Chapter 69: Coercion and Inducement
Xue Yishu lost consciousness and fell limply.
Du Qingtang was quick to catch her and put her on the bed.
Then he returned to the table and drank his tea in big gulps.
The tea had already gone cold, sliding down her throat into her stomach. The coldness kept her awake and rational.
After drinking a pot of tea, Du Qingtang sat on a round stool with his hands on his knees.
The abnormal blush on her cheeks showed that she was not feeling well, and her furrowed brows showed that she was on the edge of being out of control and under control.
Du Qingtang raised his hand and rubbed his eyebrows, slowly gathered his energy, closed his eyes and concentrated his mind.
I don’t know how much time has passed.
Maybe it takes a cup of tea, or maybe it takes a stick of incense.
“Knock knock knock—”
A slight knock on the door broke the pin-drop silence.
Du Qingtang opened his eyes, and in just a moment, his slightly rapid breathing returned to normal. The corners of his lips were tightly pursed, and his expression was cold and harsh.
She got up and opened the door.
"Mr. Du." The man dressed as a eunuch outside the door bowed to her.
Du Qingtang turned sideways and the man walked into the guest room.
He first checked on Xue Yishu, who slept peacefully, with only a slight flush on the back of her neck. He then pulled out an envelope from his bosom, "Master Du, this is what Madam asked me to give you."
Du Qingtang took it and pinched it inconspicuously.
The envelope is quite thick, which shows that the things inside are very substantial.
The man carefully helped Xue Yishu up. His voice was cold and stern, with a warning tinge to it: "Madam also asked me to tell Master Du that I hope he will keep his word and do what he said."
Du Qingtang stood with his hands behind his back and responded fluently: "Of course."
The man nodded and left with Xue Yishu.
Du Qingtang stood still for a moment and called out to a passing maid: "Prepare some water, I need to take a bath."
The maid could smell the alcohol on Du Qingtang from afar, and seeing that she was wearing the robes of a Jinshi scholar, she hurriedly responded, "Please wait a moment, my lord. I will go get you some water."
Du Qingtang sat back and his thoughts went back to yesterday.
......
After losing the silent contest, Xue was unhappy.
Perhaps because she was used to giving orders, her tone couldn't help but sound a bit tough.
"Mr. Du, I want to discuss a deal with you."
Du Qingtang placed his right hand lightly on his left wrist, and lightly touched the warm skin with his fingertips: "Madam, please speak."
Whether to agree or not is another matter.
Xue understood her implication and smiled slightly: "I am Xue Yishu's aunt, the second wife of the Duke of Changguo."
Du Qingtang readily replied, "So it's Madam Xue, my apologies."
And then nothing happened.
There was no panicking, no fawning.
It was as if Xue was just an ordinary woman, not a fourth-rank official, the future wife of a duke's prince, or even a marquise.
——The Duke of Changguo’s Mansion was passed down from generation to generation, and Qi Lianmao happened to be the third generation Duke.
Mrs. Xue was very disappointed and increasingly dissatisfied. Her eyes were filled with criticism and disdain. "I don't know what despicable means you used to make Sister Shu fall so deeply in love with you, but I advise you to give up this idea as soon as possible. The Xue family will never marry Sister Shu to you."
"That's the best." Du Qingtang retorted, "Although I have never met your cousin, your cousin's behavior has troubled me greatly."
Xue was furious and slammed the table, shouting, "Du Qingtang!"
Du Qingtang smiled, but his eyes were cold: "Since you need help from others, you should act in a begging manner. What do you think, Madam?"
A basin of cold water was poured over her head, extinguishing the anger in Xue's heart.
Xue took a deep breath and calmed down.
That's right, she needed help from others.
She didn't want Xue Yishu to become a tool for Yao Xuan's revenge, so even though Du Qingtang was of low status and could be crushed by the Qi and Xue families with a flick of their fingers, she still had to lower herself and lure him with huge benefits.
Xue clutched her handkerchief tightly, suppressing her discontent and saying, "Shu Jie'er is clamoring to marry you. I hope you will reject her no matter what she does."
