Chapter 19 This second daughter of the Lin family is not only beautiful...
Mu Qinghuai communicated with Ji and Jing in a low voice.
Ji Yujing ignored him.
Now that he's here, no one can hurt Lin Qingdai.
I haven't made a move yet, just to see if she has any other tricks up her sleeve.
In the past, he had never seen a woman like Lin Qingdai, who was of noble birth yet gentle.
But this gentleness is different from weakness.
It's a bottom line, a very clear bottom line. When someone crosses that line, she will retaliate, in a way that will amaze you. Just like now, she stands beside the round table, weak and powerless, needing the table's support to keep her balance.
But her eyes were cold; she was cursing the second prince of the current dynasty.
Ji Yujing didn't want to admit it, but his attention was being drawn to a woman. However, once he changed his plans and slipped into the Yanghe Hall, whether he admitted it or not was no longer important.
Seeing that he didn't respond, Mu Qinghuai couldn't help but curse, "freak."
This time, the sound was a little louder. However, the noise below was too great, and this faint sound was easily drowned out.
Under the beam, with a wave of the Second Prince's hand, a group of female assassins rushed straight towards Lin Qingdai.
Just as Ji Yujing was about to give up and could no longer wait, the fear in the eyes of the two maids, Mingyue and Mingqian, suddenly disappeared, and they drew soft swords from their waists.
In the dim light, the sword gleamed.
"How dare you offend our young lady? You're asking for death."
Mingqian charged forward fearlessly, about to fight against overwhelming odds, and there was not a trace of fear on her face.
She was certain she could win.
This certainty is, in some ways, similar to that of Lin Qingdai.
The depth of a family's heritage, which has flourished for a century, is beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
Mingyue then grabbed Lin Qingdai's waist and rushed towards the entrance of the main hall.
The sudden change in the situation caused Song Yunlan's expression to change, but the change was very subtle.
According to the original plan, there should have been a group of guards outside the gate.
This group of imperial guards was arranged to enter the palace by Wu Tingshan, the emperor's maternal grandfather. Ostensibly, they were the emperor's sharpest weapons, but in reality, they only obeyed the empress. However, when the palace gates were broken open by the bright moonlight, this group of guards lay scattered on the ground, their fate unknown to anyone at that moment.
Mingyue seemed to understand something, and a slight smile appeared on her lips. She pushed her speed to the limit and took Lin Qingdai away from the place.
Once Mingqian was sure the two were safe, she didn't want to fight anymore.
Fighting is exhausting, she doesn't want to fight.
"I'm not fighting anymore, I'm going to eat Luhua Ci (a type of rice cake)."
After saying that, he turned around abruptly and ran towards the door.
As her figure swept across the threshold, she suddenly turned back to glance at the person inside.
"Your martial arts skills are not good enough."
On the crossbeam, Mu Qinghuai covered his mouth and laughed.
We have to cover it up; if the volume gets too loud and it gets discovered, things will be even more chaotic in the Hall of Nourishing Harmony today.
A little chaos can be enjoyable.
If things get chaotic, he might not be able to return to the north to see his wife.
Why bother?
A moment later, he looked at Ji Yujing.
Although the man was wearing a black mask, a smile lingered in his eyes.
As for what they were laughing at, Mu Qinghuai couldn't be sure.
But he felt that it was ultimately related to Lin Qingdai.
This second daughter of the Lin family is not only the most beautiful woman in the world, but also incredibly interesting.
It was hard for Song Yunlan not to panic.
This was planned by my mother herself, and she even used the secret power left to them by my maternal grandfather.
In the end, things still escalated to this point.
How did Lin Qingdai know about "Fu Hongzhuang"? She was clearly feverish before, so why did she suddenly recover?
How could her two maids be so skilled? I had seen them many times before, always at close range, yet I had never noticed anything amiss.
Song Yunlan walked out of Yanghe Hall, his gaze sweeping over the fallen imperial guards. A moment later, he violently raised his foot and kicked one of them.
