Escape again
The rain continued all night long, and the sky was gray and shrouded in a damp atmosphere.
Qi Qinghe forgot when she fell asleep, and only remembered what the prince said last night, every word was sincere.
Her aggrieved and resentful heart gradually calmed down after being comforted, and she fell into a deep sleep accompanied by the sound of rain until she was awakened by a maid knocking on the door.
The mattress beside me was already cold, and it was obvious that the person had been away for a while.
She got up in a daze and called someone in.
The maid carried a dim lantern and placed it on the table. She repeated the prince's instructions word for word, "Young lady, His Highness has given instructions. Please eat well and rest well. When His Highness returns in the evening, I will ask you about what happened last night."
Qi Qinghe rubbed his brows, and his heart was still shocked when he thought about last night. He asked casually where the prince had been.
"Your Highness and the prefect left early this morning without leaving any information," the maid replied respectfully, bowing her head. She set out porridge, tea, and snacks and passed on a message for the masters, "The Third Imperial Concubine said you should be mindful of the rain today. Please come over if it's convenient."
After saying this, the maid bowed and left the room.
Qi Qinghe stared at the snack and nodded casually.
The Third Princess invited her simply to overthrow the Crown Prince. The small package of medicine was still hidden under her pillow.
Thinking about last night, she walked to the bed in a few minutes and reached under the pillow. The small square object was still lying there.
Qi Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief. Something happened suddenly last night and she hadn't thought of it for a while. Fortunately, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince might not have discovered it.
The prince went out with the prefect, probably to investigate a case, so they wouldn't be back early.
She clutched the object tightly in her palm, then put it into her sleeve. She opened the door and said to the maidservant in the corridor, "Please help me call Madam Qi and Miss Qi from the side courtyard."
The maid replied yes.
After a while, Qi Qingyu supported Qi Xu and walked around the corridor and came slowly.
Qi Qinghe lifted the hem of her skirt and jogged along, with her younger sister supporting people on either side.
"I knew it. You can't get excited when you're alone and need someone to accompany you." Qi Xu didn't know anything else. She just thought her daughter missed her. She smiled and joked, and was helped to sit down at the table in the room.
Qi Qinghe's eyebrows curved, a smile on the corner of her mouth, and she handed over a pair of chopsticks, "That's right, I want my mother to accompany me."
Qi Qingyu looked at this and that, touched his nose and said nothing.
"Mother, you've been in Yangzhou City for a few days now. How are you feeling?" Qi Qinghe looked calm as he served food to her. "These past few days, I've been so busy accompanying the princes and the queen that I forgot to spend more time with you. This is truly unfilial. Mother, please give me some face today and eat more."
Qi Xu raised her eyebrows and was about to say that she had only been there for two days, but when she looked up and saw her daughter's smiling face, she thought about it for a while before she understood.
The daughter wanted her to take the initiative to propose returning to the small cloth shop in the county town. Although she didn't know what her daughter wanted to do, it would not affect the trust between mother and daughter for many years.
Qi Xu said with a half-complaint and half-laugh, "This Yangzhou City is nice, but it's not as good as my own home. Now that you've recovered from your illness, it's time for me to go back. There are still my old sisters there, waiting for me to go shopping and play cards."
Qi Xu said this with a smile, very naturally. Outside the wide-open door, the maids and servants standing in the corridor did not seem to be surprised. They looked at each other and thought that the old woman was ungrateful and wanted to go back home instead of enjoying the good life in Yangzhou City.
"Mother is right. I was inconsiderate. I'll ask someone to send Mother back later." Qi Qinghe said with a smile. He gently tugged at Qi Qingyu with his hand under the table, leaned close to his younger sister's ear, and whispered a few words.
Qi Qingyu nodded hurriedly.
After dinner, the rain stopped for a while. Qi Qinghe sent A Niang and her younger sister out, and he couldn't help but give her many instructions, "When you go back, A Niang, you must eat well and don't overwork yourself."
Qi Xu nodded, and with the help of Qi Qingyu, she got into the carriage. She quickly drove away and disappeared from sight.
Qi Qinghe turned back to the house, but saw an extra set of clothes on the chair in front of the table. The gray and white clothes were patched and not very eye-catching, but they were clean and tidy.
She was speechless and admired her younger sister for being able to get such a set of clothes in such a short time.
She hid her clothes in the quilt, walked to the desk, and started writing.
There are two paths before her: treason is extremely risky and will lead to a life of glory; following the prince means that her life will be like last night day and night. Once the prince gets drunk, she will be the one who suffers.
But who said that she had to choose between these two paths?
She hid the medicine packet in her sleeve and poured it into the teacup. Then, she went out and casually threw the clear tea onto the rain-beaten potted plants. She said nonchalantly, "The tea is cold. Change it."
Only the paper wrapping the medicine was left.
The written letter was hidden in the bed, between the quilt and the couch, with only a tiny bit, no bigger than a finger, sticking out. It was a letter to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
The Third Princess came to invite her today, fearing that she would attack the Crown Prince in the next two days. If the Crown Prince returned safely, it would be easy to see.
The letter stated that she was coerced by the Third Prince and the Third Empress, and felt guilty towards the Crown Prince. They were speechless and would never see each other again. She also hoped that the Crown Prince would give her freedom as he had said last night.