As she spoke, she lowered her voice, with a strong hint of temptation: "In exchange, I can agree to one condition of yours."
Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows slightly: "Any conditions are acceptable?"
Xue secretly cursed Du Qingtang for being greedy and not afraid of not being able to eat enough and choking to death: "...as long as I can do it."
Du Qingtang pondered for a moment: "In that case, I agree."
Xue stared at her and asked only, "What do you want?"
Du Qingtang leaned forward slightly, and Xue leaned back reflexively, stopping only when her hair bun hit the carriage.
Realizing what he had done, Xue's eyes darkened for a moment.
Du Qingtang acted as if she hadn't noticed, her demeanor calm and composed as if she were the true owner of the carriage. "I want...evidence that your second master poisoned his brother."
Xue's breathing stagnated, and the hands hidden in her sleeves clenched the handkerchief with such force that she almost tore it into pieces.
She just knew it!
She knew that Du Qingtang approached Shu Jie'er for revenge!
"What do you mean by poisoning my brother? Everyone knows that the prince of the Duke of Changguo Mansion died at the hands of his colleagues. What does that have to do with the Qi family? They are brothers from the same mother. There is absolutely no possibility of sibling rivalry!"
The image of Yao hanging on the beam appeared in Xue's eyes again. She suppressed her fear and looked at her coldly.
"I don't know where you heard this rumor from, but slandering an imperial official is a serious crime, even if you pass the imperial examination and will soon be admitted to the Hanlin Academy!"
Du Qingtang folded her arms, leaning against the carriage with a half-smile on her face: "Madam, why do you have to pretend to be ignorant when you know the truth? Not only do I know that your husband, the second master of your house, poisoned your brother, but I also know that you..."
"Shut up!" Xue was startled and shouted in a low voice.
Du Qingtang kept silent, picked up the teapot, poured two cups of tea, and pushed one of them in front of Xue.
Xue ignored him, his eyes fixed on the void, as if he was showing disdain.
Little did she know that the more she did this, the more she appeared to be bluffing.
"Du knows that the noble families are all of the same blood. If one suffers, they suffer together. If one prospers, they prosper together. If the Duke of Changguo's Mansion is in trouble, the Xue family will not suffer any harm either."
"But, debts must be paid, and murder must be punished. This is only natural."
Xue disagreed and sneered, "My father-in-law is the current Vice Minister. There are also the Imperial Concubine and the Second Prince in the palace. Yao Xuan is just a small headman. What kind of waves can he stir up?"
"Madam, please don't worry about whether it can stir up trouble." Du Qingtang changed the subject and said, "Madam, which is the greater crime, killing your brother or deceiving your emperor?"
Xue's heart skipped a beat. "What crime of deceiving the emperor? The Qi family is full of loyal ministers, how could they be accused of deceiving the emperor?"
Du Qingtang smiled, like a plum blossom blooming in the cold winter: "Of course it's your son."
A bolt of thunder struck Xue's head, and her eyes went dark. Her fingers trembled constantly as she grabbed the edge of the small table, her nails digging deep into it. The pain made her barely maintain the dignity and majesty of a wife from a wealthy family.
Xue's voice trembled: "You..." Nonsense!
Du Qingtang whispered softly, "Madam, are you asking how I know this? Everyone has secrets. Curiosity kills the cat. Knowing too much will kill you."
"Your son deceived the emperor and pretended to be someone else to be recommended for office. If His Majesty knew about this, even with the Imperial Concubine, the Duke of Changguo's mansion would suffer a devastating disaster."
"Ma'am, you didn't do anything back then, did you?"
Xue nodded subconsciously.
It was because Old Madam Qi threatened Second Master Qi's future and Qi Heming's life that Xue had no choice but to follow her to deal with Yao.
It was the maid in Old Madam Qi's room who did it; she did nothing.
"I can assure you that no innocent person will be harmed." Du Qingtang's voice was soft, like a spring breeze brushing against his ears. "Every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt has its creditor. If that day comes, you and your son will both escape unscathed. You will continue to be your second wife, and your son will continue to be his eldest son."
