Judging from Rong Yun's expression, the original owner of this body had been very strict with Hongli.
However, Qingyu didn't want to talk about that annoying man anymore, so she changed the subject and said, "Find someone loyal and experienced in battle for me."
"What is Your Highness doing?" Rong Yun asked Qing Yu in confusion.
"Just go! You'll find out later." Qingyu didn't say anything more.
Seeing her resolute attitude, Rong Yun did not press further and left to carry out her orders.
After Rong Yun left, Qingyu sat down at the dressing table, picked up the rouge box, and slowly applied rouge to her lips, while her eyes secretly scrutinized the person in the mirror.
Knowing that the original owner could see what she had done, she sighed softly, "You are so foolish. A cold-hearted person like him doesn't deserve your sincerity. Do you know that he didn't even want to see his mother before she died, all for his own sake? Let a man like that fend for himself!"
After saying that, she casually put the rouge box back on the dressing table, stood up, and prepared to go back to her bedchamber to rest.
However, after taking only two steps, they heard footsteps outside the door, followed by a palace maid's voice: "Your Majesty the Empress, Consort Ling has arrived."
"Hmm?" Qingyu stopped in her tracks upon hearing this and turned to look at the door.
This Consort Ling was the birth mother of the next emperor, which shows that she must have been quite shrewd.
Having just entered this world, Qingyu was unsure whether this person was friend or foe, so she was on high alert to welcome this uninvited guest.
"Let her in!" Qingyu ordered, and the palace maid responded and withdrew.
A moment later, light footsteps were heard at the door, and soon a figure in pale purple appeared in the room.
"Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress."
Consort Ling, dressed in a pink palace gown, gracefully curtsied.
"No need for formalities, please take a seat," Qingyu said, and Consort Ling thanked her and sat down in the chair below Qingyu.
"Does Consort Ling have something to discuss with you today?" Qingyu asked with a smile.
Regardless of the original owner's relationship with Consort Ling, she simply wore a smile.
But that smile startled Consort Ling, who thought to herself: "Did the sun rise in the west today? Why is this jealous woman speaking so gently? And even smiling at me?"
Qingyu noticed the probing look in her eyes.
It seems that the original owner of this body was not on good terms with her, otherwise a smile would not have aroused suspicion, Qingyu thought seriously.
However, Consort Ling was a product of the feudal era, so how could she know about the idea that there is always something beyond one's own realm? Therefore, she did not think much of it and simply assumed that Qingyu was faking it.
"I have something to say next, but please don't get too excited," Consort Ling said, composing herself and sitting up straight.
"Oh? What is it that requires Consort Ling to tell you herself?" Qingyu said with a half-smile.
Consort Ling looked around and said in a low voice, "This matter is of great importance, and I'm afraid it will require Your Majesty the Empress's intervention." She paused, then told her that Hongli had summoned five concubines to serve him.
"What?" Qingyu's face turned pale instantly, and her hands trembled uncontrollably from shock.
However, all of this was an act; she wanted to see what Consort Ling was up to.
This action completely dispelled Consort Ling's doubts, because this was the reaction the original owner would have.
"How...how could this be?" Qingyu asked incredulously. "Does His Majesty truly disregard his own health?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, I was also worried. I thought you were aware of this matter and wanted to discuss countermeasures with you, but I never expected that you knew nothing about it." Consort Ling sighed.
"I didn't go out, how would I know?"
Before Qingyu could finish speaking, Consort Ling stammered, "But I did see Rong..."
She deliberately left the sentence unfinished, trying to pique Qingyu's curiosity.
Qingyu echoed her, saying, "Just say what you have to say."
It was nothing more than criticizing Rong Yun and sowing discord; how could Qing Yu not have guessed that?
"Alright." Consort Ling nodded. "Actually, Rong Yun already knew about this when she passed by the Hall of Mental Cultivation. I thought she would tell you, but I didn't expect her to keep it a secret."
She covered her mouth, then pretended to have said something wrong, and said apologetically, "Perhaps Rong Yun has forgotten. Your Majesty, please don't blame her, lest it damage the relationship between mistress and servant."
"Heh..." Qingyu sneered inwardly, "I guessed right."
"Oh, really?" Qingyu raised an eyebrow at her, then laughed. "It seems that Consort Ling is keeping an eye on me all the time, and even knows that Rong Yun forgot about this matter."
An ordinary person would be furious upon hearing this, but Qingyu was able to calmly pick out the problem from Consort Ling's words, which made Consort Ling's heart beat faster.
She never expected this to happen.
Little did she know, something unexpected was yet to come; Qingyu already had a plan in mind.
"No, no, no! Your Majesty has misunderstood!" Consort Ling hurriedly explained, "I only happened to see it."
It wasn't a coincidence at all. She had been following Rong Yun the whole way, originally thinking that Qing Yu would storm into the Hall of Mental Cultivation in a fit of rage. Unexpectedly, Rong Yun came out alone. She then concluded that Rong Yun hadn't told Qing Yu about this matter, so she came over by herself, hoping to sow discord between the two.
Unfortunately, this plan backfired.
Seeing that Qingyu remained silent, Consort Ling panicked even more and explained again, "If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, you can ask Sangshen, who serves me...
"Since it was a coincidence, then it was a coincidence. Consort Ling, there's no need for further explanation, lest you only make things worse." Qingyu narrowed her eyes slightly and interrupted with a sarcastic tone.
Upon hearing this, Consort Ling offered no further explanation.
Sowing discord was secondary; she had something more important to do right now.
So she awkwardly laughed and said, "Your Majesty is right. I am clumsy with words and that's why I made things worse. But right now, our most important task is to persuade His Majesty to take good care of his health."
Qingyu pretended to come back to her senses and said repeatedly, "Yes, I must go and stop the Emperor."
After saying that, she was about to walk out the door, which made the nobleman's lips curl up slightly.
But then she stopped and turned back to look at Consort Ling with a puzzled expression. "Why aren't you coming with me?"
"Uh..." Consort Ling was taken aback, then chuckled awkwardly, "That Yongyan is still here..."
Before Consort Ling could finish speaking, Qingyu coldly said, "It seems that Consort Ling doesn't love the Emperor that much either, otherwise she wouldn't even be willing to join me in persuading him."
"No...of course I feel sorry for Your Majesty." Then she gritted her teeth and said, "Nothing is more important than Your Majesty. I am willing to go with you."
She thought: If the Emperor blames me, I'll say that you forced me to go, and then the Emperor will only hate you more.
Upon hearing this, Qingyu's expression softened slightly, but she still kept a straight face and said, "In that case, let's go!"
Consort Ling nodded in agreement: "Yes."
......
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