Rainy Night
The rain continued for several days, and just as the rumors in the streets were saying, it was getting weirder and weirder.
One group claimed that the Crown Princess was unworthy of the position and had a mediocre family background. Some even wrote to His Majesty and the Crown Prince to depose the Crown Princess. Qi Lin was among them.
The other faction was completely different, claiming that the Crown Princess was born into a noble family in the capital, and was of superior character and appearance, making her the perfect candidate for the position.
All the stories of Qi Qinghe in the palace were spread among the people through the retelling of the palace servants.
The two sides argued endlessly, and some even started fighting. They went to the governor of Shuntian Prefecture and ended up getting beaten with ten boards on each side.
Since then, such rumors have gradually disappeared and few people dare to mention them.
Qi Qinghe, who was frequently mentioned by the public, was so busy these days that he wished he had an extra pair of hands. Even though he heard his younger sister mention it, he had no time to care about it.
Xiao Junbai kept his word and the next day he sent Qin Song, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, and Yu Xie, a young man he had met once, to work for her.
Qin Song came and brought a few account books and documents, and handed them to the empress. He was quite tall with a wolf-like waist and tiger-back. He stood in front of her, and under his thick sword-like eyebrows, he kept looking at the empress with curious eyes.
There were rumors circulating in the streets and alleys, and the soldiers had also heard a lot of them. It was not until he saw the person with his own eyes that Qin Song realized that this lady was different from the two rumors.
He was neither rude nor outspoken, nor was he gentle and sensible. His every word and action was extremely proper. If he had to say something, it was in a peaceful manner.
No matter what happened, she was extremely calm, as if nothing could make her angry or sad.
Qi Qinghe pursed her lips, listened to him talk about the drill, and flipped through the official documents.
Armor, military pay, rations, clothing, food, everything is recorded in the book. The drills and battles in previous years, as well as several times of protecting the emperor and suppressing rebellions are also all here, and it is clear at a glance.
As expected of the Royal Guards supervised by the Crown Prince, the military discipline is clear and every stroke of these official documents is extremely standardized without a trace of confusion.
Qi Qinghe had no idea what this meant, so he just said, "If that's the case, then we'll just follow the old rules."
She didn't intend to do anything. If she had time, she would just take a look around.
Qin Song took the order and left, meeting Yu Xie who was about to enter the house.
Yu Xie smiled, greeted him, and walked on to report to the empress.
"Your Majesty, I have already ascertained that Qi Lin frequently frequents Jinyuefang, staying in Zuixue Tower every night, rarely interacting with others...until last night, when I saw him acting suspiciously and meeting with a servant-like figure. They discussed money and rumors, and then parted ways."
"I followed the servant all the way and saw him take many detours and finally enter the Zhou family in the north of the city."
Qi Qinghe frowned, "Who are the Zhou family in the north of the city?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Xie hesitated for a moment before speaking aloud, "The Fourth Imperial Consort, Zhou Ruoyan, is from here."
Zhou Ruoyan... Qi Qinghe repeated the name twice before he remembered this imperial concubine.
I still remember that on the day when the Fourth Prince Xiao Junhui chose a concubine, the two of them were very familiar with each other and talked in private behind the palace maids.
She was panicked when the emperor punished a few noble ladies who gossiped about her.
The next day, she went to Wanguo Temple with the Queen and the Imperial Concubine to pray for the Fourth Prince Xiao Junhui. Because of this, she was framed by the Fourth Prince's Concubine, who accused her of having an affair with a monk. In the end, the matter was even brought to the attention of the Emperor.
What else happened in those days?
Qi Qinghe picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea. His thoughts became more and more confused. The warm tea went down his throat and warmed his hands and feet.
...It's an assassination!
In Wanguo Temple, she was imprisoned in the monk's room by the Queen on the charge of adultery. It was Princess Shaoyao who rescued her despite the guards' obstruction. She was able to escape when the assassin approached.
If Princess Shaoyao had arrived a step later, she would have died long ago.
Thinking of this, her hand holding the teacup suddenly shook, and the tea spilled all over her body, soaking her clothes.
Yu Xie was startled and took a few steps back, half-kneeling on the ground. "Did I say something wrong?"
Qi Qinghe stroked her chest lightly, waved her hand, and told him to continue staring at Qi Lin.
She breathed a sigh of relief only after everyone left, but even so, she still couldn't stop feeling scared.
It turned out that she was involved in this new storm at that time, but at that time, You Tian naively thought that it was just a simple assassination.
The prince never said anything to her after this incident.
She laughed at herself and sat there for a long time without moving.
As the night deepened, the rain gradually subsided and the sound of rain gradually faded away.
A damp smell hits my face, mixed with a hint of floral scent.
Qi Qinghe stretched his body, stood up and closed the window carefully.
Cheng Xi arrived at this time, holding an oil-paper umbrella and walking quickly. The palace maid following behind him was holding a box, just half a step behind.
"Your Highness." Cheng Xi carefully folded the umbrella and bowed slightly to her. "This is for you, Your Highness. He sent a servant to deliver it."
The palace maid opened the box and found various shops and farmland inside.
Qi Qinghe raised an eyebrow, picked it up and looked at it carefully, becoming more and more surprised. "Why did His Highness send these things?"
"These are His Highness's possessions. His Highness ordered that Your Majesty like them, so he sent me on this voyage." Cheng Xi smiled and said, "His Highness also said that those rumors are completely false, Your Majesty, please don't take them to heart."
Qi Qinghe was silent for a long time before she said, "Thank His Highness for me. These are too valuable. I can't afford them. Please make another trip."