Xue looked at Du Qingtang with a scrutinizing look in her eyes.
Du Qingtang allowed her to study her. "The Cao family is incredibly powerful. Empress Cao controls the harem, and they have two legitimate sons: the Fourth and Fifth Princes. Meanwhile, the Qi family only has the Duke of Changguo in the court, and they can't hold their own. You don't think the Second Prince has a real chance of ascending to the throne, do you?"
"Even if Cao is gone, and the Fourth and Fifth Princes are gone, we still have the First Prince."
"The Second Prince is neither the legitimate heir, nor the most virtuous, nor the eldest. Why does Your Majesty choose him as the crown prince?"
Xue asked herself, can the second prince really become the emperor?
The second prince is incompetent. He has participated in court politics for many years but has not made any achievements. However, he is good at making trouble. Over the years, the Duke of Changguo's Mansion has had to clean up his mess countless times.
Emperor Qingyuan was not stupid and would never hand over the country to such a fool.
Du Qingtang took a sip and found the tea to be good, with a refreshing fragrance and a long aftertaste.
"Your Second Master favored his concubine over his wife, causing you to lose three children in succession in your early years. Do you still have feelings for him?"
Of course not.
Xue hated him so much that she wanted to eat his flesh and drink his blood.
But as a couple, she could only pretend that nothing had happened and continue to be a virtuous wife for the sake of Qi Heming and the Xue family.
"Madam, although I am also a man, I have to say that a husband like Master Qi Er is worse off dead than alive."
"The third room is incompetent, but you are different."
"Given the Duke's preference for your son, the title of Marquis will surely fall upon him in the future."
"By then, you will be the old lady of the Marquis' Mansion, and no one will put pressure on you anymore."
Du Qingtang said this and pushed the cup of tea to Xue again.
Xue lowered her head and said nothing.
After a long time, she picked up the cup of tea and drank it all.
......
The best strategy is to attack the enemy’s plan and the best strategy is to attack his heart.
Du Qingtang first threatened Qi Heming with the crime of deceiving the emperor, causing the Xue family to lose their composure.
Then he appealed to Xue's emotions and reasoned with her, making her realize that the second prince was useless. He easily aroused Xue's hatred towards Qi Changtai and seized the initiative in the negotiations.
The Xue family was in chaos. They didn't even say what Xue Yishu was going to do. They agreed to Du Qingtang's conditions and fled.
Until today, at the Qionglin Banquet.
The imperial brew is smooth on the palate, mellow and rich, with a sweet and refreshing aftertaste.
Du Qingtang had tasted it many times in his previous life and would never forget its taste.
Not long ago, after Emperor Qingyuan had given out his rewards, he returned to the palace. While they were drinking, a palace maid came forward to pour wine for her.
Du Qingtang noticed something was wrong after just one sip.
The aftertaste of this cup of imperial brew was slightly bitter, clearly something was added!
This reminded Du Qingtang of his previous life.
After Xue Yishu fell in love with her at first sight, he initially just followed her, appeared in front of her at irregular times and places, and pestered her to find a sense of existence for himself.
Du Qingtang rejected her sternly at the beginning, but later he would hide when he saw her.
Xue Yishu was unwilling to give in, and on a whim, she drugged Du Qingtang, hoping to make the matter a fait accompli.
Unfortunately, Du Qingtang fell into the trap. After escaping, he asked to be sent away overnight.
Combining his previous life and the strange smell of the imperial brew, Du Qingtang immediately guessed the palace maid's identity and her intentions.
In order to prepare for her next plan and obtain evidence that Qi Changqing was poisoned, Du Qingtang went with the flow, accepted everything that was offered to her, drank a pot of imperial wine, and let Xue Yishu take her to the guest room.
Then he knocked Xue Yishu unconscious and handed her over to Xue's people.
Du Qingtang thought about what Xue had said before she left yesterday: "If you dare to lie to me, I will mobilize the whole family to make sure you die!"
Du Qingtang replied: "Of course."
Of course it's fake.
