Rumor
The shadows of the trees in the yard moved slightly, making a rustling sound.
Qi Qinghe was silent for a moment after hearing the Crown Prince's question.
If the situation were reversed, Qi Lin would definitely make her pay with her life.
She lowered her head and looked at the scribbled rice paper, her clear eyes filled with loss.
"You've never done this before, so it's normal for you to hesitate." Xiao Junbai covered her pen-holding hand, his voice low and gentle, "This matter isn't that simple."
"My father wants to leave the capital and go to the imperial mausoleum in ten days to pay homage to his ancestors." He knocked on the table but did not explain clearly.
Qi Qinghe waited for a moment, but before the Crown Prince could continue, she opened her eyelids and saw His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who was holding his forehead with his hand, looking at her leisurely.
It was obvious that he wanted her to think for herself.
She stroked the table lightly, trying to recall everything she knew, but still had no clue.
What does Qi Lin's matter have to do with the emperor's departure from the capital?
The emperor has left the capital... the palace will be empty and unguarded, and the defenses will be lax. If anyone has ill intentions, it will be a godsend opportunity.
What does this have to do with her uncle Qi Lin? Could it be that Qi Lin has colluded with someone and intends to rebel?
But she had lived with this uncle day and night, and he was not such a courageous person.
Qi Qinghe hesitated, told his guess, and looked up at the prince.
Xiao Junbai sat with her in his arms, a faint smile on his handsome face, "You guessed right."
Qi Qinghe was furious. The prince's expression was clearly mocking her.
She turned her face away in anger.
Holding the man's chin with his broad palm, Xiao Junbai smiled faintly and said, "This isn't difficult."
"Qi Lin knows you're the Crown Princess, yet he still speaks outrageously. He obviously has another way out."
Upon hearing this, Qi Qinghe became even angrier. She glared at him fiercely with her usually clear almond-shaped eyes. Not feeling satisfied, she grabbed the prince's hand and bit it hard.
She pondered over such a simple matter for a long time.
The slender jade-like fingers with distinct knuckles were instantly left with a circle of teeth marks.
The smile in Xiao Junbai's bright eyes became even brighter. This little bit of strength didn't hurt at all, just a tingling and numb feeling that was hard to describe.
"You're not afraid of me now."
Upon hearing this, Qi Qinghe stared at him in a daze, speechless for a moment, and forgot about the previous anger.
She never thought that one day she would do such a childish thing to someone, let alone to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Even her mother and younger sister would not do that.
Is it because they have been enjoying themselves for too long these days, without being bound by palace rules, that they have become more and more outrageous?
But His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has always been self-disciplined and polite, and does not like these things. Even if he likes her, he probably cannot tolerate her repeated outrageous behavior.
She shouldn't have asked too much about government affairs. His Highness was very generous in teaching her. How could she feel dissatisfied?
Xiao Junbai lowered his eyes, taking in the change in her expression, and asked in a puzzled tone, "What's going on?"
Was what I just said inappropriate? He pursed his lips and said, "I don't dislike it."
He didn't dislike it, he just felt it was fresh and lively.
Qi Qinghe's thick eyelashes trembled slightly. She opened her mouth to say something, but didn't know what to say. She simply shut up and made up her mind to think before speaking.
Xiao Junbai pretended not to hear and continued to talk about what had just happened. He tightened his arms and hugged the man tightly. "There are many people who covet the position of crown prince. In addition, Xiao Junqi defected. Leaving the capital to worship the ancestors is a good opportunity."
"No matter who you are, the capital is in turmoil. Don't run around. Stay here."
When Qi Qinghe first heard the name Xiao Junqi, she was confused for a moment before she realized that he was talking about the third prince Xiao Junqi.
The incident of returning to Beijing to rescue prisoners came to her mind, and she still remembered the assassin who was killed by her with an inkstone in a moment of desperation.
That was really her first time killing someone. The warmth splashed on her face and blurred her eyes.
Besides... in a flash of inspiration, she suddenly raised her head.
In the bedroom where she was waiting alone, there was only a lamp lit in the corner of the table. Her unclear face was hidden in the dimness, but in her deep eyes, the bright yellow candlelight was reflected and flickered.
She blinked and said in a trembling voice, "Third... Xiao Junqi defected, but was it intentional on His Highness' part?"
Xiao Junbai nodded and didn't mention this matter so that she could be at ease and not worry. However, he never thought that she was quite patient in these matters and could understand things at a glance.
Silence spread in the bedroom, and thunder suddenly rolled down the sky in the yard. The rain poured down, hitting the window sill and hanging down the eaves.
Qi Qinghe stared at the teacup, lost in thought. After a long moment, he said, "Your Highness, how about we make some kind of agreement?"
Xiao Junbai raised his eyebrows, leaned over and nestled on the man's shoulder, "You say."
The prince's hot breath sprayed on her neck, making it tingle and pink. Qi Qinghe calmed her mind and told him everything she was thinking.
It would be good for her to be with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. She would live a life of luxury and never have to worry about food and clothing. The identity of the Crown Princess would be even more glorious.
But if the prince abandoned her, she would be alone and powerless, and would be at the mercy of others.
"First, I hope Your Highness will not lie to me no matter what happens in the future." She was accidentally involved in this dispute. If she was completely unaware of everything, she might not know when she would die.