It is true that the prince's confession was quite touching, but she was no longer the same person she used to be, and she would not ruin herself because of it.
This is one possibility, the Crown Prince wins, and another possibility is that the Third Prince wins.
As for the medicine paper in her sleeve, Qi Qinghe pursed her lips and planned to make a piece of cloth, writing down the reason why she was forced by the prince and that she did not want to stay any longer, and then throw it near the Third Prince's villa, among the flowers and plants, among the green, pink and white, so that it would not be noticeable.
What she hoped most was that these people would forget about her completely after fighting for power and profit.
Hot tea was served quickly.
Qi Qinghe took a sip of warm tea, wondering if there was anything wrong.
She sat alone for a long time, waiting for the tea to cool down again.
Several servants and maids walked by the corridor and mentioned the Crown Prince and the Third Prince in their casual conversation.
"His Royal Highness was in real danger this time. Luckily, the Third Prince intervened, otherwise the consequences would have been unpredictable." "That's right. I heard that the Crown Prince has found the assassin's lair this time and brought a lot of officers and soldiers with him, even taking Master Chengxi away." "It's best to capture these people quickly to save us from living in fear every day. When those people get ruthless, they will attack anyone." "..."
While chatting, the few people walked away.
Hearing the prince's name being mentioned, Qi Qinghe pricked up his ears and suddenly realized that now was the best time.
Even Chengxi, who was sent by the prince to follow him, is not here. If he doesn’t leave now, when will he leave?
She sat up suddenly, found her clothes and put them on, then put on a bright yellow coat to cover her inner clothes. She took a deep breath and slowly opened the door, her lips raised. "Since His Highness is not here today and the rain has stopped for a while, why not go out for a walk?"
"I've been in Yangzhou City for a few days, but I haven't left yet."
The maid followed the prince's instructions and fulfilled the girl's request, so she called some guards and went out together.
After the rain, Yangzhou City is misty and the air is fresh.
Most people hold oil-paper umbrellas, bring their families and young children, and some walk hurriedly or leisurely in the garden.
The vendors on both sides were shouting their wares, selling all kinds of food and toys. You had to get closer to see what they were.
Qi Qinghe walked on the stone blue road, looking left and right, and vaguely recalled the time when she and the prince went to the lantern festival during the Mid-Autumn Festival. They also bought rabbit lanterns and released them by the river to pray.
At that time, she prayed that she would never be separated from her mother again and that she would live a peaceful and happy life.
Thinking about the past, Qi Qinghe felt as if he had eaten sour plums, and his heart was filled with bitterness.
I walked and stopped along the way, from the street to the end of the alley, with nothing but the string of candied haws in my hand.
She turned her head slightly, took another look at the Yangzhou city, and was about to say something to the maid beside her.
A vendor carrying fruits on his shoulders lost his way in the mist and ran straight towards Qi Qinghe.
Qi Qinghe was knocked back and staggered, and only with the help of several maids did she finally stand steady.
The accompanying guards rushed forward and held down the vendor. The vendor was unable to move and could only look at her for help. The fruits in the cage rolled everywhere.
"I'm fine, don't be so nervous, just let him go." Qi Qinghe said softly. The vendor blinked his eyes, which made her realize something.
Several guards released their people, stood in front of the girl to clear the way, and then went around the corner to visit the market.
Qi Qinghe fell a few steps behind and chatted with a few maids, talking about the rouge and powder in Yangzhou City.
Speaking of this, the maids became interested and started talking about the shops in the city and which one was the best. Without paying any attention, the girls gradually slowed down their pace.
Seeing that they were talking with great interest, Qi Qinghe occasionally responded and walked lightly. She was at the end of the group and there was a thin mist around her, which was the perfect time to hide her figure.
The maids were in high spirits and chatted for a while before they realized that the girl had not responded. They glanced around and saw only a vast white mist, with no trace of the girl in sight.
In panic, several people looked at each other, called out to the guards in front, and dispersed to look for people.
In a short moment, Qi Qinghe walked quickly around the corner, borrowed his coat from the white mist, stuffed it in, revealing the gray-white clothes inside, and pulled out the silver hairpin and threw it on the corner of the street.
Anyway, the mist is so thick that no one will notice it unless you get close.
Just as she was looking back in panic, a pair of slender hands grabbed her.
"Sister, here." Qi Qingyu said softly and pulled the person into the carriage.
As soon as I got into the carriage, it seemed as if the damp rain vapor was isolated outside, and the tense strings in my mind relaxed.
Qi Qinghe sat firmly, her straight back relaxed in an instant. She leaned against the wall of the carriage, looked at her mother, Qi Xu, and then at her younger sister, Qi Qingyu, who had helped her get on the carriage, and asked in confusion, "Why haven't mother and younger sister left yet?"
Wasn't the carriage ready in the morning to take people away?
"With you here, where can we go?" Qi Qingyu sighed, "You asked me for that piece of clothing, so I knew you wouldn't stay here for long."
Qi Xu nodded in agreement, "Yes, I can only feel at ease if you are around."
Qi Qinghe held her mother and little sister's hands tightly, unable to speak for a moment.
The carriage creaked away, heading towards the city gate, towards the small county town.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
