Chapter 98: Precognitive Dream (Qin Lie)
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Qin Lie's expression instantly turned cold.
What a remarkable Princess Yongjia, Liu Lingyi! How could he forget what kind of person she was?!
At this moment, Lingyi and Qin Shen heard the noise and turned around to see him.
One was flustered, the other guilty, and they both froze in place, which Qin Lie saw as "inextricably linked".
The angrier Qin Lie became, the calmer his expression grew. His current expression could even be described as gentle, as if he hadn't seen the princess at all, and he nodded to Qin Shen.
Qin Shen then realized what was happening and quickly released Lingyi, stepping aside. Although he hadn't done anything wrong, he couldn't really be called innocent. At this moment, he didn't dare to meet Qin Lie's gaze and lowered his head, saying, "Third Brother, you're back."
Qin Lie slowly approached, exchanged a few casual words with him, and only after watching him leave did he turn his head to look at Ling Yi.
Despite the wide sleeves, Lingyi couldn't help but hide her hands behind her back. She had just managed a forced smile when she heard him speak: "Why isn't the princess staying at Hanmoxuan? What are you doing here?"
Although his tone was calm, Lingyi could still detect the barely concealed anger in his words. The scene just now was indeed easy to misunderstand, so she quickly explained, "Since the general left, I haven't left the courtyard on ordinary days. Only today did I go to visit my second sister-in-law because she was unwell. When I came back, the snow water on the back of the rockery soaked my shoes and socks. I was waiting here for Pearl to bring me new shoes and socks. But just then, a gust of wind blew my handkerchief away, and I rushed to pick it up. Before I knew it, I came to the pond and almost fell. Fortunately, my sixth brother helped me up. I had just finished thanking him when the general came over."
Qin Lie smiled faintly: "What a coincidence."
Then he asked, "Since you've never left the courtyard, how do you know he's my sixth brother?"
Lingyi replied, "When I was at the Princess's residence, I encountered a villain while I was out. Fortunately, he saved me, and that's when I learned that he was the sixth young master of the Qin family."
Qin Lie gave an "Oh" and said indifferently, "How long ago was that? You remember it so clearly."
It was only a year or two ago, and it was such a shocking event. She's not stupid; how could she forget it so easily? Lingyi replied matter-of-factly, "My sixth brother is a chivalrous man. He saved my life back then, so of course I remember it clearly."
Qin Lie's hands, which were behind his back, clenched involuntarily, his knuckles turning white.
He was initially angry, but he quickly realized that Qin Xiaoshan sent him letters every few days, and the princess did indeed stay in the Hanmo Pavilion all day without going out. Moreover, Qin Shen dared not and would not have any private affair with the princess.
But not daring or not knowing doesn't mean not wanting or being unwilling. He still remembers how Qin Shen sincerely and earnestly proposed to the princess at the family banquet during the New Year in his previous life, and how angry and embarrassed he was sitting on the side at that time.
But... it was Qin Shen's own idea to marry her, and the princess knew nothing about it. Only by telling himself this could he calm his anger a little.
Until I heard this sentence.
It seems that it wasn't a case of unrequited love; if the hero rescued the damsel in distress were a storybook, he would surely repay her with his body.
It was really unfortunate that I arrived at the right time, ruining their good deed.
She shamelessly seduced his subordinates and remarried without hesitation, showing that she was never a faithful person.
Qin Shen was about the same age as her, handsome, unmarried, born into wealth, and destined for a life of ease, unlike him who spent his days fighting battles. Moreover, he fell deeply in love with her at first sight. How could he not be a good choice for a husband, even better than Song Pingkou?
His anger was rising, and his tone grew increasingly indifferent, "Do you know who your sixth brother is?"
Lingyi didn't understand. Sixth Brother was Sixth Brother, so who else could he be?
Qin Lie stared at her and said, "His father is my third uncle. Has the princess forgotten who killed my third uncle and eldest brother back then?" He smiled coldly, "I advise the princess to stay as far away from him as possible in the future. Otherwise, just like today, if I had arrived any later, and he had pushed you into the pond to vent his anger, do you think anyone would have sought justice for you?"
Thinking back to that situation, and recalling how Qin Shen had supported her earlier, his expression was complicated and conflicted, and the way he looked at her was clearly not like that of an ordinary brother-in-law towards his sister-in-law. So that's why.
Lingyi, rubbing her belly, belatedly realized that she had been too careless in her panic.
Seeing her like this, Qin Lie felt sorry for her and was about to comfort her when he heard footsteps.
Pearl turned around the artificial hill and walked quickly over. After bowing to him, she squatted down beside Lingyi to help her change into the new shoes and socks she had brought.
Lingyi had only intended to find an excuse to get rid of her, but now that Qin Lie was there, she had no choice but to pretend and sit down on the stone bench behind the artificial hill, letting Pearl change her shoes and socks.
Although there was no one around and she was hidden behind the artificial hill, Lingyi still felt it was improper. Moreover, Qin Lie was "watching her like a tiger" beside her, so she kept her feet back. No matter how Pearl tried to persuade her, she refused to stick them out.