As the leg landed, a sound of bones breaking could be heard, yet the person remained completely still.
Princess Showa saw this scene from a short distance away, and her slender, willow-like body trembled.
Perhaps sensing it, Song Yunlan turned around to look at her.
To be more precise, it's about keeping an eye on things.
Like a cold, sinister snake, he watched his prey. She was clearly still alive, but in his eyes, she was already inanimate.
"You know what to do?"
Princess Showa felt a chill run down her spine. "I...I know."
At the end of his sentence, there was almost no sound.
At the same instant, tears fell onto the back of her hand.
Mingyue led Lin Qingdai to the vicinity of Zhengxing Hall and stopped. She thought that her mistress might need some time to calm down and consider how to handle the situation.
The soft sword transformed into silk and disappeared back into her waist.
She took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped Lin Qingdai's face.
Inside the Hall of Nourishing Harmony, she saw that her mistress was sweating profusely from the heat, and at that moment she wanted to draw her sword and kill someone.
They didn't move, knowing the young lady's plan and fearing that alerting her would ruin things.
"Miss, are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
"We're safe now, don't be afraid."
Mingyue's words were full of concern. Hearing this, Lin Qingdai's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, finally settled down.
"I'm fine, don't worry."
"Ming Qian..."
Lin Qingdai turned to the side and looked in the direction of Yanghe Hall.
Before she could say anything, a "wild horse" came rushing towards her.
After a few moments of stunned silence, he chuckled softly.
"Who would have thought that Mingqian is not only a master of eating, but also a martial arts genius?"
Let's go back to the night Lin Qingdai received the jade from Song Yunlan.
She sat silently in the bedroom for a long time, then suddenly looked at Mingyue and said, "Mingyue, help me change my clothes. I want to go to the library."
Mingyue agreed without hesitation.
In her mind, her young lady was the most intelligent girl in the world, and everything she did had a reason.
After getting ready, Mingqian and Mingyue carried lanterns and escorted Lin Qingdai to the library.
Lin Qingdai loved reading since she was a child, and in the large Lin family, she was the one who knew the library best.
The library has five floors, each with dozens of bookshelves, and the bookshelves are further divided into layers.
The books are numerous, but they naturally have indexes.
But Lin Qingdai had not used the index since she was thirteen years old.
Although she couldn't remember the location of every single book, she knew exactly which shelf it was on and what type of book it was.
She went straight to the top floor of the library, and after browsing through the section on court and rural secrets for a while, she finally picked out a book.
When she turned to one of the pages, Jiao Jiao suddenly laughed.
That sound carried a contempt and sorrow never before heard from her.
Mingyue asked her softly, "Why are you laughing, Miss?"
Lin Qingdai then looked away from the book and said softly, "Mingyue, perhaps we will be the ones who witness the changing of the seasons."
What changes, she did not say, and the bright moon had no way of knowing.
But she knew that at this moment, the young lady was heartbroken.
Lin Qingdai eventually took the book.
Back in her room, she called Mingqian and Mingyue to her side and whispered to them, "Bring your weapons on the day of the Luhua Festival."
The kind that can kill someone in the fastest possible time.
Few people know that Mingqian and Mingyue are skilled in martial arts.
From the moment they came to Lin Qingdai's side, they appeared as ordinary maids and did exactly the work of maids.
In reality, they were all exceptional martial arts geniuses, having started learning martial arts from reclusive masters at a young age, and were the last line of defense for Lin Qingdai.
The Lin family is one of the wealthiest families in the world.
Although they did not openly raise assassins like other aristocratic families, they did not neglect the protection of their descendants.
Upon hearing this, Mingyue's eyes lit up with surprise: "Has Miss noticed something?"
Lin Qingdai responded softly, "The Empress and the Second Prince were ultimately provoked, and I might be their first target."
Mingqian was completely enraged: "Shameless bastard, I'm going to beat his face until it's swollen."
Lin Qingdai and Mingyue: "..."
Assaulting the second prince of the current dynasty? That's a serious crime. But at that moment, no one spoke up to stop her.
