goodbye
After hearing what she said, Qi Qinghe was surprised for a moment. She had not thought of this.
After a brief thought, thinking that it had been a long time since he had visited the capital, he casually agreed, "Wait for me for a moment, I'll be back soon."
The matter of the eldest princess's cloth shop needs to be made clear.
How could Qi Qing not respond to his words?
Qi Qinghe took Yuntao to the Princess's courtyard.
Xiao Junmei was playing with a few maids in the courtyard, catching butterflies. A flamboyant smile graced her bright face. She knew why someone had come and raised her eyebrows slightly, "This is a gift for you. Why be so polite?"
As the eldest princess, she owned countless shops and properties, so a cloth shop was nothing to her.
"I'm deeply grateful for the Princess's kindness," Qi Qinghe said with a smile, "but I'm really uneasy about receiving this care for nothing."
Xiao Junmei could only sigh, realizing that he had indeed made the right choice.
After some discussion, Qi Qinghe bought the cloth shop for 80% of the original price.
After finishing the matter, Qi Qinghe couldn't stop smiling. She walked lightly, holding up the hem of her skirt, and trotted back to the dormitory.
This was something she bought herself, it belonged to her, how could she not be happy.
Then he and his younger sister got on the carriage together, one happy and the other sad, and headed straight for the capital.
Led by the accompanying guards, the dungeon guard checked the guards' tokens, looked at the two of them carefully, and respectfully let them pass.
As far as dungeons are concerned, they are all pretty much the same whether in the capital or Yangzhou.
As soon as I stepped in, the strong smell of blood hit me in the face, making me sick, and shrill screams rang out one after another.
Qi Qingyu subconsciously held her sister's arm, her pupils suddenly shrank, and she kept looking around.
Qi Qinghe patted her hands and was about to tell her not to be afraid, but then he realized that her hands were also shaking and couldn't stop.
What emerged in his mind was the Third Imperial Concubine Ning Yu, with her ferocious face that was unable to close its eyes after death.
She swallowed, grabbed her little sister's hand, and walked in together.
In just half a year, Qi Lin changed so much that the two sisters couldn't even recognize him when they walked up to him.
His cheeks were sunken and thin, and his cheekbones were prominent, which made his eyes look unusually large. His strong body had become as thin as a skeleton in half a year. The knuckles of his palms were obvious, and scars of various sizes were all over the back of his hands, hidden in his sleeves. The prison uniform on his body was tattered, and the scars were bleeding, which was shocking.
Upon seeing the two sisters, Qi Lin's numb eyes flashed with hatred, and he said coldly: "Everyone has left, why are you back? Are you here to see if I'm dead?"
Qi Qinghe frowned slightly, glanced at him once, and then looked away. She really had nothing to say to this uncle. If it weren't for Qi Lin forcing her to marry, there wouldn't be all these troubles.
There was no point in saying more, so she gently warned, "Just speak carefully, don't be cautious, and don't take his words to heart." After saying that, she took a few steps back, glanced around boredly, and waited quietly.
Qi Qingyu slowly raised her head and met her father's resentful and vicious eyes. She was startled and stepped back a little. She calmed herself down and said, "The emperor has issued a general amnesty. You won't be able to stay here for long."
None of the prepared remarks were used. She had thought that seeing her father again would be calm and peaceful.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they met, all the past events came to her mind. Qi Lin's harshness, criticalness, dissatisfaction, and exploitation of her emerged one by one.
Qi Qingyu's chest heaved, and his calm eyes were instantly filled with resentment.
Qi Lin sneered, "You sent me here, and now you come to tell me all this. What do you want to say? Do you think I'll be grateful to you? Are you dreaming?"
As for Yu Qilin, he had been an official for more than ten or twelve years and had never made a mistake. Even if he had been negligent for a moment, it would not have been like this.
Not to mention, the one who sent him in was his own daughter, his niece whom he personally presented to the Crown Princess.
Qi Lin's eyes, filled with resentment and anger, swept over the two of them, his tone becoming increasingly cold, "So what, Crown Princess? Are you really safe and sound?"
"Wait, wait until I get out..."
Qi Lin's words were half-finished as they were heard in the continuous screams in the dungeon. His gaze was like a poisonous snake, lingering and following him like a shadow.
Qi Qingyu stood there in a daze. After a while, he burst out laughing, and the only trace of hope in his heart was shattered in an instant.
She just felt that she was ridiculous. She actually dreamed that her father could repent. It was nothing but a foolish dream.
Qi Qinghe did not walk far, and heard every word of Qi Lin. The flashing eyes of the man in the dim dungeon were particularly terrifying. She was distracted for a moment and shuddered. She saw her younger sister standing stiffly and calling her repeatedly.
Qi Qingyu suddenly came back to her senses and shook her head at her sister. Now that things had come to this, what else was there to say?
The two sisters supported each other and left and got into the carriage.
Qi Qinghe's brows twitched, and he had a bad feeling. He stroked the Royal Guards token, thinking about something.
Qi Qingyu lowered her head and said nothing. After a long time, she slowly raised her head. Her face looked like she was half crying and half laughing, and her tone was choked with sobs. "Sister, have I caused trouble again?"
She still remembered that her sister married into the Eastern Palace as a substitute for her. This time it was even worse. If Qi Lin was pardoned, he would definitely take revenge on her and her sister.
Qi Qinghe was still immersed in Qi Lin's ghostly eyes. He looked at her and couldn't help but sigh, "How can this be your fault?"
