Chapter 310 Feigning Illness
Minglu said, "Master, why don't you let Miss Zhou go to Prince Xin to ask for it? The girl is working for Prince Xin. If you ask for it, given her sincerity towards you, she would steal it for you even if she had to."
But the Second Master didn't even let Zhou Zhining know about this.
Minglu felt that as long as Zhan Xingzhuo asked, Zhou Zhining would definitely help him get it done.
She loved the Second Master so much.
Zhan Xingzhuo glanced at Minglu and felt that he was thinking too simply.
“Hongying was almost killed by Yao Qingling just because her eyes looked like Yao Qingling’s.”
Minglu understood, but touched her lips with lingering fear.
Zhou Zhining questioned him several times about what the Second Master had done at the Duke's mansion. He had accepted Zhou Zhining's money and revealed a little, saying that he had gone to paint, but he didn't know... he didn't know if Zhou Zhining would think anything of it.
Minglu would absolutely not dare to let Zhan Xingzhuo know about this.
...
Meanwhile, Yao Qingling opened the scroll in the room.
Just as she remembered, she lay on a large rock, with a large expanse of blooming wisteria behind her, making her look bright, alluring, and charming.
She still remembered the pose, and her clothes were somewhat disheveled...
But so much time has passed that she only remembers the general outline and can't recall the specific details.
Yao Qingling saw Zhan Xingzhuo's seal, and then looked at the scroll.
Zhan Xingzhuo personally mounted the painting, saying that only he could see it, and even the mounting craftsman was not allowed to.
This should be the painting.
Qingling breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the painting, and threw it into the brazier.
Soon, the flames engulfed the painting, leaving only ashes.
"Miss?" Xia Chan knocked on the door from outside.
Qingling said, "Come in."
Xia Chan glanced at the scroll that was still burning in the brazier and said to Qing Ling, "The Prince Xin's mansion has sent an invitation, inviting Miss to a banquet the day after tomorrow."
Qingling took the post and opened it casually.
The post only had her name on it.
But if it's a banquet hosted by the Prince's residence, the Marquis of Zhongyong should also be among them.
Xia Chan said, "Our young marquis is too young; he would be disturbed if he went to such a place. Princess Xin probably took that into consideration, which is why she only invited Miss."
Yao Qingling is now a celebrity in Beijing, and many powerful and influential people send her a gift when they hold banquets.
Yao Qingling had no right to refuse.
People are doing you a favor by inviting you; if Yao Qingling refuses, she will offend them.
Qingling rubbed her temples and put the post aside: "We'll talk about it later."
The banquets for everyone else were manageable, but this Prince Xin's...
Yao Qingling felt uncomfortable whenever she thought of that man's snake-like eyes.
Lin Shiyuan came in the evening.
He immediately noticed the two lumps of black charcoal left in the brazier: "What did you burn?"
Qingling said, "I burned a painting I didn't like."
She showed him the Prince's invitation: "Did you receive it too?"
Lin Shiyuan was a rising star in the court, and given his influence, Lin Shiyuan should also have been influential.
The man frowned and shook his head.
"You don't have it?" Qingling asked in surprise.
After Lin Shiyuan was promoted, many officials in the court invited him to drink and eat.
The man peeled a peanut and ate it: "I've never gotten along with him before. He's royalty, so whether I invite him or not, he doesn't have to worry about offending me."
Simply put, they are not on the same page. When court officials host banquets for guests, isn't the main purpose to cultivate relationships?
Yao Qingling nodded: "That makes sense."
She frowned slightly, but she was even less influential than Lin Shiyuan and had no connection with Prince Xin.
Her Hui Ba Fang and Prince Xin's Jin Man Tang are rivals.
The two companies have had their fair share of open and covert struggles.
When Yao Qingling's shop was shut down, Jin Mantang had a feast.
Lin Shiyuan suddenly frowned deeply, as if he had thought of something.
He stared at Qingling.
Qingling: "Why are you looking at me like that? I have no relationship with Prince Xin. Because of his relationship with Zhou Zhining, I'm more afraid that he will do something bad to me."
