Chapter 42: Confrontation "I didn't dislike you yesterday."
Qingzan didn't expect the wine to have such a strong aftereffect. Fortunately, the emperor asked Doukou to serve her, otherwise she might have missed the news from Concubine Hui.
After the emperor left, Qingzan endured her drowsiness and sat up anxiously. There were wrinkles on the bedding beside her that the palace maids had not yet straightened out.
Someone slept here last night.
But he did nothing to her, and Qingzan could only vaguely remember a warm and gentle embrace.
Xu Delu had already accompanied the Emperor to the banquet, and since there was no one else in charge of the Qingyan Palace, she was allowed to come and go as she pleased. It was with this in mind that Qingzan had waited a little longer, dozing off until now.
Doukou hurried over to put her coat on Qingzan and combed her hair into a simple bun. "It's almost three quarters past midnight. We have to hurry. Concubine Hui said there's a banquet tonight, and it's going to be crowded and chaotic. It wouldn't be noticeable if the master and Master Chen met."
Qingzan also dressed without hesitation and said, "Let's go."
When he reached the palace gate, he was stopped by a little palace servant.
Qing Zan almost thought that the emperor had ordered her not to leave, and her breathing became faster.
Fortunately, the palace servant simply said, "Your Excellency, His Majesty has instructed that Songtsen is now with Concubine Zhen. If your Excellency wishes to have him back, please go and get him back."
Qingzan had previously requested Songzan simply to intimidate the Empress, and now that her goal had been achieved, it didn't really matter to her whether he stayed or went. But since the Emperor had said so, if she refused to take him, wouldn't that be telling him that she had other motives?
"I understand. I'll be there in a moment." Qingzan responded.
But there are more important things right now.
The Hunting Palace is surrounded by mountains and hills, with pine wind blowing gently. The high and low mountain tops outline the undulations like streamlines, and there are many quiet valleys hidden in the deep forests.
Concubine Hui's men had been waiting for a long time. When they saw Qingzan coming, they handed her a bamboo hat and raincoat. "The idle fields near the hunting palace are rented out to some tenant farmers. I'm sorry to ask you to wear this and pretend to be a tenant farmer. If someone accidentally sees you, they won't be able to recognize you."
Helping the concubines meet men outside the family was a big risk for Concubine Hui. Once it was exposed, she would not be able to escape the blame, so she had to consider it carefully.
But Qingzan was still grateful in her heart, "Please thank Concubine Hui on my behalf."
The palace maid smiled and nodded, and her impression of Concubine Ying improved a lot.
Not long after Qingzan arrived, Chen Shaoling also came.
The emperor left in the middle of the banquet, and Chen Shaoling also left the table quietly during the break.
Qingzan looked back and saw that the palace maid had also given him a green bamboo hat and then left, which showed that she had no intention of eavesdropping on their conversation.
Concubine Hui is indeed a trustworthy partner.
But when Qingzan's gaze relaxed and she looked at the other person, she saw that the man was staring at her without blinking, so much so that his steps towards her became sluggish and slow.
What is he looking at?
Chen Shaoling could hardly describe the shock he felt at the moment.
Was it because she'd drunk too much? Or was it because, unlike their two previous fleeting encounters in the Taiji Hall, this place, nestled in a mountain valley, the twilight hazy and gloomy, had blurred the last remaining distinction between mother and daughter...
He almost thought that it was an old friend who came back to life.
The woman who was looking back, although wearing a thick and bulky rain hat and smoke straw, was more eye-catching than those beautiful dancers who sometimes twisted and sometimes circled at the banquet just now. Her palm-sized face under the brim of her hat seemed as if it had been washed by dew and wind, and was reborn from the world.
Because his family was poor, he could only study in the temple. When he returned home in the evening, he would sometimes meet this woman, and she would hand him a steamed bun with sugar just taken out of the stove.
When he looked up that year, he saw the same face.
Chen Shaoling was distracted...
"My lord, my lord?"
Qing Zan calls people.
Chen Shaoling's eyes became clear at this moment.
He hastily transformed himself back into the dignified gentleman he once was, bowed and said, "Noble Ying."
Of course, he knew her true identity now. She had asked Concubine Hui to contact him, so he couldn't have made a mistake again.
There has never been a female official named Cheng in the imperial court, only His Majesty's concubines.
Chen Shaoling apologized, "I didn't know you were a concubine in the palace. I'm sorry for being so rude."
Seeing him suddenly become reserved, Qingzan looked at him and asked, "What is my identity? Is it important?"