How can it be wrong not to want to marry a complete stranger and become a tool for my father to fight for power and profit?
Qi Qingyu couldn't hold it in any longer, she covered her face and sobbed, tears rolling down her face uncontrollably. She threw herself into her sister's arms and cried her heart out.
Pushing open the car window, the street vendors were shouting, passers-by were walking hurriedly, and women were comforting their crying children as they walked away. The capital city was noisy and ordinary.
Qi Qinghe stared at the people passing by, and her restless heart calmed down a little. "Since we're here, why not take a good stroll?"
Qi Qingyu cried for a while, wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, and said okay with a sob.
The carriage stopped at Zuixuelou, the largest restaurant in the capital.
This is also where the two sisters came in the past.
Unlike last time, when the two secretly pawned their jewelry for some silver, this time they did it purely to relax.
The waiter led people to the second floor, where the elegant pavilion was particularly secluded.
Qi Qinghe lifted the hem of her skirt and walked slowly upstairs. Suddenly, when some guests on the first floor were chatting, she heard Fu Jingyuan's name.
When she first heard the name of this person, she was puzzled. She felt that this person was very unfamiliar, but also secretly familiar.
He even missed a step and almost fell, and his head suddenly hit the wall, becoming red and swollen in an instant.
Qi Qing Heyu hurriedly helped her to stand steadily and asked curiously, "Sister, what's wrong with you?"
The waiter breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the man was alright, and said, "My lord, please be careful."
Qi Qinghe just said nothing and nodded slightly.
After walking up to the second floor, Qi Qingyu, who had recovered from her shock, prepared a table full of delicacies, saying that she was tired of Jiangnan cuisine and wanted to change her taste.
The dejected look just now was no longer there.
Qi Qinghe nodded her head and said with a smile, "If you can't finish it, you will suffer the consequences."
"That's right." Qi Qingyu patted his chest and ordered a few good plays. The stage on the first floor was connected and was singing.
While laughing, he seemed to have completely forgotten Qi Lin's threat.
The waiter flattered him a few times and was about to leave.
At this moment, Qi Qinghe stopped him and said, "We two sisters haven't been to the capital for a long time. If anything big happens, please call us sisters to avoid bringing bad luck to others."
Fu Jingyuan is the daughter of the Fu family, so she has to care about her.
The waiter paused, scratched his head and thought for a moment, then slapped his head and laughed, "Young lady, you've asked the right person."
"If we talk about the major events in the capital, it is nothing more than one thing: our current Crown Princess is an imposter."
As soon as these words were spoken, the two sisters who were drinking tea retorted in unison.
Qi Qingyu choked and coughed, and hurriedly took a towel to wipe the tea from the corner of his mouth.
Qi Qinghe coughed, his expression relatively calm, and asked nonchalantly, "Is this really the case?"
It has been half a year since he escaped from the autumn hunting last year, but why is it still circulating in the market?
The waiter had no suspicion of anything, and thought that the two girls were just surprised to hear about this for the first time, so they spoke more excitedly.
After all, who would have thought that the Crown Princess was not in the palace but strolling around the city.
"You don't know this. Rumors have been circulating for the past two days, saying that the Crown Princess, stunningly beautiful, is actually a disaster, and has seduced the upright Crown Prince into being excessively partial and unscrupulous."
"You said our prince is fair, just, and honest, so how could he be so bewitched by this wild girl who appeared out of nowhere?"
"It would be nice if we could see the stunningly beautiful Crown Princess." The waiter said, shaking his head repeatedly. His tone didn't contain any indignation, only a hint of regret. "It's a pity that such a person is not something we can see."
As the waiter said, the stunningly beautiful Qi Qinghe was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. She covered her lips with her hands while drinking tea, with a hint of annoyance flashing in her eyes.
Why did she ask this question?
Qi Qingyu, not wanting to be bothered by the trouble, smiled softly and agreed, "Indeed, if you ask me, this Crown Princess is a beauty of the highest order."
Qi Qinghe stepped on her foot under the table.
Qi Qingyu felt pain and stopped talking, but the smile on his face grew even wider.
Qi Qinghe was afraid that this would go on and on, so he hurriedly asked, "I've heard about this matter. Is there any other important matter?"
The waiter, who had been agreeing with the distinguished guest, pondered for a long time after hearing this, and then suddenly realized, "There is indeed another matter."
"Fu Jingyuan, a daughter of the Fu family, the most aristocratic family in the capital, committed suicide at home." The waiter lamented the news, "Everyone said Fu Jingyuan was the most talented woman in the capital, the perfect choice for the Crown Princess. But she didn't expect that to happen."
Suicide? Qi Qinghe's eyes widened as he looked at the waiter in disbelief.
How could Fu Jingyuan, who was full of talent, commit suicide?
After the initial shock, unspeakable sorrow welled up in her heart. She asked softly, "Why did she commit suicide?"
The waiter shook his head. "Who can tell?"
"Perhaps she was rejected for the position of Crown Prince's wife and is feeling overwhelmed. Or perhaps she was forced by her family to marry someone they dislike," the waiter recalled the various speculations circulating in the market. "It's also possible that she had a beloved lover, tried to escape, and was caught and brought back, feeling ashamed and angry."
There was absolutely no way the Fu family could explain this matter, and there were all kinds of speculations circulating in the market.
"If you ask me, what's the point of being the No. 1 family? They've already fallen into decline these days. Why are they still clinging to this title?" The waiter sighed, shook his head, and bowed as he left the elegant pavilion.
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