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The deep blue night enveloped the entire city of Yangzhou.
Taking advantage of the night, the group slowly approached the prince's courtyard.
The leader was naturally Cheng Xi, followed by Qi Xu and Qi Qingyu.
There was no other reason. It was because when Qi Xu woke up this morning, she didn't see her daughter get up and leave the house, and she couldn't hear any sound. So she pushed the door open and saw a letter left by her daughter. Only then did she know that her daughter had been taken away by the prince.
The woman was so frightened that she attracted everyone in the cloth shop to come and watch.
Cheng Xi came over upon hearing the noise and hurriedly advised, "Don't worry, mother... the girl is doing well with His Highness. Yangzhou City is such a good place, you can just rest assured."
However, no matter how much Cheng Xi tried to persuade her, Qi Xu was still unwilling to accept it. "She is still sick, how can she leave me? If you are willing, please take me with you so that I can at least look after her."
Qi Qingyu chimed in, "There are differences between men and women, and my sister is ill and it will be inconvenient. Why don't you take me and my aunt with you? At least we can persuade her."
This seemingly unintentional remark made Cheng Xi think something, and after a long silence, he agreed and went into the city at night.
As they approached the courtyard, Cheng Xi's heart began to lift a little. He took a deep breath and then asked someone to report.
The two of them were about to finish their meal.
Qi Qinghe was bound by the chain and could not stand up, so she had to sit with her knees hugged.
The prince had said this so often that she had become somewhat accustomed to it. She didn't pay much attention to it. Her voice was soft and slow, like a feather scratching her heart. "Then, Your Highness, do you want me to wear this chain when I receive guests tomorrow?"
As she spoke, she tugged at the thin chain on her wrist, and the shaking bells hurt her eyes. Whether she could escape secretly or not was another matter, but at least she had to get some benefits for herself.
Xiao Junbai slowly took the handkerchief and washed his hands. He said nothing when he heard this, but just looked up at her. Under his thick sword-like eyebrows, his dark eyes were as dark as the night, making it difficult to understand.
Qi Qinghe pursed her lips and pondered for a moment. Then, startled, her round eyes suddenly widened. "Your Highness, I wonder if you will keep me tied up like this forever?"
Xiao Junbai leaned over, pressed the person to lie down obediently, pulled the quilt to cover her, slowly stood up, looked down at her, his dark eyes seemed to want to swallow her up.
Qi Qinghe swallowed, and the courage he had accumulated in the afternoon disappeared. He shuddered, pulled the quilt to cover his face, and stopped asking.
Anyway, she couldn't get anything out of it, and the prince wouldn't let her go.
Xiao Junbai stood in front of the bed, still remembering what she had said that night. He opened his mouth several times to say something, but didn't know how to say it. After several attempts, he finally gave up and waited for him to think it over before explaining.
He looked deeply at the person on the bed, then turned and was about to leave.
It was Cheng Xi who knocked on the door this time. His voice was as light as the breeze passing through the hall. "Your Highness, Madam Qi is here and wants to see you."
Madam Qi? Mother?
Qi Qinghe, who had closed his eyes to rest, suddenly threw off the blanket and sat up. Just as he was about to get up, he pulled at his hands but couldn't move. Then he remembered that he was still tied up, and for a moment he forgot all his unhappiness. "Your Highness, is my mother here?"
Her voice was as gentle and soft as a yellow oriole, and her bright eyes were full of pleading, "Your Highness, please let my mother in. I just want to say a few words to her."
Xiao Junbai frowned, not expecting Chengxi to bring someone here without permission. Turning back, he saw the person looking so pitiful, and a corner of his heart seemed to be struck. He turned his eyes away and said nonchalantly to the outside of the house, "Let someone in."
As he said this, he strode out of the house.
Qi Xu held her breath and listened to the voice inside the room asking her to come in. Her heart fell back into her chest. She took a long breath, patted her chest, stepped into the room carefully, and looked around nervously.