Du Qingtang is not a good person, and he will not repay evil with kindness. He concealed the fact that Xue Shi had guided Xue Yishu to poison her in her previous life.
With the words "I had no choice", Du Qingtang planted a time bomb in Xue Yishu's heart.
With Xue Yishu's madness, if she knew what Xue had done——
Should we kill Xue or kill Xue?
Du Qingtang waited and saw.
By the time Xue came to her senses, she should have gone underground and reunited with Yao Jingzhou's mother.
But before that, she has to deal with some personal problems.
Men have desires, and so do women.
Generate desire and resolve desire.
It's that simple.
The palace maid brought clean water and poured it into the bathtub.
Du Qingtang thanked him and closed the door.
He calmly took off his clothes and immersed himself in the water.
......
On the other side, the man avoided the newly-minted scholar and the palace maids and eunuchs, and brought Xue Yishu to the back door of Qionglin Garden.
There was a carriage parked in an alley not far away. The man put Xue Yishu into the carriage and drove it to the back door of the Duke of Changguo's Mansion.
A maid came to pick her up at the back door and carried Xue Yishu into the mansion, where her whereabouts were unknown.
At the same time, in Xue's yard.
Qi Heming returned home after 12:00 a.m. and came to pay his respects to Mrs. Xue as usual.
After paying his respects, Qi Heming was about to leave, using the excuse of being busy, when Xue called him back.
"It was my fault. I shouldn't have forced you to marry Shujie'er." Xue's tone was filled with concern. "You've lost a lot of weight recently. I had someone make a bowl of nourishing soup. Drink it before you leave."
Half a month ago, Xue asked Qi Heming to marry Xue Yishu.
Qi Heming was obsessed with Du Qingtang and had already decided not to marry anyone else in this life.
Not to mention, Xue Yishu was the murderer who killed Du Qingtang in the previous life.
The reason why Qi Heming did not kill Xue Yishu and kept her until today was that he wanted to use her to force Du Qingtang to submit.
With this crazy woman Xue Yishu around, Atang will sooner or later realize how good he is and come back to him.
When that time comes, he will hand Xue Yishu over to Du Qingtang, and let her deal with it personally.
Qi Heming also knew that the reason why Xue Yishu poisoned Du Qingtang was closely related to her mother Xue.
But the grace of giving birth to a child is greater than heaven, and his mother is doing this for his own good, not wanting him to indulge in love and thus affect his ability to achieve success in his career.
When he is with Atang, he will send Xue away, and all the past grudges will be written off.
Qi Heming noticed the pleading look in Xue's eyes and sat back down. "Thank you, mother. I've been so busy with the Second Prince's tasks lately that I've been neglecting sleep and food."
Xue hurriedly asked someone to serve the meal and kept nagging him to eat more and rest more.
After drinking the soup, Qi Heming returned to his yard and continued to handle his affairs.
After about half an hour, sleepiness came over me like a tide.
Qi Heming didn't think much about it. After all, he hadn't rested for more than ten hours. He put down the work in his hands, took off his clothes and shoes with the help of the maid, and lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
Xue watched Qi Heming leave, waited for the maid to collect the dishes, and asked the old woman, "How is Sister Shu?"
The old woman replied, "I have already given Miss Cousin the medicine and sent it to the eldest master's room."
Xue raised her hand to stroke her hair and sighed, "I'm doing this for her own good. The Qi and Xue families are even closer, and what's more..."
Thinking about Du Qingtang's words, although cruel, they were not entirely unreasonable.
The second prince's hope of ascending the throne is extremely slim. Once the fight for the throne fails, the Qi and Xue clans will be implicated.
And there is Qi Changtai, her husband, her bedmate, and the father of her four children.
He favors his concubine over his wife, and they treat each other with coldness. Living is worse than death.
When her husband He Ming becomes a marquis, she will be the old lady of the marquisate.
Only by being ruthless can you accomplish great things.
Her best days are yet to come.
-
As the Qionglin Banquet was drawing to a close, Yao Jingzhou finally managed to get rid of the new scholars and left the table under the pretext of changing his clothes.
