriage, the servant saw the Xie family’s gate and screamed, struggling frantically to get away, his eyes filled with unconcealed terror.”
Yue Yining recalled the scene she witnessed when she went to pay her respects to Xie Zhi, where Xie Qingyu was scolding the servants.
Her memories gradually became clear. She clearly remembered that Xie Qingyu mentioned Consort Duan and said, "Go and bring her back."
She didn't actually understand the details at the time, but she wrote them down because of her good memory. That afternoon, she was organizing the files Wang Zhou had handed her, and finally, slowly, she pieced together all the clues.
"This servant who serves Consort Duan was also someone you carefully arranged. Consort Duan used him to find someone to murder Xie Zhi, and then used him to cover up the truth. From Xie Zhi leaving the capital to his assassination attempt in Luoshui and his shipwreck, you knew everything. In fact, you had it all under your control. You achieved your goal effortlessly, successfully using someone else to do the dirty work without getting your hands dirty."
"What an intricately linked scheme! Even though I consider myself exceptionally intelligent, I can't help but applaud and admire you."
As soon as she finished speaking, looking at Xie Qingyu, who was as white as paper and with a frail figure in front of her, Yue Yining let out a breath: "Lord Xie, do you need me to continue?"
Xie Qingyu looked up at her. Even at this point, he still maintained a gentle and kind demeanor. His eyes were so clear and bright as he looked at her. No one would have imagined that such a ruthless and heartless heart was hidden beneath that upright and innocent appearance.
He committed numerous crimes, harmed his own relatives, and acted against heaven and morality.
Yue Yining reached into her sleeve, pulled out a letter, and tossed it onto the table. With her keen eyesight, she naturally didn't miss the slight contraction in Xie Qingyu's pupils the instant she saw the envelope.
The authenticity of the letter was also verified. Her heart sank.
Indeed, Qiu Wuzhu would never stoop to forging fake letters to sow discord among them.
“…Xie Qingyu,” Yue Yining said softly, “you’ve been looking for it, haven’t you?”
"You calculated everything, the only thing you overlooked was that Xie Zhi had planted spies in the capital that even you, his own son, didn't know about. He had only been in Luoshui for a short time when he learned that you were openly supporting the Seventh Prince's bid for the throne on behalf of the Xie family. He was shocked and hastily wrote a letter back. He also considered sending someone back to the capital to stop you, but the day after he sent the letter, he drowned his body on the banks of the Luoshui River."
“This letter was an accident, but it’s crucial evidence that will expose you, because you told the clan elders that you supported the Seventh Prince, and you had already informed your father, who agreed,” Yue Yining said. “If they find out that Xie Zhi never agreed to you and didn’t side with the Seventh Prince, your plan will fall apart.”
At this point, all the dust covering the past has been blown away, revealing the true nature of things.
Since entering the room, Yue Yining hadn't had a chance to drink a sip of tea and had talked a lot. Now that she had suddenly stopped, she felt her throat was dry and sore, and she felt restless and irritable.
She suppressed the anger surging through her lungs, paused, and waited for Xie Qingyu's rebuttal or explanation.
But he remained silent, as if he had truly become a white jade sculpture.
She paused for a moment, then said, "This whole thing, from beginning to end, was all a scheme you set up, wasn't it?"
"From the moment you made contact with the Seventh Prince in January, you had already planned what to do. The series of events that followed, from the downfall of the Prince, supporting the Seventh Prince, instigating Consort Duan, to the murder of Xie Zhi, were all part of your plan."
Yue Yining paused here, then fell silent for a long time before continuing, "...You did all this so that you could smoothly and without hindrance support the person you were satisfied with, so that he would have no choice but to willingly fight for power and take the throne as crown prince."
"Really? So you've harmed so many people just because they stood in your way to seize power? Just for profit, you'd kill innocent people, even your closest relatives?" Her voice was filled with disbelief.
Before receiving this letter, she always felt as if she were a huge machine missing a key link, unable to function smoothly, until Qiu Wuzhu delivered this most crucial piece of evidence.
She knew she could no longer defend Xie Qingyu.
She once thought he was not a celestial being, nor did he possess the physique of a crane or a swallow.
She once thought...
Yue Yining's voice trembled slightly: "...Xie Qingyu, answer me."
"Why is that?"
"Most of what I've said is just my speculation. It has no basis, can't be verified, and can't be traced back. I'm not here to punish you, but to hear your reasons for doing this."
Yue Yining couldn't believe what she had found out. It wasn't that she was arrogant, but rather that she refused to believe that Xie Qingyu, who had gone through so much hardship with her, was just an illusion.
His kindness to her, the moments that moved her, made her heart flutter, and even brought her to tears, were all just his pretense.
She thought she had opened her heart to him, but in reality, she had never seen the real him.
“Tell me the truth. Why did you go to such lengths to kill Xie Zhi? Did he do something bad to you?” Yue Yining’s voice softened. “I won’t be prejudiced or make malicious assumptions. Don’t be afraid. I will keep this a secret and will never tell anyone.”