"Stop dawdling." Troublesome again. Qin Lie lost his patience, bent down and picked her up, carrying her towards Hanmoxuan.
Despite her large belly, he carried her faster than Pearl could run, and they soon arrived at the bedroom. After placing her on the bed, he bent down to remove her shoes and socks, revealing her fair and tender little feet with round and cute pink toes. He couldn't resist giving them a pinch.
She quickly pulled her foot back, hiding it under her skirt.
Having traveled for two days, Qin Lie was exhausted. Encountering her and Qin Shen only added to his frustration.
Seeing her like this, his mood immediately improved, and he felt like teasing her. "Why are you hiding? There's not a part of you I haven't seen before..."
He suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, remembering how he had teased her like this before. But she would still get startled and reach out to cover his mouth. He didn't flinch, and only after her small hand covered his did he gently bite her palm. Sure enough, as he expected, she quickly pulled her hand back, leaving only her wide-eyed stare at him. He couldn't help but scoff softly, "No progress!"
Qin Lie only cared about judging others, never considering that he himself loved teasing her. Seeing her shy, surprised, coquettish, and frightened appearance, even though it had been almost three years since their wedding, he still hadn't had enough of her. It really couldn't be said that he had made any progress.
After taking off his shoes and socks, he held her on his lap and gently rubbed his face against hers.
After two days of travel, his stubble had grown on his lip, and his chin was covered in bruises that stung and itched against his face. She kept trying to back away, but he held her even tighter until he saw her cheeks were red from the bruises. Only then did he stop and remember his business, asking her in a deep voice, "You deliberately sent two maids away. What exactly are you planning?"
Seeing that Lingyi lowered her head, her eyelashes trembling, but she refused to answer, he simply asked more directly, "What exactly is that the princess has been secretly clutching in her hand?"
Lingyi was already on tenterhooks, wanting to secretly handle it herself without telling anyone, but he saw through her plan. How could she possibly hold on? Besides, this wasn't something she could handle on her own. Although she wished Qin Lie wouldn't come back, he was the only one she could turn to for help when trouble struck.
She took something out from under her sleeve. Qin Lie took it and saw that it was a broken piece of dry tree root. He frowned and asked, "It's just a piece of tree root. Is it worth hiding it like this?"
Qin Lie's heart skipped a beat, and his pupils contracted slightly. "Are you going to poison me again?"
.
This was so abrupt and nonsensical that Lingyi wondered if she had misheard him, looking at his innocent and bewildered expression.
Qin Lie realized he had overreacted, coughed lightly, and abruptly changed the subject, "What exactly happened? How did you get something like this?"
Since it concerned Zhen Shi, Lingyi hesitated for a moment before biting her lip and saying, "I saw this in my second sister-in-law's room. I suspect she's trying to kill herself..."
There was a reason why Madam Zhen suddenly fell ill and could not recover.
Qin Xu had been married to her for many years but had never had a child. A few years ago, he took a concubine, and now they only had one child. Zhen Shi had always raised that child as her own. Unexpectedly, a few days ago, she overheard the concubine secretly instigating the child to call her "mother" in private, and saying that Zhen Shi was the most hypocritical, having stolen someone else's child. She wanted the child to pretend to be obedient on the surface, but when he grew up, he would be filial to her and punish Zhen Shi to avenge her.
Madam Zhen was immediately enraged. Having managed the household for many years, how could she tolerate a mere concubine stirring up trouble? She went out and ordered the concubine to be severely punished. The concubine naturally knelt and begged for mercy, tears streaming down her face. If that were all, it would have been fine. But the child, in protecting the concubine, defied Madam Zhen, even running to grab her when the men tried to drag her away. When Madam Zhen tried to stop him, he bit her wrist, drawing blood.
From the moment he was born, Madam Zhen took him in and raised him as if he were her own child.
His bite was like a hole being pierced in her heart.
How could no one gossip about Madam Zhen, who had no children? Madam Zhen appeared calm, but she was extremely strong-willed. She had persevered for so many years with her willpower. Now, the child to whom she had poured all her heart and soul was turning against her because of a few words from others. Could it be that blood ties really outweighed the debt of raising her, and that she could never be his true mother? Thinking this, she felt utterly disappointed and hopeless. Moreover, this matter had become so big, known throughout the entire household, that she was now a laughingstock. With this feeling of despair, she immediately fell ill and was bedridden.
When Lingyi went to visit her today, Madam Zhen was still unable to get out of bed.
Despite trying to offer her comforting words, Madam Zhen was clearly only putting on a forced smile; no one could truly understand her inner turmoil. Lingyi, at a loss, sat for a while before taking her leave. In the courtyard, she was nearly bumped into by a flustered maid. In the narrow escape, she inadvertently picked up a piece of poison that had fallen from the maid's sleeve.