Yao Jingzhou asked the palace maid and found out the specific location of the guest room. After knocking on the door and entering, he quickly walked up to Du Qingtang and looked her up and down.
Du Qingtang had already bathed and changed his clothes, and was drinking by himself. His long raven hair was damp, and his expression was calm, revealing a sense of comfort that came from having his spirit relaxed.
Seeing that Du Qingtang was safe and sound, Yao Jingzhou finally put his heart at ease and asked about the business: "Uncle Master, you previously..."
Du Qingtang skipped over the process of her coercing and bribing Mrs. Xue and said lightly, "Xue Yishu wanted to marry me, but Mrs. Xue didn't want to, so she teamed up with me to put on a show."
"What a shameless Xue girl!" Yao Jingzhou was furious. "Her actions should have been made public that day!"
Du Qingtang shook his head: "The Xue family is guilty, and Xue Yishu is hateful, but the other women in the Xue family are innocent. Besides, I don't want to have anything to do with her."
Yao Jingzhou thought so too and sneered, "How dare you disguise yourself as a palace maid and sneak into the Qionglin Banquet."
Scholars value reputation the most, especially a scholar like my uncle who has passed the imperial examination with the highest score and is unrivaled in the field.
He couldn't imagine what terrible things would have happened if his uncle had not reached a deal with the Xue family.
Yao Jingzhou looked around. The guest room was empty except for Du Qingtang. "Master, has Xue Yishu left?"
Du Qingtang replied, "She was taken away by Xue's men."
She could vaguely guess what Xue was planning for Xue Yishu.
As early as in her previous life, Xue was dissatisfied with Xue Yishu's constant entanglement with her and once wanted Xue Yishu to marry Qi Heming.
It would be interesting to pair two bad guys up and let them fight each other.
It’s a pity that Du Qingtang will be returning home soon and won’t be able to watch the fun.
Disappointed, Du Qingtang thought of the envelope, but he was so busy talking to Yao Jingzhou that he forgot about it.
"Keep this." Du Qingtang took out the envelope and pushed it to Yao Jingzhou.
Yao Jingzhou took it, confused: "What is this?"
Du Qingtang said: "Evidence."
Yao Jingzhou was startled at first, then looked surprised: "Is this the deal you made with the Xue family?"
Du Qingtang nodded: "This opportunity is rare, don't miss it."
Yao Jingzhou was deeply moved. He bowed deeply to her, his voice almost choking with sobs: "Thank you, Uncle Master."
"You are my nephew, and your father is my senior brother. This is what I should do." Du Qingtang lifted him up and signaled with his eyes, "Take it apart and take a look."
Yao Jingzhou agreed, opened the envelope in front of her, unfolded the letter, and couldn't wait to read it.
However, the more he looked down, the excitement on his face was gradually replaced by disappointment.
Seeing this, Du Qingtang asked him, "Is there a problem?"
Yao Jingzhou nodded and shook his head, meeting Du Qingtang's puzzled gaze: "This only contains evidence of Qi Changtai's murder of my father."
Du Qingtang frowned: "There is no Second Prince?"
"No." Yao Jingzhou handed the letter to Du Qingtang, "It's not evidence of him harming my father."
Du Qingtang took a closer look and found that it was evidence of the Second Prince's crimes of abducting women and accepting bribes.
In the letter, Xue stated with certainty that she could not find any evidence that the Second Prince had poisoned Qi Changqing, and as compensation, she was given these two pieces of evidence.
Du Qingtang tutted his words: "Old fox."
Even if these two pieces of evidence were brought to the attention of Emperor Qingyuan, at best he would be reprimanded and forced to reflect on his mistakes for a period of time, or at worst he would lose several jobs.
She can advance or retreat. Xue is truly worthy of being the legitimate daughter of a prominent family. She is as cunning as a fox.
Seeing his uncle's irritated expression, Yao Jingzhou suppressed his disappointment and said, "Nothing can be accomplished overnight. This is already a pleasant surprise. Even if he gets evidence of the Second Prince's guilt, he can still find a scapegoat and continue to evade justice."
