Chapter 269 Little did they know, they had become a sight to behold in the eyes of others.
Qingling returned to Mulan Courtyard.
Lin Shiyuan is still alive.
He lay diagonally on the kang (a heated brick bed), one hand supporting his chin, his eyelids closed, as if he were asleep.
Qingling took off her cloak, tiptoed over, bent down slightly, and craned her neck to look at him.
A long line lay there, with fair skin, jet-black hair, narrow eyes, and pink lips pressed into a thin line.
It's rare to see such vibrant colors on a man's face, yet they blend together strangely harmoniously, without appearing feminine.
Like a celestial being who has finished scattering snowflakes, and then, in a playful mood, descends from the heavens to admire the scenery of the human world.
Little did they know, they had become a spectacle in the eyes of others.
Seeing his long eyelashes hanging down, Qingling felt playful and secretly reached out to pluck a few, but before she could touch them, he grabbed her wrist.
The man slowly lifted his eyelids, his eyes still lingering with a hint of languor and haziness as he woke up.
"Hmm, finished talking?" His low, husky voice still sounded sleepy. He wrapped his long arm around Qingling and pulled her into his embrace.
Qingling nudged him: "I'm cold."
The man simply tightened his arms around her, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Then I'll keep you warm."
Qingling: "..."
She suspected that this person was simply trying to take advantage of her.
However, it felt quite comfortable to rest my head on his arm.
Qingling then stopped moving around.
After a moment of silence, Qingling asked, "You were asleep, so how could you still see my hand?"
The man's eyes remained closed, but his breathing was shallow. He replied softly, "I'm used to it."
In the southern border, many people from the Ying Kingdom tried to break through his defenses and assassinate him. Over the years, he developed the habit of being able to sense changes in the surrounding air currents even when he was asleep.
He never lets his guard down, not even with his closest family members.
Yao Qingling recalled her childhood.
Southwest China is home to many venomous snakes and insects, so my mother would sprinkle her specially made medicinal powder around the house. She said it was to prevent the Yi people from using venomous insects and snakes to harm my father.
My father often said that my mother was his guardian angel.
At this moment, Qingling vaguely sensed that her mother's suicide after her father's death might not be as she understood it; perhaps she really was going to join her father in death.
The person she wanted to protect was gone, so her existence had no meaning.
A wave of sadness suddenly washed over Qingling.
But she didn't show it; she just gently nuzzled his shoulder and said, "You don't have a guardian angel."
There was no sympathy or pity in her eyes; she simply stated her opinion.
Lin Shiyuan touched her face with his eyes closed. She still looked relaxed and didn't feel sorry for herself. He said calmly, "The guardian spirit is in your heart. If you believe in it, it exists. But you are just a mortal. You must first have the ability to protect yourself. If you entrust your life to others, even a god can't save you."
Qingling didn't respond to him.
After recovering from the grogginess of waking up, Lin Shiyuan inquired about the situation with the Marquis of Zhongyong.
Qingling sat up, looked at the few pastries left on the low table, and took a bite.
The subtle sweetness of red dates, mixed with the aroma of sesame, filled her mouth, easing her bad mood considerably.
She took a sip of tea and recounted the whole story of Concubine Zhao.
"...She was referring to Madam Liang from the weaving and dyeing workshop, who gave her the gold-feathered silk. As for the rest, Aunt Zhao knew nothing."
Lin Shiyuan: "You believe her?"
Yao Qingling chewed slowly, then held the remaining half of the sesame and red date cake to the man's lips, and the man opened his mouth and bit into it.
He deliberately bit her finger.
Qing Ling glanced at him, her delicate fingertips rubbing back and forth on his clothes. The man chuckled, stood up, and pulled her into his arms.
In winter, a candle flickers gently, and a man and a woman lean on each other, quietly talking—it's a beautiful sight.
Qingling continued the previous topic: "At this point, Aunt Zhao has nothing to hide. What she cares about is that one hundred taels of silver notes, and also the fact that she can keep Hui Ba Fang as her private property. At that time, Madam Ma was in power, and she could not get anything. Silver was the best bait."
It wasn't that she thought Aunt Zhao was short-sighted, but rather that as a man's possession, she could only be subservient to him, and couldn't even afford to buy more cosmetics. One hundred taels was a huge sum of money for her.
Moreover, the other party promised her that if Yao Qingling disappeared, Hui Bafang would become her private property.
"...Aunt Zhao has been seducing Marquis Zhongyong for so long. The pills she gave him cost a lot of money. If she didn't have the money to buy the pills, she wouldn't be able to continue seducing Marquis Zhongyong."
"But Aunt Zhao never expected that Madam Ma would cause such a big mess and be sent to the estate to live out her days. Aunt Zhao's joy was short-lived, as the case of corruption in the palace came to light. Marquis Zhongyong then planned to pin everything on Madam Ma."
In fact, when Marquis Zhongyong learned that the emperor was going to thoroughly investigate corruption in the palace, he was worried that he might be investigated.
He's the kind of person who's greedy but lacks the courage to steal; he gets scared out of his wits at the slightest hint of trouble.
Aunt Zhao was also worried that the gold-feathered silk she had handled would be exposed. She dared not let Marquis Zhongyong know, so she naturally gave Marquis Zhongyong a suggestion to poison Madam Ma and Yao Qingqi.
"...However, my uncle did destroy the evidence, but the guards surrounding him scared him out of his wits."
Lin Shiyuan smiled and patted her hair, saying, "They're used to a life of luxury; they've never experienced the fear of having a sword at their throat. Before the sword even falls, they're already in a panic. Unlike Madam Yao, who has seen so much at such a young age and is so calm."
At this moment, Qingling didn't know whether to be grateful for the hardships she had endured in her childhood or to envy those young ladies who had never suffered and knew nothing of hardship.
But those who live in such a world and experience hardship seem to live longer.
They are ambitious, but they also know what not to do; unlike those pampered young masters and ladies who are ignorant of their place and believe from birth that everything in the world exists because of them. All the good things should be used for their own purposes.
Qing Ling forced a smile, her brows furrowing slightly: "You've been investigating for so long, have you found any officials connected to Zhou Zhining?"
Lin Shiyuan said, "Even if we find out, they won't admit it."
He paused for a moment, then looked at Qingling: "You mean, Zhou Zhining might also be involved in the major corruption case in the palace?"
The two of them thought of the "ledger" mentioned in Zhan Xingzhuofei's letter.
Both were forms of corruption, one involving money from repairing the Yellow River dikes, the other from the theft of the imperial treasury and the rampant buying and selling of tribute—both were quick ways to make money. It's unlikely that people like Grand Tutor Zhou would only choose one avenue for corruption.
If that "ledger" really exists, then there are still some fish that have slipped through the net, and they are big fish at that.
These people used the imperial treasury to enrich themselves, and their corruption never stopped.
Zhou Zhining knew these people, maintained contact with them, and had channels to resell the treasures.
Lin Shiyuan said, "Is it possible that even Prince Xin..."
Prince Xin's Jinmantang was established by copying Yao Qingling's general store.
With a large quantity of goods, they would mix in those illicit treasures and sell them... Jinmantang was merely a place for them to conceal their true intentions.
Moreover, Jin Mantang does not do business with commoners; it only deals with nobles.
Only the nobles could afford the treasures that came from the palace!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
