In March, the capital was bathed in a light drizzle, and the sky was tinged with a misty blue, surrounded by towering trees that blocked out the sun.
Qingying stood in a pavilion on the back mountain of Chongfu Temple, watching the rain drip down the eaves of the pavilion. Amidst the misty clouds covering the mountain, she felt as if she were standing on a cloud.
"The weather is about to change..." she suddenly said slowly.
Tongxia scratched her head. "Miss, it looks like this rain will continue for a few more days before it stops."
Yu Yue tapped her on the head and said, "Miss is referring to the sky within the capital city."
Not long ago, news spread from the Duke of Lu's mansion that Feng Ruilan was dead. She had been beaten to death with sticks because she had been caught in the act of having an affair with one of the servants by the mistress and her husband.
It would have been fine if she had just died like that, but in the end she even dragged Pan Shi into it, saying that the servant was given to her by Pan Shi.
Now, the reputation of the General's Mansion has been severely damaged once again. Liu Yu has already led his troops on a western expedition and is naturally unaware of this matter. The only thing he knows is that his daughter is about to marry the Crown Prince.
Wei Huaixu and Liu Shushu's wedding date was set for the end of April, which happened to be Liu Shushu's birthday.
How ironic, she and Liu Shushu were born on the same day, yet neither of them remembered it.
Fortunately, she doesn't care about these things much anymore.
"From the proposal to the wedding, it's only been three months. They must have been in a real hurry," Qingying sighed upon hearing the news.
That day, along with the wedding invitation came another invitation—another annual spring banquet.
Since she was already engaged, she shouldn't have been invited, but after a moment's thought, she decided to go anyway.
Upon arriving at Biyuan Garden, she saw a familiar maid and immediately understood everything; it turned out that Princess Yongning had specially invited her.
She was led by a maid to a side room, and upon entering, she saw Jin Heng there as well.
"I hope I won't disturb your reunion," she teased with a smile.
Wei Yinqiu gave her a reproachful look, "What are you saying? You've certainly learned to tease us."
Jin Heng poured her tea with a gentle smile, but his words were calm and went straight to the point: "How has the Liu family been these past few days?"
"It's certainly not peaceful." Qingying sat down, picked up her teacup, and took a sip.
Wei Yinqiu slowly recounted: "Feng Ruilan had previously thought that after marrying into the Duke's mansion, Lu Jingyan would remember his past relationship with her. However, Wu Miaoqing managed to subdue her husband in just a few days, and her wish to rise in status through her son was quickly shattered."
She had only been married into the Duke's mansion for a handful of months, and had seen Lu Jingyan very few times. In order to conceive before Wu Miaoqing, she had resorted to having an affair with a servant, but she had been exposed so quickly.
"She thought she could implicate the Liu family by dragging the Pan family down with her before she died, but it was just a futile attempt," Qingying said sarcastically.
"Yes, it's just a minor impact on her reputation. It's a done deal that Liu Shushu will become the Crown Princess. Why would she offend the Pan family at this time? She might drag the entire Feng family down with her."
"Her goal was the Feng family. She still harbors resentment towards Pan Hongyu for marrying her off to the Wen family, which forced her to take a desperate approach and end up in this predicament."
"Tsk tsk tsk, dogs fighting, what a show."
"Madam Pan cursed for three whole days in the mansion, wishing she could drag Feng Ruilan's corpse back, chop it up, and feed it to the dogs."
Wei Yinqiu couldn't help but laugh out loud, "So ruthless. Liu Shushu's reputation is already ruined, and she's afraid this scoundrel will crack it again?"
"That's right. Her daughter is the Crown Princess. With such a reputation, even Liu Yu might be impeached in the future."
“That’s not something we should be concerned about.” Wei Yinqiu stopped laughing and returned to a serious expression in a second. “Weren’t you wondering why Wei Huaixu would send troops at this critical moment? We suspect that his goal, besides the throne, is also you.”
Upon hearing this, Qingying was taken aback. "What?"
Jin Heng said, "Princess Yu has always been a gentle person, but suddenly she is so vehemently opposing your relationship. Don't you think there's something fishy about that?"
"I thought it was because of my background..."
"Not only that, there is another reason: the Empress Dowager is putting pressure on you. If you marry into the Prince's mansion, you will be implicitly on the side of the Crown Prince. How could the Empress Dowager allow her most beloved son to benefit someone else?"
Qingying rubbed her forehead, quite helplessly: "I never thought of that."
Marriage is a major life event that women have never been able to decide for themselves.
Wei Yinqiu held her hand reassuringly, but she shook her head to indicate that she was alright.
She had anticipated this outcome when Princess Yu first voiced her opposition, so there was nothing she couldn't accept at this moment.
Jin Heng continued, "A while ago, Wei Huaixu sent someone to Quzhou. Do you know what they were there for?"
She shook her head blankly.
"He went to collect evidence about Ye Ning's identity and investigate the cause of her death."
"What...what does he want to do?"
"He probably wants to bring down the Pan family."
"What?!" Qingying was stunned.
"It's just our speculation; we don't have any concrete evidence yet," Wei Yinqiu immediately added.
Jin Heng continued, "Based on this and the recent events, we can roughly guess his plan—the Western Regions vassal states have been at peace for a long time, and their sudden invasion without warning is a preparation for his future ascension to the throne."
Regardless of the truth, the charge of treason will ultimately be pinned on Yan Xiuji. His decision to deploy a large number of troops to the capital at this juncture is likely an attempt to lure Wei Huaichong into rebellion, so that they can then launch a coordinated attack from within and without, trapping him like a turtle in a jar, and successfully bringing down another formidable enemy.
Qingying was still somewhat confused: "What does all this have to do with me?"
Wei Yinqiu said, "Besides the throne, his ambition probably also includes you."
"What's the meaning?"
"What the Grand Tutor just said was all part of his plans for the throne. His investigation in Quzhou, his efforts to ruin Liu Shushu's reputation, his downfall of the Pan family, and even his attempt to clear the Ye family's name, were all paving the way for him to marry you."
Qingying felt a chill run through her body. "Then... could the matter of Princess Yu also be related to him? And was Wei Dongchen's expedition also arranged by him?"
"In my opinion, his involvement must have played a part in this."
Qingying suddenly remembered what he had said that day: "I can promise you anything except that position."
Is anything okay?
But she didn't want any of these.
She doesn't ask for much; she will naturally obtain it through her own means. Why should he go to all that trouble?
Wei Yinqiu held her hand, looked at her earnestly, and asked, "Don't you want to forgive him anymore?"
Qingying shook her head. "I've long since stopped complaining. Now I just want peace and quiet and don't want to get involved in any more trouble."
“But you are already caught in the middle, and it will be difficult for you to escape,” Jin Heng said.
Wei Yinqiu hesitated for a moment before suggesting, "Since things have come to this, why don't you leave the capital for a while? I'm afraid that besides us, there are others who might guess his intentions and harm you."
Qingying frowned. "You mean Liu Shushu?"
"Yes, I can tell she's a vengeful and ambitious woman."
After a moment's thought, she finally nodded.
So, at the beginning of the month, Qingying came to Chongfu Temple under the pretext of praying for blessings, and waited for news.
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