Qingying finally relented and agreed.
Watching her turn away slowly without a word, her back view slightly lonely and desolate, Wei Huaixu couldn't quite describe his feelings at that moment. It was complicated, a mixture of joy at the success of his plan and a sense of loss at the impending defeat.
Granny Zhang was taken away by Wei Huaixu, and this journey was sure to be fraught with danger.
When Qingying heard the news, her eyelids twitched slightly. "She should have thought through the consequences before she did it."
She was sitting in the carriage on her way to the palace when Wei Huaixu told her to ask the emperor to annul the engagement as soon as possible, so as not to miss the best time for Liu Shushu to be cured of the poison.
How ridiculous...
To force her into a corner, he poisoned himself, even using his own body; perhaps he truly loved Wei Huaixu.
Upon arriving at the palace gate, she was greeted by Eunuch Yu himself.
"Miss Liu," Eunuch Yu said gently, "His Majesty is waiting for you in the Imperial Palace."
"Thank you for leading the way, Father-in-law."
Eunuch Yu gestured for him to proceed.
She then stepped into the palace gate.
She had visited the palace so many times, and each time her state of mind was different, but never before had she felt such a heavy heart mixed with a faint sense of relief as she did now.
Perhaps she never truly belonged to the palace. She cherished freedom, yet her frail health prevented her from traveling far. But she also refused to confine herself to a small place. Before, when she was in love with Wei Huaixu, she willingly confined herself to a self-imposed prison, obeying rules for him, becoming dignified for him, always fearing that she might harm his reputation and interests. But from now on, her name would no longer be associated with the Crown Princess, and she could even disregard the General's Mansion. She could simply be Liu Qingying.
Qingying knelt before the Emperor and earnestly requested to cancel the engagement.
This time, the Emperor only asked one question: "Are you really sure? You won't regret it?"
"I have made up my mind, and I will never regret it."
"Very well, I will immediately issue an edict to cancel your marriage with the Crown Prince."
She bowed deeply and thanked the Emperor, saying, "Thank you for your great kindness."
After leaving the palace, Qingying felt much more relaxed than she had expected.
Yu Yue said indignantly, "Back then, His Highness the Crown Prince knelt before the palace for three days and three nights but His Majesty did not budge. He only needed a few words from you to agree. Obviously, he had been planning to cancel the engagement for a long time and was just waiting for you to bring it up."
Qingying rubbed her forehead, saying helplessly, "His Majesty didn't agree back then because she was Meng Shushu, just a commoner girl who couldn't be presented to the public. But Liu Shushu is different now; she is the legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion. Compared to me, she is more valuable. There's just one thing I don't understand..."
"What is the girl saying?"
"Your Majesty... I always feel that Your Majesty is a bit strange." She recalled the way the Emperor looked at her in the Yuqing Palace, a look that was both pleased and passionate.
"Perhaps His Majesty is just pleased that you took the initiative to cancel the engagement, so as to save them from further trouble."
"Maybe..." She didn't think about it any further.
The carriage was traveling smoothly on the way back to the General's Mansion when it suddenly stopped abruptly because a horse suddenly rushed out in front of it. The coachman tightened the reins, and the horse neighed and raised its front hooves high. The carriage shook violently, and Qingying was jolted so hard that she bumped her head against the carriage wall, instantly feeling dizzy and lightheaded.
After barely managing to stabilize themselves, both master and servant were quite frightened.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Yu Yue asked loudly, and came over to help Qingying up, asking with concern, "Are you alright, Miss?"
Qingying rubbed her swollen forehead, feeling as if she were surrounded by stars, but still waved her hand to indicate that she was alright.
A coachman's flustered voice came from outside: "Miss, it's the young master who's blocking the road."
Wei Dongchen? What is he doing?
Then Wei Dongchen's voice came from outside: "Miss Liu, please have a word with me in private. I have something important to discuss!"
Qingying had never heard him speak so urgently before, and she instinctively felt that something had happened.
She steadied herself and, after making sure her vision was clear, had Yu Yue help her walk out.
"Why is Your Highness in such a hurry and acting so rashly?" Her tone was far from polite.
Anyone who had just experienced such a harrowing ordeal, coupled with the large bump on their forehead, wouldn't necessarily have a better temper than her.
Wei Dongchen didn't care about anything else at the moment. He hurriedly dismounted, walked a few steps to her, and extended his hand to her. "I'm sorry, but this matter is really urgent!"
Seeing that he looked serious and not joking, Qingying had no choice but to place her hand in his palm. Unexpectedly, the next second, Wei Dongchen pulled her forward, causing her to lose her balance and fall. He then grabbed her waist and held her tightly in his arms.
She panicked for a moment, and after realizing what was happening, she struggled and shouted, "What are you doing? Wei Dongchen, let me go!"
"Second Girl, Second Girl, listen to me!" Wei Dongchen gritted his teeth, loosened his grip slightly to let her land, but then hugged her tightly again, even burying his head in her ear and whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear, "The Emperor intends to let you enter the palace as a concubine."
Qingying stopped struggling instantly, her whole body stiffened, and something seemed to explode in her mind. It took her a while to find her voice, but it was trembling uncontrollably: "What...what did you say?"
"This is not the place to discuss matters. Stay calm and come with me."
She nodded blankly, letting Wei Dongchen pull her onto a fast horse and leave. Before leaving, she only had time to tell Yu Yue, "Go back to the manor and wait for me."
Wei Dongchen led her to a mansion. Once inside, she realized it was his private residence, where he often met with his informants. In front of the mansion was Yunfang Courtyard, the largest brothel in the capital.
Wei Dongchen led her into the room, personally poured her tea, and said softly, "I just learned that you have entered the palace, so I rushed over there."
Qingying didn't take the tea he offered. Instead, her face was pale as she asked anxiously, "What exactly did you mean by what you just said?"
“It means exactly what it says.” Wei Dongchen sat down opposite her, his expression solemn, and said in a deep voice, “Recently, while investigating a case, I accidentally came across the Ye family’s massacre years ago, and only then did I learn that your birth mother, Ye Ning, had a relationship with His Majesty many years ago.”
Qingying was taken aback.
"Your appearance bears a resemblance to Ye Ningsheng, especially your eyebrows and eyes... I'm afraid the Emperor is thinking of her. According to the palace informant, when the Emperor first saw you during the autumn hunt last year, he intended to bring you into the palace as a concubine. However, the Crown Prince proposed to you first, and he couldn't take away his son's wife."
Recalling the way the Emperor looked at her in the palace today, Qingying felt a chill run down her spine.
So that's why...
Did Wei Huaixu know about this?
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