Cheng Xi stood up a little straighter, looked doubtfully at the Empress and then at the box, and cautiously asked, "Empress, what's going on?"
He especially remembered that the Empress was very interested in these things.
Qi Qinghe blinked, rubbed his eyebrows, and asked them to put the things down.
What's the point of getting angry with them? They're just errand boys. It's been over half a year, so why get so angry?
She carefully looked through the shops and properties and placed them together with the token.
For several days in a row, she had not seen His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and Cheng Xi had to run back and forth to pass messages to each other.
The rumors gradually died down, and the entire capital returned to peace, without any disturbance.
That day, Yu Xie came to report and told Qi Lin about his whereabouts. Qi Qinghe then became interested and called Yun Tao and Yun Xing to come and wash and change clothes.
When he was about to leave, Qi Qingyu stopped him.
Qi Qingyu remained silent, his watery eyes staring at her intently.
"Sister, you have to deal with father's matter today."
"I'll go with you."
Qi Qingyu's voice was very soft, but very firm.
Yu Xie looked at the empress, then at the girl, and silently stepped back a little to leave enough space for them to talk.
"Why bother?" Qi Qinghe sighed softly, "You know exactly what the outcome will be for him."
"I know." Qi Qingyu said firmly.
Qi Qinghe couldn't persuade her and had to go along with her.
The rain began to lighten up and then turned into a downpour in an instant, and the leaves and petals fluttered in the wind.
Qi Lin ran through the streets holding an oil-paper umbrella, stopped under the eaves, and waited for the rain to stop.
He had been living a very comfortable life recently. He didn't have his wife to nag him, nor his daughter to bother him. He had a constant supply of money and could do whatever he wanted without having to worry about anything else. He just had to exaggerate things and cause trouble for his niece.
After six months in prison, his thin figure became much rounder and his cheeks became fuller in just a few days.
The unattainable official aura of Lord Qi from previous years resurfaced.
I don’t know how long it took, maybe half a day, or half an hour, Qi Lin couldn’t wait any longer, so he simply opened his umbrella and strode towards Zuixue Tower, letting his sleeves get wet by the rain.
The heavy rain fell from the sky, drowning out the sound of the coordinated footsteps.
He turned the corner and suddenly stopped.
Qi Qinghe was wearing a smoky purple Luo Qun, with a cloak that looked like frost and snow fluttering in all directions. Her face under the hood was simple and beautiful, and her almond-shaped eyes stared at Qi Lin without blinking.
Qi Qingyu walked out from behind her sister, holding an oil-paper umbrella, and looked at Qi Lin with complicated eyes. She wanted to speak several times, but didn't know what to say.
Qi Lin's eyes moved between the two of them, and he suddenly smiled.
"Isn't this us, the honorable Crown Princess? How could you have the time to come looking for me?" He sneered, "Could it be that you're no longer secure in your position?"
"I'm here to give you another chance." Qi Qinghe said calmly, "If you turn back, there's still a glimmer of hope."
Qi Qing hesitated to speak, but finally couldn't help but persuade: "Father, why do you have to go against the prince?"
Qi Lin sneered, "What do you know."
"The Crown Prince may not always be the Crown Prince. Who can predict what will happen in the future?" Qi Lin sneered, his voice softening, barely audible amidst the pounding rain. "Since we have different opinions, I won't say any more."
"I hope you two can be as proud as you are today, day and night."
After saying that, Qi Lin walked past the two of them and was about to leave.
In an instant, Qi Qinghe chuckled, "Uncle, I don't think I ever told you that you could leave."
"My uncle claimed that I was imprisoned because I instigated the Crown Prince. Why don't you explain this matter to the Crown Prince and clear my name?"
"No need," Qi Lin said coldly, not believing that this girl was so kind.
At this moment, the sound of orderly footsteps came from afar, and the soldiers in armor surrounded the three men.
Qin Song bowed to the Empress, then turned to Qi Lin, "Master Qi, please leave."
Qi Lin retreated again and again, but he was surrounded and had no place to hide. When he heard the man calling him "Sir", he immediately became furious. He pointed his sleeves at Qi Qinghe's nose and cursed him.
He has been hanging around in the city these days and has heard all kinds of nasty words, so he can just say them.
Qin Song frowned when he heard this, waved his hand, and ordered the person to be taken away without any delay.
"Thank you for your hard work today and for making this trip." Qi Qinghe said with a faint smile.
Qin Song quickly said he didn't dare.
While talking, the three of them left together.
Qi Qingyu walked very fast, as if she wanted to catch up with Qi Lin to say something, but she walked too fast and accidentally bumped into someone.
Her whole body couldn't stop falling backwards, and it was only thanks to Qin Song's support that she was able to stand steady.
"I was careless and offended. Are you okay, young lady?" A gentle voice sounded.
The person who came was dressed in a brocade robe, elegant and friendly, with a handsome face and a smile on his lips.
Qi Qingyu shook her head slightly, walked past the crowd, and trotted after the guards who were escorting the people, holding up the hem of her skirt.
Qi Qinghe felt that this person looked quite familiar, but he couldn't remember where he was for a moment, so he nodded slightly and passed by.
The man suddenly turned around and called out to her, "Crown Princess."
Qin Song stood in front of the empress, put his hand on his waist, and asked him what was the matter.
The man didn't mind at all. He smiled lightly and bowed, "Your humble servant, Fu Jingxuan, I have seen you before in the palace. Does Your Majesty still remember you?"
"His Highness is with me now. Would Your Majesty like to go with him?"
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