Du Qingtang hummed softly, drank the tea in the cup, stood up and walked out: "The Qionglin Banquet is probably over, let's go back."
Yao Jingzhou put the evidence close to him, strode after Du Qingtang, and the two of them headed home against the rosy sky.
......
Xue Yishu had a dream.
In her dream, she became Du Qingtang's wife.
They have a pair of children, and they live in harmony and love each other deeply.
"ah!"
She was immersed in a sweet dream when a sharp scream woke her up.
Xue Yishu woke up slowly and saw the dark blue bed curtains.
Her consciousness gradually returned, her head was splitting, her throat was burning, and the discomfort all over her body made her groan softly.
"Young Master!"
Xue Yishu shuddered and suddenly remembered that she was still in Qionglin Garden.
According to her and her aunt's plan, she would first get Du Qingtang drunk and take the opportunity to make the matter a fait accompli. Her aunt would then arrange for someone to catch them and expose her and Du Qingtang's affair to the world.
In this case, Du Qingtang must marry her.
Xue Yishu was not afraid that Du Qingtang would be tempted and did not want to touch her.
There was medicine mixed in the pot of wine. After the man drank it, his reaction was the most intense. Even Liuxia Hui had to succumb to his desire.
Xue Yishu also drank two cups herself.
This medicine has only a mild aphrodisiac effect on women, which is just right for giving yourself courage.
So, they have already done what they want?
Xue Yishu was secretly delighted and feeling shy when the person next to her started breathing heavily and a low voice was heard.
"What's the fuss?"
"He Zhang? Sister Shu? Why are you..."
He Zhang?
Sister Shu?
The two people on the bed woke up instantly, turned their heads together, and their eyes were bloodshot when they saw each other clearly.
"Qi Hezhang?"
"Xue Yishu?"
At the same time, Xue's voice came from outside: "Just now I heard from the servants that Sister Shu entered He Zhang's yard. I thought Sister Shu had gone in the wrong way, but I didn't expect..."
Xue was about to speak, but stopped herself before finally sighing, "Since you two love each other, why do you have to be so secretive and do such things... Well, hurry up and get dressed. I'll go to the Xue family later to discuss your marriage with Sister Shu and Second Aunt."
After saying that, without giving them any chance to refute, he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Xue Yishu came back to her senses from the shock, screamed, and pounced on Qi Heming, scratching, clawing, and biting him.
"Why is it you?"
"Why am I in the Duke of Changguo's Mansion?"
"Shouldn't I be in Qionglin Garden?"
"Where's Qingtang? Where did you take Qingtang?"
Qi Heming had realized by now that he had fallen into a trap.
The one who plotted against him was Xue, his biological mother.
"Qingtang! Qingtang!"
"I can never marry Qingtang again, wuwuwuwu..."
The word "Qingtang" was like a devilish sound piercing Qi Heming's ears, instantly breaking the rationality that he had tried so hard to maintain. He turned around and punched Xue Yishu, directly knocking her out.
"Who are you calling, bitch?"
Du Qingtang is his, so is Xue Yishu worthy of calling her by her name?
Xue Yishu was stunned by the punch and just lay on her back, crying loudly.
"Qingtang...Qingtang...Qingtang...Qingtang..."
One cry after another, sad and desperate.
Her innocence was ruined by the beast Qi Hezhang, and she could not marry in style and become Du Qingtang's wife.
Xue Yishu was desperate, and so was Qi Heming.
From the moment he was reborn, Qi Heming made up his mind that he would never accept anyone other than Du Qingtang in this life.
But now——
He broke the contract before Atang forgave him.
"Qingtang, I can't be with you anymore."
Xue Yishu cried and screamed, as if she had lost her parents.
These words hit Qi Heming hard. He immediately flew into a rage and transferred all his resentment towards the Xue family onto Xue Yishu.
"Bitch!" Qi Heming grabbed her neck and completely tore off the soft, jade-like fake skin. His face was ferocious, his facial muscles twitching, and he looked extremely terrifying. "I should have killed you long ago!"