Chen Shaoling was stunned for a moment, then smiled in relief: "It doesn't matter. But if I had known that you were a concubine, I wouldn't have rashly called you and put you in danger. I should have considered it carefully."
Qing Zan also smiled, and said with a bit of a smirk, "A carefully planned meeting between a man from outside the family and a concubine is more controversial than a casual encounter and conversation."
Chen Shaoling smiled and bowed: "Yes, I was confused."
"But, if that's the case, why did you think of asking someone to find me?"
There must be an important reason for such a risky meeting.
"Let me make it short." Time was precious, so Qing Zan didn't exchange pleasantries with him anymore. She asked directly, "What did you leave unfinished that day? Did you meet my mother and me at Shaoyinfang before? So you recognized me?"
Chen Shaoling pondered for a moment, then answered all these questions at once: "In my early years, I lived in Shaoyinfang and had the good fortune to meet you, a young and feeble woman. Don't worry, you might laugh at me, but when I first met your mother, I almost mistook her for Chu Xiuyaoji. I felt a sense of admiration for her, but I didn't dare get too close. Later, when your mother learned that I had been studying in a monastery for many years, she took the initiative to discuss some simple readings with me and supervised my studies. As a result, we became acquainted. For the time being, your mother can consider me your mother's good friend, regardless of age difference."
Qingzan finally understood the old story.
Because it concerned her mother, she listened attentively and didn't want to miss a single word.
My mother's smile seemed to come alive in people's descriptions, with more bones and flesh.
Now she can only use this method to understand the person who gave birth to her and left her.
As for the word "discuss" in Chen Shaoling's words, Qingzan thought that this was probably a euphemism.
My mother doesn’t know many words.
Judging from the haphazardly cobbled-together words she taught her, it was difficult for her to even read a sentence in the book.
So she didn't want her daughter to make the same mistake, so she asked a neighbor kid for advice.
Qingzan suddenly smiled. It was a smile that felt warm and came from the heart, but it was also a bitter smile that came from the sadness and longing for the person she could never see again.
After Chen Shaoling explained his situation, he asked her gently, "Where have you been all these years? I heard that you were once a servant in the Yongning Marquis's mansion. How did you end up in the Yongning Marquis's mansion?"
He didn't know that woman very well, but he was sure that she would not be willing to let her daughter become a servant.
If the dead knew about this, how painful would it be?
So when he talked about the maidservants, Qingzan heard his pity.
She didn't rush to answer: "I have another question, my lord, you are a talented general, why do you look at me like that?"
Although this question was ordinary, it was too shocking. Chen Shaoling could not think of anything else. Suddenly, he frantically held his breath and said, "I..."
Qingzan seemed to have no intention of asking further questions.
It doesn’t really matter.
The important thing is that this Mr. Chen seems to be useful.
"Since you said she was my mother's good friend, I told you straight out that the Yongning Marquisate murdered my mother, and I have no vengeance against them. But you only asked where 'I' had been these years, not 'my mother and I.' So, did you know from the beginning that my mother was dead?"
Even if she guessed wrong, the worst possible scenario was that Chen Shaoling was actually a member of the Marquis' Mansion. However, she and the Marquis' Mansion had already torn their relationship apart, so there was no need to fear their calculations. She could afford the gamble.
Chen Shaoling's reaction was unexpectedly complicated.
His face showed self-blame, grief, and sudden enlightenment, a combination of several emotions.
He lowered his head and murmured, "So it's the Yongning Marquis Mansion, the Yongning Marquis Mansion."
It's impossible to act out such an expression.
Qingzan had actually let down most of her guard against him.
However, no matter how desperately she wanted a helper from outside the palace, she would not take the initiative to involve anyone.
He continued, "If you are willing, sir, please lend me a hand. If you are concerned about your own safety, you can stay out of this matter. I will just pretend that we have not met today."
"How can you stay out of this?"
Chen Shaoling was overcome with emotion. He raised his eyes again and said, "Please do not act rashly, my dear. Prioritize your own safety and leave everything else to me. I will investigate this matter thoroughly, and if it is true, I will definitely seek revenge for your mother."
Is this asking her to let go?
"Even the adults can't stay out of this, let alone me?" Qing Zan said with a smile: "I am the one who is most qualified to avenge her, isn't it?"
"Yes, yes..." Chen Shaoling mocked himself for being too anxious and confused. He calmed down and said, "Then I will definitely lend a hand. Back then, I was just a commoner and could do nothing. Now that I have achieved fame and fortune, I will never let this evil villain go unpunished!"