In this room, the tables and chairs are all made of nanmu wood. Tea cups and snacks are placed on the tables. A gauze curtain covers the bed curtain. Only a swaying figure can be seen, and it is impossible to make out what the person looks like.
She ran into the prince who was walking out. His tall and strong figure suddenly covered her, frightening the woman so much that she stepped back repeatedly and almost fell to the ground.
Fortunately, Xiao Junbai was quick to help the person. After helping the person to stand steadily, he took a step back and bowed to the person, "My son-in-law greets my mother-in-law."
This was the first time the two met.
Qi Xu gasped, trying to steady herself. The tall figure loomed over her, filling her with endless fear. Then, she remembered what happened this morning. She lowered her head and muffled her words, "I dare not, I dare not. I am only an ordinary woman. I cannot bear Your Highness's courtesy."
Xiao Junbai was not annoyed when he heard this. He was just bowing out of courtesy and didn't care about the woman's reaction. He walked past her and walked out of the house.
"Mother, I'm here." Qi Qinghe couldn't see what happened because of the gauze curtain. When he heard his mother's voice, he couldn't help but shouted.
Upon hearing the sound, Qi Xu walked over quickly.
Qi Qinghe sat upright on the edge of the bed, wearing only a frosty white undershirt. The loose sleeves covered her wrists, obscuring the chain that rested on the bed frame. She covered her lips with her hands and chuckled softly, "Mother was fine at home, why did you come to Yangzhou?"
"Don't worry, mother. I'm fine. I'm almost recovered from my illness, and His Highness treats me very well." She pretended not to notice that the prince was listening outside the room, and her obedient voice couldn't utter a word of criticism.
Qi Xu looked her up and down carefully and saw that she was really fine, only her face was a little red. It seemed that nothing was wrong. Her mouth trembled, and she had a lot of questions in her mind, but she couldn't ask any of them at this moment. Tears fell from her red eyes in an instant.
The woman sat down beside her daughter, her voice slightly hoarse, "There are some things I should have told you after you've recovered, but I can't help it anymore, and I'm afraid things might change over time, so I'm telling you now."
Qi Xu took the letters with her, took them out from her sleeve and handed them to her daughter.
Qi Qinghe took it subconsciously. It was written in a flamboyant style: "Personally addressed to Qi Lin". The handwriting looked familiar, like his father's.
Qi Lin is her uncle, who should be serving his sentence in prison now. She unfolded the letter and read it carefully, her slender willow-shaped eyebrows slightly wrinkled.
Xiao Junbai stood outside the house, listening attentively to the movements inside, but no one spoke for a long time.
He frowned and was about to knock on the door and ask to talk later, but he saw Qi Xu's eyes were red, she pushed the door open and came out, greeted the prince slowly, and was led to an empty room by a servant.
Xiao Junbai turned his head and saw Qi Qinghe sitting alone in front of the bed, his eyes blank and lifeless, something tightly clenched in his hands, looking unhappy.
He stopped questioning and turned to leave.
The dark sky gradually turned gray, and the orange-red sunlight dyed half the sky.
Qi Qinghe lay on her back in bed, unable to sleep all night. She never imagined that this was what her mother had hidden from her.
She was not the biological daughter of the Qi family, but was picked up by her father and mother. As for her biological parents, there was no way to know them.
She was at a loss, filled with anger, grief and sorrow. A hundred thoughts flooded into her mind, making it a mess.
When the sky was bright, Cheng Xi knocked on the door and said, "Miss, the Third Imperial Concubine is coming. Do you want to get dressed?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Qinghe's fingers moved slightly, and the letter in his palm was so wrinkled that the handwriting could not be seen clearly.
"Please help me call someone." She said softly.
Chengxi quickly responded and ran away.