Xue Yishu was like a chicken with its neck strangled, her mouth wide open, her eyes bulging, her beautiful face flushed red, and she made a "ho ho" sound in her throat, and it was hard to tell whether she was begging for mercy or cursing.
Unable to break free, she simply turned her pain into courage and used the Nine Yin White Bone Claw to scratch Qi Heming.
Qi Heming was immersed in rage and was caught off guard when he felt a sharp pain on the side of his neck.
He raised his hand and touched it, and it was covered in blood.
"Xue Yishu! You're looking for death!"
Xue heard the commotion outside and came in to see her son and niece wrestling naked together, fighting fiercely. Her face turned pale and she said, "Stop it!"
Xue and the old woman took great pains to separate the two.
Qi Heming went behind the screen to change his clothes, left with a dark face and without saying a word, and never turned back no matter how Xue called out to him.
Xue simply stopped caring about him.
According to the orders of his parents and the matchmaker, Qi Heming and Xue Yishu are already husband and wife, so he must marry her.
Xue went back to the inner room. Xue Yishu was hiding under the quilt, crying breathlessly, and repeating Du Qingtang's name intermittently.
Seeing Xue come in, Xue Yishu cried out: "Aunt, I don't want to marry my second cousin."
She just wants to marry Du Qingtang.
She won't marry anyone except Du Qingtang!
Xue shook her head and sighed, "If it were in the past, your aunt would definitely let you get what you want, but now...Sister Shu, you can only accept your fate."
Xue Yishu opened her eyes wide, looked at Xue with tears in her eyes, and shook her head desperately: "I don't want to, I don't want to marry my second cousin!"
She suddenly thought of something and grabbed Xue's hand: "Aunt, wasn't I in Qionglin Garden before? How come I woke up in the Duke of Changguo's Mansion?"
"This must be my second cousin's conspiracy. His hand was crippled, leaving him crippled and his career ruined, so he's trying every possible way to marry me..."
"Sister Shu!" Xue shouted, interrupting Xue Yishu's fantasy.
Qi Heming was her son. His right hand was crippled by Mu Tingyu, and he was no longer a sixth-rank official. As a mother, she felt heartbroken and could not bear to hear anyone using Qi Heming's right hand to humiliate him.
Not even her niece!
A stern look flashed across Xue's gentle face, and she said in a slightly serious tone, "Sister Shu, I'm afraid you were confused by illness a few days ago, and your mind hasn't cleared up yet."
"You came to the Duke of Changguo's Mansion early this morning, saying you came to apologize to your aunt. You said you shouldn't have yelled at me before, and you even went to the garden to pick flowers for your aunt."
Xue Yishu stopped crying.
"Sister Shu, you've been at the Duke of Changguo's mansion the entire day and haven't gone anywhere." Xue leaned over and wiped the tears from Xue Yishu's face with a handkerchief, her tone firm. "After lunch, you said you were full and wanted to go for a walk to digest your food, but you never came back. You haven't been seen for two hours."
"My aunt sent someone to look for you and learned that you had entered He Zhang's yard and never came out again. So I hurried here, but I didn't expect you to..."
Xue sighed deeply, her eyes gentle, "Don't be afraid, Sister Shu, your aunt will definitely let He Zhang give you an explanation."
Xue Yishu didn't say anything, but just stared at Xue.
Just when she was recalling where she had been and what she had done today, a barely audible sigh suddenly sounded in her ears.
It was the sigh of the one she loved.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Du had no choice but to do this..."
As a last resort?
Is someone forcing her?
Xue was still persuading: "Sister Shu, be good, He Zhang is a good boy..."
Xue Yishu didn't care whether Qi Hezhang was a good boy or not, she just wanted to know -
"Aunt, didn't you promise me to marry Du Qingtang?"
When she asked this question, she stared at Xue's face without blinking.
Then, she caught a glimpse of guilt on Xue's face.
The guilty feeling disappeared in an instant. Xue's face looked helpless as she shook her head helplessly: "Shu Jie'er, you are really sick and confused. Auntie has never agreed to your marriage with Du Qingtang."
Xue Yishu lowered her head to hide the deep hatred in her eyes.
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