Chapter 206 Using Illness as an Excuse
But he was always calm and collected. Even so, he still asked calmly, "I wonder where I have offended your household that you would kidnap me here in broad daylight?"
He wanted to strike first, to see how much Meng Xingyuan knew about him, and then adapt accordingly.
Although Meng Xingyuan had convinced himself to accept the imperial decree and allow Meng Xiyao to enter the harem, he still felt somewhat uneasy. Therefore, seeing Guan Yi'an so calm and composed, he said very impolitely, "You brat, you want to bring my Meng family to its death, and you still have the nerve to ask me why I kidnapped you?"
Guan Yi'an remained expressionless: "What do you mean by that?"
Meng Xingyuan knew the other party was trying to trick him into revealing information, and he didn't want to waste time beating around the bush, so he simply went straight to the point: "Are you planning to meet with the Emperor to report that my Meng family's eldest daughter is pregnant, saying that the child in her womb is the offspring of the Northern Frontier King, and suspecting that my Meng family is an accomplice of traitors?"
Guan Yi'an felt a slight sinking feeling in his heart, but then breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems that Meng Xingyuan did not know that he was Guan Yi'an, otherwise he would definitely settle old scores with him now.
But Meng Xingyuan's thorough knowledge of his plan clearly indicates that someone had informed him of it.
However, after he arrived in the capital, he only told Princess Qiongxiao and Han Cui about this matter.
Guan Yi'an couldn't understand why these two women would tell Meng Xingyuan about this, but now was not the time to think about that. His most important task now was to figure out how to escape from Meng Xingyuan.
Guan Yi'an decided to play dumb.
"What? I don't know what you mean. I don't know who you are, nor do I recognize the eldest daughter of the Meng family. Have you arrested the wrong person?"
He looked bewildered, and with his honest face, he really did seem somewhat innocent.
If Meng Xingyuan hadn't seen the portrait with his own eyes, he would have suspected that the guards had arrested the wrong person. But there was no mistake. Although he had only glanced at the portrait a few times, the outline and eyebrows were exactly the same.
"Are you named Zheng Qingshan?"
This is Guan Yi'an's new identity. When he was arrested, he still had the travel permit he had applied for earlier in his bag, which had his name on it. He couldn't deny it.
"Yes. But I don't know your identity, nor do I know the eldest daughter of the Meng family. Who told you these things? Someone must be slandering me, and you've been deceived."
He spoke with conviction, his face calm.
Meng Xingyuan thought for a moment, then his gaze turned cold.
Princess Qiongxiao had a terrible reputation, but that was after she started keeping male lovers. When the late emperor was alive, Princess Qiongxiao was a model among the noble ladies of the capital.
It is a sad thing that a once dignified, elegant, and beautiful young lady has become a shameful and disgraceful slut.
Meng Xingyuan knew a little about the reasons behind this.
In short, he might not believe everything Princess Qiongxiao said, but he didn't believe that Princess Qiongxiao would fabricate such a big lie to deceive him in order to get rid of a male favorite, and use him to eliminate the male favorite.
For someone like her, even if she killed one or two male lovers, it wouldn't be a big deal; there was no need to make such a fuss.
On the contrary, Zheng Qingshan in front of him looked innocent and harmless, but he spoke shrewdly and kept trying to get information out of him. He didn't seem like a simple male concubine at all.
However, this person has consistently refused to admit it, and it seems unlikely that the truth will be easily obtained from him.
I had initially thought this man was just a male concubine who was taking risks for wealth and status, and that I could probably be appeased with some money. But now it seems things are not so simple.
The Emperor is already suspicious of the Meng family, and Meng Xingyuan cannot afford any further trouble. Thinking of this, Meng Xingyuan frowned and whispered, "Young Master Zheng is unwilling to cooperate. Treat him well."
The two guards behind him responded with a "yes," then covered Guan Yi'an's mouth, unlocked the chains, and took him away.
The Meng family mansion does have a torture chamber, hidden in a secret entrance on a rockery, located in a dark underground level. It was originally built to frighten the younger generation in the mansion, but Meng Xingyuan doted on his children, so this torture chamber was practically useless and was never used. Only a very small number of people in the mansion knew its location.
Now, however, it has found its place.
Guan Yi'an understood Meng Xingyuan's meaning, but she wasn't particularly afraid.
He was a man who had escaped from the Ministry of Justice prison and endured the pain of having his skin cut off and his face replaced. The whips and fists of the Meng family guards were nothing to him.
However, Meng Xingyuan is unlikely to release him anytime soon, which ruins his plan to report Meng Lingge to the Emperor for being pregnant with the son of a rebel king, and he has missed another good opportunity to make a contribution.
He was furious with Princess Qiongxiao and Han Cui, and secretly resolved never to cooperate with women again. They were too fickle, and he couldn't understand why he had been betrayed by them this time.
Women can only be used and manipulated; they are truly unfit to be collaborators.
Guan Yi'an was imprisoned in the torture chamber and tortured. The Meng family still had to obey the two imperial edicts they received. Meng Qingyu had never left her parents since she was a child. The few times she went to the palace, she went with her parents to banquets. When she was picked up by the palace eunuchs, she behaved very sensibly and politely, without any of the arrogance she had shown when she was fighting against Meng Xingyuan.
After seeing off their eldest son, Meng Xingyuan and Du Shiyin were not idle, as they also had to prepare a dowry for their third daughter, Meng Xiyao.
Previously, I had been arranging blind dates for Meng Xiyao, and I had also prepared a small dowry for her.
However, marrying into the palace as a concubine is different from ordinary marriages. There are many taboos and many items that must be prepared. There are only seven days to prepare, so the mansion is very busy. No matter what people think in their hearts, on the surface it is a scene of joy and liveliness.
When Meng Xiyao saw the dowry being carried into the side room, she went from feeling lost and helpless to accepting it, and finally decided to feign illness to decline.
The imperial decree has been issued, and she has no choice but to enter the harem. Even if she were to die to prove her innocence now, the emperor would probably still not let the Meng family off the hook.
If she becomes so ill that she cannot move and misses her wedding, and the imperial physician discovers that she did it on purpose, then everyone in the Meng family will still be unable to escape death.
Since the Emperor only wants her to enter the harem, she will go along with his wishes and enter the harem first.
She was willing to enter the palace, but she absolutely did not want to be favored by that old man.
Using illness as an excuse to decline the marriage was not to cancel the engagement, but to prevent the old man from getting close to her.
Now that my brother-in-law has declared himself king, my sister will definitely join him in attacking the capital and destroying the emperor.
As long as she remains a virgin, she will be able to choose the man she likes according to her own wishes.
Therefore, the illness cannot be too serious, nor can it be fake; it must be something that even the imperial physicians cannot detect as intentionally causing the illness.
When she enters the palace despite her illness, even if the emperor is displeased, he will not be too angry because of her gentleness and the loyalty of the Meng family.
It was autumn, and the night air was chilly. After the maidservants left, Meng Xiyao opened the window and didn't cover herself with a blanket all night. As expected, she fell ill after two nights.
Although the girl in the bronze mirror looked haggard and was thin, she still looked beautiful and even seemed a little more delicate and pitiful.
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