"Okay, I believe you, sir."
Sparse voices seemed to reach her from afar. Qingzan adjusted the brim of her hat and announced her first plan: "The eldest son of the Marquis of Yongning is uneducated, addicted to alcohol and women, and often joins forces with many bad friends to stir up trouble. If he didn't have a good father and grandfather, he would have long ago caused public outrage."
The person who looked down on her at that time was also a good friend of her half-brother.
Chen Shaoling understood immediately: "With Zhu Mingcheng's downfall, the Queen is already preoccupied with herself. If something happens to the Marquis' eldest son at this time, the Marquis will have nowhere to turn to and will definitely seek help from anyone."
"That's right." Qingzan nodded.
This was also her final test of him. If this succeeded, it would prove that he truly wanted to avenge his mother, even going so far as to make enemies with the Marquis' Mansion...
But why, is it that the friendship between him and A Niang, regardless of age difference, has reached this point?
Chen Shaoling didn't mind this temptation. He looked into the corner of Qingzan's eyes in ecstasy.
Unfortunately, there is a delicate little mole missing there.
*
Qingzan took off her disguise as a tenant, and the first thing she did after separating from Chen Shaoling was to go find Concubine Zhen.
Concubine Zhen lived in the Huayuexiangyi Tower, a little further west. Its layout was slightly smaller than that of Concubine Ming Zhaoyi and Concubine Hui. However, its superiority lay in its solitary position on the West Peak. Outside the tower were planted reeds and hibiscus. The reeds were more beautiful than snow, and the hibiscus was vibrant pink, both in perfect season.
Qingzan was in a good mood as she admired the flowers along the way.
She could tell that Chen Shaoling was remembering her mother through her. Being forgotten was the true death, and how could she not feel comforted by the fact that there were still people who remembered her mother just as she did?
In Xiangyi Tower, Concubine Zhen was choosing rouge. She brought too little rouge and powder with her to the hunting palace this time, and she felt that none of the colors were to her liking.
After hearing the palace maid's report, she walked out from the inner room, glanced at Qing Zan lazily, her lips red as blood: "What a rare guest."
Qingzan stated her purpose directly: "Your Majesty sent me to bring Songtsen back."
It doesn’t matter who comes to ask Songtsen, what matters is that this is the order of “Your Majesty”.
Upon hearing this, Concubine Zhen immediately beckoned Songzan to be led out from the backyard. Then she asked, "Why is Concubine Ying here? Didn't I tell you that Your Majesty should come in person?"
Qing Zan replied, "Your Majesty is hosting a banquet for all the ministers tonight, so I guess you can't spare time."
Concubine Zhen snorted coldly, but did not make things too difficult for her.
However, the palace maid who was responsible for bringing Songtsen away had been gone for a long time.
The palace maid clutched the other end of the rope in fear, desperate to get a hundred or eighty feet away from the snow lion, taking two steps and stopping. Finally, after a few steps, Songtsen refused to cooperate, roared impatiently, and stopped where he was.
The palace maid had no choice but to come out empty-handed and report the truth.
Concubine Zhen had known this would happen. She had brought Songzan home personally, and he was known to be quite temperamental with strangers, not willing to give face to anyone.
She shrugged slightly, curled her lips and smiled: "Your Excellency has heard it too, it's not that I don't let you take it away."
When she first arrived in the Eastern Palace, Concubine Zhen was also afraid of Songtsen, but in order to spend more time with the emperor and have more topics to talk about, she forced herself to deal with Songtsen.
Later, he loved Songtsen so much that he really began to like him.
Not every concubine can have this kind of experience.
Qing Zan tried to keep her voice calm and said, "Court Lady, could you please let me have a try?"
Concubine Zhen looked at her suspiciously, and finally smiled contemptuously: "Please."
But before Qingzan took a few steps inside, Songzan smelled the familiar scent more clearly and strongly.
It's her!
It had such a great time playing yesterday, but was locked up for a whole day today. When it saw Qingzan, it was like seeing a savior or a relative. It excitedly and restlessly dragged the rope that fell on the ground and ran out by itself.
The palace maids in the hall were all terrified and tried to avoid the snow lion, but they saw it running straight towards Concubine Ying.
As soon as Songzan saw Qingzan, he rubbed his head against her arm and nudged her, as if asking her to take him out to play.
Seeing this, Concubine Zhen's face suddenly turned pale: "Why does Songzan know you so well?"
It was obvious that she was the one who played best with Songzan before.
Could it be that even a lion would resemble its owner and get bored with the old and love the new?