If my guess is correct, the Second Prince deserves to be beaten.
Even if they were beaten, the Emperor and Empress would still have to apologize to the Lin family.
“Since Miss has noticed something amiss, we can choose not to attend the Luhua Festival banquet.”
After Mingqian finished her outburst, the bedroom returned to silence, and Mingyue spoke softly at that moment.
Lin Qingdai paused for a moment before saying, "I will go."
"Why?" Finding a reason is easy.
"How could the future crown prince of Xun Kingdom be such a treacherous and despicable person?"
She wanted to use this opportunity to bring Song Yunlan down.
...
Once she had calmed down a bit, Lin Qingdai returned to Zhengxing Palace as if nothing had happened.
By then, almost all the important figures had arrived.
The younger generation, who had previously caused such a ruckus, returned to their side, and at a glance, they were all obedient.
The Lin family's location is the closest to the throne, as always.
There were two low, long tables. Lin Yansen and his wife sat at the front table, while their three children sat at the back table.
"Dai Dai, you're finally back."
"What gift did Princess Showa send? If it wasn't something valuable, it would be a disservice to her going to all this trouble."
As soon as Lin Qingdai sat down, Lin Qingwu asked her, judging by her voice and appearance, that her dissatisfaction with Princess Zhaohe had not yet dissipated.
Lin Qingdai immediately replied, "Bad luck."
Lin Qingwu was stunned.
Lin Qingyu and Lin Yansen looked at their daughter and couldn't help but laugh.
It's really rare for Dai Dai to get angry.
Lin Qingyu: "What kind of gift could make our good-natured Dai Dai angry?"
Lin Qingdai: "My brother and parents will find out later."
Let's leave this aside for now.
Before long, the Second Prince and Princess Zhaohe arrived one after the other. They were about ten feet apart, a very unfamiliar distance. They had both changed their clothes; one was elegant and noble, the other delicate and beautiful.
"Are you willing to see people now?"
Lin Qingwu glanced at the two of them and muttered a sarcastic remark. When she disliked someone, she found that person utterly unlikable.
There are many problems.
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingdai's lips curled slightly, and she leaned close to her sister's ear, speaking in a low voice that only the two sisters could hear, "There is definitely a secret between the two of them."
Lin Qingwu: "...What secret?"
Lin Qingdai returned to her seat, hiding her hands in her wide sleeves, and sat up straight.
No matter which angle you look at her from now on, she has a noble bearing.
"We don't know yet."
Lin Qingwu: "..." If this wasn't her own sister, she would definitely have scolded her; she's so naughty.
Perhaps sensing her sister's thoughts, a smile began to spread across Lin Qingdai's eyes.
Just after Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Emperor Taining and Empress Wu appeared together.
At the Luhua Festival banquet, they dressed quite formally. Their exquisite palace attire, with its luxurious details hidden in the smallest elements, adorned with jewels that sparkled as they walked.
Long live the Emperor!
"Long live the Empress!"
Amidst deafening cheers, the two took their seats one after the other.
The emperor smiled as he looked at the kneeling ministers and juniors, clearly in a good mood.
"My lords, there is no need for such formalities."
"Today is the Luhua Festival, so please be casual."
The crowd shouted in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
They then got up and returned to their respective positions.
The emperor raised his cup and drank a cup of sour apricot wine with everyone.
As the glass returned to the table, reflecting an amber glow, the emperor suddenly looked at Lin Qingdai and asked, "Dai Dai, how does today's apricot wine compare to the one you brewed yourself?"
This question was seen by everyone as blatant favoritism from the emperor.
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingdai looked at Emperor Taining and smiled politely, "Then naturally Your Majesty's would be the best."
Before anyone could interrupt, Lin Qingdai continued, her expression innocent and harmless, "Has Your Majesty tasted the sour apricot wine that Prince Jingxian sent to the palace?"
Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoning and the Second Prince's expressions changed slightly.
They had expected Lin Qingdai wouldn't let it go, but they hadn't anticipated that everything would happen so quickly.