After a while, a line of maids stood in the corridor. After knocking on the door, they filed in, each holding a box in their hands. Some were gold and silver head ornaments, some were coral earrings, some were jade bracelets, and there was even a light purple palace dress, all stacked up together.
Qi Qinghe was immersed in her own thoughts, thinking about how to get along with herself and A Niang. She had not looked closely, but suddenly she saw the light purple palace dress unfolded in front of her, with intricate patterns on the cuffs and hem, and stained with the faint scent of peach.
It looked very familiar, as if she had worn it before.
She stared in amazement and pulled the nearby maid over, "Where did this dress come from?" She realized she had asked a stupid question.
Who else but the prince could be in such a situation?
As expected, the maid replied respectfully, "It was ordered by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Junbai strode into the house, took out a silver key from his waist, and untied the gold chain on the man's wrist with a clang.
The moment he was freed from the restraints, Qi Qinghe quickly withdrew his hand, rubbed his sore wrist, and muttered in dissatisfaction that it was finally untied.
Xiao Junbai cast a look at her and said calmly, "If you don't want to be locked up again, you should know what to say."
Qi Qinghe nodded hurriedly, and the maids around her smiled softly with their hands covering their lips. They pulled the girl to sit in front of the dressing mirror and helped her to dress and do her makeup.
Qi Qinghe had delicate features and clear, bright eyes. Her maid didn't put on much makeup, only some lip balm, which made her bright red lips even more red, making her fair skin and beautiful face look even more beautiful.
Xiao Junbai couldn't help but take a few more glances, and soon asked, "What did you talk about last night?"
Qi Qinghe raised her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. As she admired herself in the mirror, she caught a glimpse of the Crown Prince. A hint of surprise flashed across her eyes, and the corners of her mouth curved up. "Your Highness, didn't you hear everything last night? Why do you still need me to tell you?"
Xiao Junbai remained silent. Seeing her like this, he seemed to know that she wouldn't speak. He slowly approached, put his arm around her, and lifted her long hair that had fallen behind her shoulders. He whispered, "You'd better give up the idea of running away."
The prince spoke softly, the warning in his tone clear.
Qi Qinghe turned her head and looked at the prince who had not said a word for a long time.
…
The Third Imperial Concubine Ning Yu and the Third Prince Xiao Junqi were childhood sweethearts. They grew up together and she was a bit spoiled. She had a small quarrel with the Third Prince every three days and a big quarrel every five days.
I visited the emperor's sister-in-law today, and they had a quarrel again last night, apparently because of some clothes.
So the two of them looked unhappy today.
Although they had seen each other in the palace before, they had never left many messages. Qi Qinghe looked at the Third Princess carefully. She had an oval face, peach blossom eyes, and a beautiful face that made people like her at first sight.
Qi Qinghe pulled the person to sit beside him, smiled gently, and chatted with her, talking about things like how her family was doing and whether she was used to coming to Yangzhou City.
Ning Yu was obedient and answered all the questions.
Xiao Junqi snorted coldly, "Royal brother, are you going to summon the prefect to discuss matters today? The epidemic has finally been brought under control these past two days. Are we going to investigate the case next?"
The Third Prince spoke without caring whether the two women in the same room could hear him.
Ning Yu closed her eyes, her chest heaving for a moment, then she slowly opened her eyes and continued chatting with the emperor's sister-in-law.
Xiao Junbai tapped his fingers on the table, tapping repeatedly. After a while, he stood up and said, "Let's discuss this matter."
Qi Qinghe responded with a smile, glancing at the prince from the corner of his eye, restraining his expression, secretly pondering how to explain his escape.
Unexpectedly, just as the two princes left and the footsteps faded away, Ning Yu's expression suddenly changed.
Her delicate face and slightly upturned peach blossom eyes were filled with seriousness and earnestness, without a trace of the smile from earlier. Her voice was extremely soft, fearing anyone might overhear, "Do you want to join us in overthrowing the Crown Prince and regaining your freedom?"
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