"Secondly, I am afraid I cannot return the Imperial Guards token that is temporarily in my custody to Your Highness." She said this quite boldly.
Qi Qinghe's heart was beating like a drum and he was very nervous.
The capital's imperial guards have always been under the command of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. There is absolutely no reason for them to be handed over to others, let alone whether those imperial guards would really obey her orders.
But she always needs something to rely on.
Qi Qinghe thought that she was really not smart enough. She only thought of such an important thing at this moment.
The two of them were very close together, fitting perfectly.
Qi Qinghe couldn't see the Crown Prince's expression, but she could feel the Crown Prince's hand caressing her waist, back, hair, and landing on the back of her head, causing her hair to stand on end and tremble slightly.
After a while, she heard the prince say yes, and the heavy stone in her heart fell to the ground. Her eyelashes trembled and tears fell from the corners of her eyes.
Xiao Junbai sighed barely audibly, stepped back and let go of her slightly, then lifted her cheek, his clear almond-shaped eyes sparkling with water.
Wiping the tears with his fingers, he said softly, "Why not? It's not worth crying like this."
Qi Qinghe bit her lip and said nothing, stubbornly refusing to look at him. She fumbled with a handkerchief to wipe away her tears, forcing herself to remain calm and said, "Then, according to your Highness, what should be done about this matter?"
If her uncle Qi Lin really defected to others and had the intention of rebellion, her plan of setting bait and luring others into the game would certainly not work.
Xiao Junbai stared at her for a while, then held her hand and explained the arrangements of the matter in detail. Instead of luring others into the game, it would be better to take advantage of the situation and get involved himself.
It rained all night long without any sign of clearing up. In the hazy sky, there were few people on the bustling streets.
Occasionally, there were pedestrians holding oil-paper umbrellas and walking hurriedly. The shops on both sides had their doors half closed, as if they didn't expect to do any business in this weather.
Jinyuefang in the south of the city was no exception. The waiter yawned and looked at the rain boredly. After a while, he closed half of the door and pricked up his ears to listen to the gossip of the guests inside.
The emperor issued a general amnesty, and Qi Lin regained his freedom. By chance, he got some money.
The former splendor and wealth were gone, the carefully selected Qi family residence was reduced to ashes, and now they had no place to live.
Thinking of this, Qi Lin resented his niece even more. He hated her for not knowing what was good for her and causing her to lose her job and go to jail, where she ended up entering Jinyuefang, the largest gambling house in the capital, with her money in her pocket.
The rumors about the Crown Princess's life experience became more and more intense among the people. As time went on, other rumors began to spread.
People all say that this Crown Princess has a humble background and is unworthy of her position.
However, the new rumors were different. They praised the Crown Princess highly and inferred from her age that the capital was in turmoil at that time and every family had suffered losses, not to mention the aristocratic families. Perhaps the Crown Princess was of noble birth and was accidentally separated from her family. It is still unknown.
The two voices argued endlessly, and the matter showed no sign of stopping. Instead, it became more and more intense.
To Qi Lin, this new rumor sounded like nothing more than nonsense.
As Qi Lin was closely related to this matter, he became a hot commodity in an instant. He was surrounded by people everywhere and asked about the Crown Princess.
For example, at this moment, the gambling table by the window in Jinyuefang was no longer as noisy as the other gambling tables. The people around it held their breath and listened to Qi Lin talking about the Crown Princess.
"...What nonsense! They were orphans and widows, and I took them in out of kindness. Not only did she insist on replacing my daughter as the Consort, but she even took advantage of my misfortune and started a quarrel over a dishonest girl."
Qi Lin took a gulp of wine, paused for a moment and continued, "Isn't I good to her? This wicked girl is so cruel and ruthless. She's so wary of me. She doesn't even want to show us the good things that the emperor gave her."
"I understand that she is young and ignorant, but I didn't expect her to be so unrestrained." At this point, Qi Lin was furious and slammed the table, causing the dice, silver and copper coins to roll down.
"She actually dared to collude with my daughter, slander me in front of the Crown Prince, and cause me to be imprisoned, and then she herself escaped."
"As the Crown Princess, she has a noble status and is quite favored. What else could she not be satisfied with? This incident has caused the Crown Prince to feel sorry for her. Now, she will become even more lawless in the future."
After saying this, Qi Lin shook his head repeatedly, full of regret.
Someone nearby echoed, "The Crown Princess is such a person." "She's so unsatisfied, she's going to cause chaos in the future." "Who says she isn't? With her character, how can she be worthy of our Crown Prince?"
However, some disagreed. "What you said is just your own opinion. How can we tell the truth from the false?" "Isn't it said that this Crown Princess is not of the Qi family bloodline, but of an aristocratic family in the capital. How could she be so despicable?" "Besides, when you were imprisoned and the entire court was watching during the investigation, how could you lie?"
"Who knows? My niece looks obedient, but in fact she is very resourceful. She might even be able to deceive the Crown Prince and complete this matter." Qi Lin drank the whole jar of wine and waved his hand nonchalantly, "Let's not talk about her anymore."
"Come on, place your bets. I must beat you today."
The people around him were still not satisfied and wanted to hear him talk, but Qi Lin refused to say anything more.
The waiter pricked up his ears and listened for a while, but he felt bored and kept yawning. He wondered calmly, what does the Crown Princess's background and character have to do with him?
Those high and mighty nobles were too far away from him.
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