"No." The man's voice was serious and harsh, as if he was angry about something.
Qingling didn't understand what he meant: "What doesn't it mean?"
"What do you think he wanted to do for Zhou Zhining? Why did he set up this banquet specifically to deal with me?"
Lin Shiyuan shook his head and threw away the flower shell: "After your matter caused a stir in the court, the emperor once told me that when you were imprisoned, Prince Xin pleaded for you."
Yao Qingling was stunned: "Him? He's pleading for me?"
Given Prince Xin's sinister nature, he probably wished she would die in prison to prevent her from causing any more trouble and harming him.
Lin Shiyuan looked at Qing Ling, his gaze becoming obscure and deep.
“At the time, I thought the Emperor was testing Prince Xin and asking for my opinion. Prince Xin was known for his frivolous and lazy lifestyle, and was nominally a carefree prince who did not care about worldly affairs. However, the Emperor was suspicious and did not fully trust Prince Xin.”
"He left the capital five years ago because of the major case involving the Zhou family, because he didn't want to get involved in the scandal because of his relationship with Grand Tutor Zhou. But since he's ignoring politics, he has no intention of leaving again this time he's returned to the capital."
“Prince Xin was often rumored to have affairs with women, and he pleaded with you before the Emperor… At the time, I thought he was trying to make the Emperor think that his interests were still with women.”
“But now…” Lin Shiyuan looked at the invitation.
Yao Qingling felt a heavy weight in her heart.
Hearing these words, I felt terrified, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
She opened her mouth and said, "Then I won't go. Anyway, it's not like I haven't said some nasty things to him before."
As soon as she finished speaking, she shook her head again.
Prince Xin was unpredictable. If she said something unpleasant to him, he would not care when he was in a good mood; but if he was in a bad mood, he would accuse her of disrespecting the royal family at any time, since he was a member of the royal family and a prince.
"...Otherwise, I'll ask He Yin to get me some medicine, and then I'll pretend to be sick and not go."
Yao Qingling was pleased that she had come up with a good idea.
On the day of the banquet at Prince Xin's mansion, Qingling drank the medicine prepared by He Yin.
Soon, patches of rashes appeared all over her body.
She instructed Xia Chan to prepare a generous gift and asked Nie Yun to accompany her to the Prince's residence to present the gift, explaining that she was ill and unable to attend the banquet.
They thought they could get away with it that way.
Unexpectedly, no sooner had Xia Chan arrived at the mansion than Bu Fang, who was by Prince Xin's side, brought the imperial physician to examine Qing Ling.
"The Princess Consort was very worried when she heard that Lady Yao was ill. She specially ordered me to bring the Imperial Physician to examine her. Please let the Imperial Physician examine you, so that the Princess Consort can be at ease."
The guard kept calling her "Princess Consort," but everyone knew that Princess Consort Xin was just a figurehead in the Prince's mansion and had no real authority over Prince Xin.
Moreover, this is Prince Xin's personal bodyguard, and he has a very sharp eye.
He came to see if it was real or fake.
Helpless, Qingling could only extend her hand for the imperial physician to take her pulse and then examine the rash on her body.
She trusted He Yin's medical skills; these deliberately created rashes wouldn't be noticeable to the imperial physicians.
"...Besides the rash, I also feel dizzy, vomit, and weak all over." Qingling deliberately exaggerated the severity of her condition.
The imperial physician replied, "It's alright, I have a way to cure you."
He said it was because the flowers were in bloom in spring, and Yao Qingling was allergic to a certain type of pollen.
Then he took out a pill from the medicine box, gave it to Qingling, and then gave her acupuncture.
Surprisingly, the rash has faded a lot!
Qingling opened her mouth, but when she saw the guard's probing gaze, she quickly turned her annoyance into a few dry heaves.
The imperial physician put away the needles and said, "I have a few more pills here. My lady, take a few more and you will feel no discomfort."
Before Yao Qingling could say anything, the guard asked, "Then, may Madam Yao attend the banquet?"
The imperial physician glanced at the guard and replied, "It's nothing serious."
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