The General's Mansion.
Qingying and Madam Pan had just entered the mansion when Liu Yu and the others returned.
Liu Chengfeng rushed over first, grabbed her shoulders and looked her up and down, "I heard about it on my way back, Shushu, is something wrong?"
Qingying quickly said, "Big brother, I'm fine."
"Her face is all pale, is she really alright?"
"Don't worry, it's just a little fright, you're really fine."
He breathed a sigh of relief. "I was so scared. I heard someone died in the palace, and you were right there. I was really afraid you would get involved."
Qingying patted him reassuringly and said, "I just happened to be passing by and saw it. Sister Xie and Sister Lu were there at the time too."
Liu Yu also said, "It's good that you're alright."
Liu Chenglin glanced at her quietly, then quickly looked away and walked into the mansion without saying a word.
Qingying frowned and stared at his departing figure for a long time.
Back in her dormitory, Qingying went to bed early.
Perhaps it was the vividness of the blood, or the horrifying sight of the corpses, that caused her to sleep restlessly that night. Her dreams were filled with recurring scenes of the palace banquet. Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, in the blink of an eye, everyone was dead—some lying face down, some sitting, their blood staining the entire Xuanqing Palace…
She screamed and sat up.
Her thin clothes were soaked with sweat, sticking stickily to her body, instantly reminding her of the feeling of her palms being thick with blood.
She paused for a moment, then called out to someone outside.
Tongxia, who was waiting outside, came over with a lantern. "Miss, what's wrong?"
"What time is it now?"
"At the third quarter of the hour of Yin, it was still dark."
She rubbed her forehead. "I had a nightmare. My clothes are all sweaty. Can you get me a clean one?"
"good."
After changing her clothes, Qingying couldn't fall asleep.
Tongxia stayed by her bedside, feeling a pang of heartache, and said, "Madam is right. If possible, Miss should distance herself from His Highness the Crown Prince in the future."
"You're wrong. Mother still hopes that I can become the Crown Princess. Otherwise, she wouldn't have said that it was my own choice."
These words, though seemingly innocuous at first glance, actually carried a hint of disdain. Even in the more open-minded Donglin Kingdom, traditional etiquette still bound them, with marriages dictated by parents and matchmakers. Pan knew the Crown Prince frequently entered her boudoir but never stopped him, thus tacitly approving their affair. Even if the Crown Prince later went back on his word, she could use this to force him to marry her.
"Her words were merely an attempt to establish herself as a loving mother who dotes on her daughter."
Tong Xia was somewhat taken aback. "Why would you think that, Miss? Everyone has witnessed how well the Madam treats you."
She paused for a moment, then said softly, "Well, maybe I'm overthinking it."
“It’s normal for you to have wild thoughts after being frightened today, but I also think that although the palace is magnificent, it’s like a gilded cage. If you really marry into the palace in the future, won’t you have to live in fear every day?”
Qingying looked at her and smiled, "Didn't you used to hope that I could marry His Highness the Crown Prince?"
"In the past, I only thought that the Crown Princess's status was noble, respected and envied, but I never thought about the difficulties behind her status. I only hope that you will be happy and healthy all your life and do not want you to be involved in those deceitful and treacherous things."
Qingying was touched as she listened, so she reached out and patted her head, saying, "To be able to think of this, our Tongxia has really grown up."
"But some things are no longer up to me."
She always felt that everything was preordained.
Perhaps, from the moment she found Wei Huaixu at Chongfu Temple, their lives were destined to be inextricably intertwined.
...
Two days later, Qingying learned from Xie Jiaoying that two people had actually died in the palace that night: the beauty she had discovered and her maid.
The maid's body was found in the lotus pond nearby. The Emperor has ordered the Court of Judicial Review to thoroughly investigate the matter.
Qingying thought that if she had actually followed Xie Jiaoying's advice and washed her hands by the lotus pond, she probably would have seen another floating corpse.
That would mean another severe blow to her mental health; just thinking about it is terrifying.
Lu Xingli asked, puzzled, "Then what were you two doing hiding behind that tree back then?"
Qingying scoffed and raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you see it all? Why ask when you already know the answer?"
Xie Jiaoying's eyes darted back and forth between the two of them, sensing that something was off. "What's wrong with you two?"
"It's nothing," Qingying shrugged and said, "I just feel like Sister Lu and I have some kind of grudge lately."
"Sister Liu, you're overthinking it. What grudge could there be between us?" Lu Xingli replied with a generous smile.
Xie Jiaoying waved her hand, "We're all sisters, why speak so sarcastically?"
Both of them remained silent.
Seeing that the situation was not going well, she had no choice but to change the subject, "I recently heard a rather interesting rumor, I wonder if the two of you sisters are interested?"
Qingying immediately grabbed a handful of melon seeds. "What interesting news is it? Tell me quickly!"
"Hehe, I knew you'd be interested."
Xie Jiaoying and Qingying became good friends because they both had an unusual fondness for gossip and anecdotes.
Xie Jiaoying also grabbed a handful of melon seeds and said, "Have you noticed that Princess Yongning has been appearing in public less and less lately?"
Now that you mention it, it's true.
"Didn't we sign a fifty-year truce agreement with North Vietnam? Next year is the deadline. His Majesty intends to renew the agreement, and North Vietnam is unwilling to start another war. Therefore, the Emperor of North Vietnam has proposed a marriage alliance policy."
"I remember Princess Kang Le is only seven years old this year, how can she be sent for a marriage alliance?"
"Yes, His Majesty has only three princesses in total. The eldest princess is already married, Princess Kangle is young, and the youngest princess is still an infant. Naturally, none of them are suitable to be sent for a political marriage."
Qingying realized, "So, according to you, the title of marriage alliance will probably fall to Princess Yongning?"
"It's almost certain." Xie Jiaoying sighed, "It's a pity that lovers can't be together in the end."
"What lovers?"
"Uh...you don't know?"
"Know what?"
Seeing her blank and ignorant look, Xie Jiaoying became even more interested. "Do you still remember that Grand Tutor Jinheng?"
"Of course I remember."
Although it was only a brief encounter at the poetry gathering, that ethereal man was truly unforgettable.
"Jin Heng and Princess Yongning had a relationship."
"Really?" Qingying's eyes widened, a gossipy glint burning in them. "Tell me in detail, don't miss a single thing."
"It is said that year, the autumn rain was slightly cool, and bright red maple leaves fell all over the ground..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com