This medicinal herb is called Wugen. It looks like an ordinary tree root, but it is actually highly poisonous and has a peculiar toxicity. Normally, it is harmless if you touch or accidentally ingest it. Only by boiling it in water for an hour will the toxicity slowly dissolve into the water. It is colorless and tasteless, and half a cup of tea's worth is enough to kill a person. Moreover, unless you are an experienced coroner, you will not be able to see anything strange about it and will think that the poisoned person died from a sudden illness.
Lingyi had seen the illustrations in the medical book at the Fifteenth Princess's place before, and had also heard the Fifteenth Princess explain these strange poisons. Coupled with the maid's unusual expression, she had paid special attention and finally recognized it. She sighed and said, "I went to see my second sister-in-law today and saw that she looked dazed and her eyes were sunken. She is such a thoughtful person, but when I spoke with her, she was distracted several times, obviously full of worries. She raised that child by herself, as if he were her own, and she must be greatly shocked. I was afraid that she would commit suicide, and I was also afraid that my second brother and family would be heartbroken, and even more afraid that the Qin family and the Zhen family would harbor resentment because of this. That's why I specially sought out this medicine."
Therefore, she didn't have time to think much at the time and hurriedly asked Pearl to pick up the packet of black root while she kept it herself.
Stepping out of the courtyard cleared her head a bit, and her first thought was to go back and persuade Madam Zhen. But now that other people had come to visit, she couldn't go any further and had to leave temporarily. In the vast Prince's mansion, she was only familiar with Madam Zhen and had no one else to confide in or ask for help from.
The only thing she could think of was to deal with the black root first, and absolutely not bring it back to Hanmoxuan, otherwise, if something happened in the future, she would be unable to defend herself. Fortunately, this black root was not an ordinary medicinal herb, so Zhen must have secretly brought it in. Hopefully, in the time it would be difficult to find it for the time being, Zhen would be able to think more positively.
Therefore, she dismissed the people around her, intending to throw the black root into the water. However, she encountered Qin Shen as soon as she reached the pond, followed by Qin Lie. Before she could deal with the black root, she brought it back with her.
She clutched his sleeve, looking at him with a mixture of trepidation and expectation, "Could you... help my second sister-in-law?"
After hearing the reason for the incident, Qin Lie's anger over Qin Shen finally subsided. Zhen Shi was his cousin and his second sister-in-law. Although he had little affection for his uncle's family and even loathed them, he had spent most of his time at the border over the years, and it was Zhen Shi who had taken care of his second brother, served his parents, and managed the household affairs. He was grateful to her and respected her greatly.
He knew that she had high hopes for her second brother's only child and had deep feelings for him, but Qin Lie would never believe that she wanted to commit suicide because of this. Wu Gen must have other uses for him. It was just that this little princess was unaware of the wickedness of people's hearts, ruined other people's plans, and was still worrying here for nothing.
But then again, how long had she known her second sister-in-law? How many times had they met? How many words had they exchanged? Yet she was already so anxious and worried.
Having been husband and wife, how could she have administered the poison so swiftly and decisively?
Thinking of this, Qin Lie couldn't help but feel a burning hatred.
Nevertheless, he did not intend to tell her the truth. After all, she and Zhen were destined to be sisters-in-law for life, and it was rare for her to have met such a good friend. He really couldn't bear to ruin Zhen's image in her heart.
"Actually, it's quite simple to get Second Sister-in-law to resolve her inner conflict. A three-year-old child doesn't remember anything yet." He said casually, "As long as that concubine disappears completely, after a few years, the child will no longer remember her. From then on, she will naturally be of one mind with Second Sister-in-law and be no different from her own child."
"What do you mean by completely disappearing?" she asked blankly, her voice visibly tense.
Looking into her clear, bright eyes, Qin Lie changed his mind before speaking, "Of course, we'll send her to the estate, feed her well, and take good care of her. We just won't allow her to come back."
Even just talking about it made her feel guilty towards Madam Zhen; her voice grew softer and softer, her head drooping lower and lower, while Qin Lie's sleeves tightened more and more...
His voice was like metal striking jade, as if carrying a determination to destroy everything, which inexplicably made people feel uneasy.
Lingyi raised her head and looked at him timidly, saying, "I didn't doubt the general; I was just overthinking things."
Qin Lie hugged the person tighter, "Don't think too much, with me here, you don't need to be afraid of anything."
Lingyi responded softly and obediently nestled into his arms.
Lingyi has been sleepy lately, and today she had to put in some effort, but once she was at ease, she quickly fell asleep.
Qin Lie carefully laid her down, covered her with a blanket, and took the bag of black herbs to the outer courtyard.
Qin Xu looked up from behind his desk. "I just heard you were back. I calculated the time and thought it was impossible. I didn't expect you to actually be back. Why didn't you go see Father first?"
Qin Lie said, "I'm all travel-worn and have nothing important to do, so I'd better go back and tidy myself up before going to see him."
Qin Xu looked him up and down, feigning disdain: "Still all unkempt, what did you do to get rid of it?"
Qin Lie threw Wu Gen on his table. "Second brother, instead of mocking me, you should go and tidy up your own backyard first."
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