She dared to cause trouble in front of His Majesty and all the officials at the Luhua Festival banquet.
The Empress's gaze slowly swept over Lin Qingdai; she was smiling, but her eyes were cold.
Lin Qingdai saw it, but she was neither frightened nor did she feel that the malice from those in power was a given.
If you make a mistake, you should pay the price.
Unaware of the undercurrents, the emperor, upon hearing Lin Qingdai's words, showed a flash of surprise in his eyes, "How did Dai Dai know that Prince Jingxian sent me sour apricot wine?"
Lin Qingdai: "Before the festival banquet began, Princess Zhaohe invited Daidai to have a drink, and it tasted really good."
"And brown fruit."
"I don't know where Princess Showa got the fruit from, it's much sweeter than any I've ever had before."
The emperor laughed: "Old Lin, Dai Dai likes the things here, both the wine and the brown fruit."
Lin Yansen immediately replied, "Then Your Majesty, please grant Dai Dai some for my sake."
The emperor asked, "Do you have any face in my eyes?"
Lin Yansen: "Wouldn't His Majesty's reward be enough?"
Lin Yansen undoubtedly knew how to amuse the emperor; after a few words, the emperor burst into laughter.
Afterwards, beautiful dancers and highly skilled opera troupes took turns performing, and the Zhengxing Hall seemed to be ignited, with the atmosphere gradually becoming lively.
After a short while, the wine cups of the emperor and his ministers were filled and emptied and filled again, repeating this process many times.
The emperor summoned Xiao Qi, who brought up the gifts prepared in advance for the Luhua Festival.
They were rewarded one by one.
The order was from front to back. Logically, Lin Qingdai should have received the Luhua Festival gift from the emperor much earlier, but the emperor skipped her. He only called her at the very end.
"Dai Dai, what do you want?"
Lin Qingdai rose and curtsied to the emperor, saying, "What Your Majesty bestows is my most cherished possession."
If others said these words, Emperor Taining would most likely have interpreted them as flattery and sycophancy.
Don't take it seriously.
But Dai Dai was well-educated and reasonable, and he believed that regardless of whether she liked the gift or not, she would keep it safe once she received it.
For her, the sentiment is more important than the gift.
"Then let's give Dai Dai a mansion, built next to Ji Yujing's residence, with the same specifications as a princess."
These words surprised everyone.
Lin Yansen jumped out and knelt before the emperor, "No, Your Majesty, how could Dai Dai..."
Before Lin Yansen could finish his rambling, the emperor said, "Do you want me to take your head tonight?"
"Shouldn't we at least wait until after the Luhua Festival?"
Lin Yansen immediately fell silent; even the quails in the countryside had more backbone than him.
Looking back at his precious daughter, Lin Yansen said anxiously, "Dai Dai, why aren't you thanking her yet?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingdai left her seat without any hesitation.
Just as he was about to kneel to express his gratitude, the emperor stopped him, saying, "No need for formalities."
After a brief pause, he started criticizing Lin Yansen again, "Don't be like your father, he's annoying to look at."
Lin Qingdai chuckled softly, her expression innocent and harmless.
He then bent down slightly and helped Lin Yansen up.
The father and daughter were about to return to their seats when Lin Qingdai suddenly stopped after taking only a few steps.
Lin Yansen looked at his daughter suspiciously, "Dai Dai, what's wrong?"
Lin Qingdai smiled at him, "I found something when I went to see Princess Zhaohe earlier. It's quite valuable, and I'd like to hand it over to His Majesty."
Lin Yansen: "That's only right."
After saying that, he urged Lin Qingdai to hand over the things she had found to Xiao Qi.
Xiao Qi carefully examined the documents and presented them to the emperor.
The emperor didn't take it, but simply asked, "What is it?"
Xiao Qi: "It is indeed precious; it is a piece of jade with pink and green hues."
Suddenly, the emperor's face tightened, and his gaze turned cold.
As for the reason, no one knows.
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