"But if you want me to trust you, you at least have to be honest with me and give me a reason."
Looking at Xie Qingyu, whose eyes were moist, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath: "...As long as you tell me, I will believe you."
That's what she said.
Even at the very end, she wanted to get to the bottom of things, unwilling to have even the slightest possibility of wronging or aggrieving him.
Xie Qingyu felt a surge of warmth in her heart, her eyes reddened, and she almost burst into tears.
But he remained silent throughout.
What could he say?
To say he did so many wrong things just for her? Because he had no other foolproof way to save her, he didn't care about these people at all; he only cared about her life?
Is it true that he was actually a lonely ghost from the future, who already knew that everything she did was in vain? Is it true that he actually loved her and was unwilling and unable to watch her die?
He couldn't say anything.
Even if there is a reason, it can only be that there isn't.
He would do anything to help her avoid her destined fate, even murder and arson, defying the heavens.
Even if she misunderstands me, resents me, and we eventually drift apart.
After a long silence, Xie Qingyu spoke.
“I’m sorry, miss,” he said. “I have no reason to complain.”
Xie Qingyu knelt down before Yue Yining, bowing deeply. Her hands were clasped in front, her forehead touching the bluestone ground behind.
His voice was as light as a wisp of smoke: "I have failed Miss's trust. No matter how Miss wants to deal with me, how to reprimand me, or how to punish me, Qingyu will accept it all without any resentment."
Yue Yining's heart lost its last leash and plummeted completely.
She looked at him as if he were a complete stranger, her eyes no longer holding the familiar gentleness and tenderness they usually possessed.
Xie Qingyu knelt on the ground, her eyes tightly closed, her vision blurred by darkness. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Only outside the window, the rustling of autumn leaves in the wind created a soft, dreamlike sound.
He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally heard Yue Yining's voice.
“Xie Qingyu,” Yue Yining said, “it’s as if I’ve never known you before.”
"I was so stupid to keep making excuses for you and to trust you so much."
Xie Qingyu could calmly accept the previous accusations, but these two short sentences almost crushed him.
The gentle, somber expression peeled away layer by layer, revealing a heart filled with fear and apprehension.
He watched Yue Yining storm off, then staggered to his feet, "No, that's not how it is! Miss, I..."
"Stop! Don't follow me!" Yue Yining roared at him.
Xie Qingyu stopped not far from her, staring at her with red eyes.
"...That's it then. Consider me a bad judge of character." Yue Yining was panting heavily. After a long while, she calmed down and finished speaking. "Don't come looking for me again, don't send me anything, and don't say anything to me again."
"You've been so good to me. You've wronged others, but you've never wronged me. I can't say anything harsh to you anymore. Maybe there's no need to say anything."
"I understand now, we are ultimately not meant to be together." Yue Yining reached out and pushed open the half-closed wooden door, leaving behind her last words, "From now on, let's be strangers, no need to worry about each other, no need to know each other anymore."
From now on, we'll face our own winds and snows; if we meet again, let's not ask each other's names
Xie Qingyu knelt on the ground, his knees weak, watching helplessly as Yue Yining pushed open the door and left, leaving him with only a heartless back view.
Two heavy, carved wooden doors slowly closed in front of him.
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Author's Note: In case you forget the plot, here's a summary of the foreshadowing in this chapter:
Chapter 28: When Yu Yu went to see the Seventh Prince for the first time, the Seventh Prince had a feeling that she was a dangerous person.
Chapter 43: Yun Ying was teleported to Consort Duan's palace and saw that Consort Duan had gone mad.
Chapters 56 and 57: Ningning suspects the Xie family of plotting to seize power and questions Yuyu.
Chapter 80: Yu Yu is caught scolding a servant.
There are some subtle foreshadowing elements above. If you need all the relevant plot points, I will compile them separately!
Another crucial point that needs to be emphasized is that Xie Qingyu's entire scheme was for Ningning's sake! She couldn't kill the Fourth Prince, nor could she ask Ningning to support the Third Prince, completely disregarding the fact that the Fourth Prince would inevitably rebel in the future, leading to Ningning's death.
After writing for so long, you should all feel that the way of heaven is unpredictable. At present, it seems that fate is uncontrollable and unstoppable. You never know how the destined ending will be realized.
The safest way he could think of was to support the Seventh Prince's ascension to the throne, so that he would be the one to die in the end. From his perspective, doing so was perfectly normal; it wasn't that he wanted to seize power! He didn't care at all (the detailed logic is in chapters 58 and 59; those who have forgotten can go back and review them).
Xie Qingyu did everything perfectly. Ningning's speculation was merely conjecture. The key evidence consisted only of Xie Zhi's letter and the witness, but strictly speaking, these alone were insufficient to convict Yuyu. The evidence and witnesses from other aspects had long been destroyed by the cunning Yuyu.
Ningning finally saw Xie Qingyu's true colors! From then on, she was finally able to love the real Xie Qingyu without hesitation!
We're about to move on to the third case! The third case will involve them reconciling and confirming their relationship—lots of exciting content!
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