But what she couldn't understand even more than the injustice in her heart was that without frequent and close interactions, Songzan wouldn't be so close to others.
Hadn't Songzan always been kept in Taiji Hall? When had she been given the opportunity to get close to him?
Concubine Zhen felt as if she had vaguely glimpsed some truth, and her heart felt choked up.
Did they meet more often than she thought?
Why...is he so different to her?
Concubine Zhen calmed down. Frowning, she raised her head and looked at Qingzan inquiringly. She walked closer to Qingzan and asked, "I wonder if you, my Lord, are going to take Songzan back to Taiji Hall or Mixue Pavilion?"
If it was Taiji Hall, it means that she was indeed following the emperor's order to get the lion back; but if it was Mixue Pavilion, it means that she was simply here to provoke her and snatch Songtsen away from her!
Qing Zan understood Concubine Zhen's probing intentions and said with a frank smile, "Your Majesty ordered me to take good care of Songzan during the autumn hunt."
That must be the latter... Concubine Zhen was furious: "How can you be worthy!"
She moved closer, and the fragrant breeze almost hit Qingzan's face.
But it does not make people feel cloying, but rather fresh and delicate, the smell of being pampered for many years, caring for oneself and dressing up carefully.
Qingzan sometimes felt that she should feel timid when facing them.
But she didn't.
Flowers have their own way of living, and grass has its own way of living.
Are we born from the mud and are we born to learn to bow our heads?
Seeing that someone dared to look her in the eye, Concubine Zhen suddenly smiled.
She raised her chin and said, "Your Excellency's words remind me of something. I heard that the Empress was frightened by a lion yesterday. This lion can hurt people if not taken care of properly. Your Excellency must serve carefully and attentively, otherwise you may not be able to bear the responsibility."
Qingzan took a moment to figure out that Concubine Zhen had just heard that the Queen was frightened by the lion and wanted to use this to scare her.
Little did she know that she was the one who released the lion to scare the queen.
She smiled calmly and said, "I think it was a rumor spread by the palace maids. Songzan was Your Majesty's favorite and was always gentle and lovable. How could he have frightened Your Majesty? It's more accurate to say that I frightened Your Majesty."
Concubine Zhen was choked, frowned and glared at the person.
Then he ordered the guest to leave: "Please leave, sir. I need to rest."
Suddenly, he thought of something and said sarcastically, "By the way, lions have big appetites. I wonder if a little nobleman can feed them?"
Lions have big appetites, but humans have bigger appetites.
She just wanted to see how long the emperor would indulge his appetite!
Qing Zan just pretended to be stupid and said, "I will do my best and won't bother you anymore."
*
At the bonfire banquet, the palace maid who went to deliver the gauze ribbon has now returned.
The palace maid also brought back a piece of news that made Xu Delu a little uneasy: "Master Ying left Qingyan Palace after waking up, but she didn't return to Mixue Pavilion. I didn't see her."
Xu Delu reported these words to the emperor verbatim.
"Oh?" Xiao Fang smiled and took a sip of wine, but his eyes were slightly cold.
He glanced at the several empty seats at the table, and his eyes finally stopped at one of them.
*
Qingzan returned to Mixue Pavilion and put Songzan into his own large iron cage, which was the one used to transport Songzan along the way.
Songzan had lived with people for a long time and knew that he was active only during the day. He growled unhappily and went back to lie down in the cage.
Qingzan fed it some midnight snack as a reward for its willingness to give her face today, and then she planned to go to bed early.
I was drunk last night and still feel uncomfortable. After taking a careful bath, I remembered that the palace maid mentioned to me when I entered the room that His Majesty had sent something.
She sat down on the edge of the couch and removed the cloth covering.
What appeared before my eyes was a snow-white ribbon.
No wonder I felt it didn’t have much weight just now.
The upper and lower layers of this gauze ribbon are gauze, and the middle layer is not so transparent silk. Qingzan looked at it for a long time but still couldn't understand its use.
I had to put it aside with some suspicion.
While she was half asleep, it seemed as if someone was holding up her head with his hand.
Qingzan suddenly opened her eyes and noticed something strange on her face, but all she could see was a vast expanse of white.
By the time she realized what was covering her eyes, the man's fingers had already tied the gauze into a secure knot behind her head.
"His Majesty!"
Qingzan grabbed the person's clothes randomly.
Xiao Fang looked at her shoes placed beside the couch. Seeing that there wasn't much mud on them, his eyes softened a little, but there was still a dark undercurrent:
"Where did you go just now?"
Qingzan fumbled around on his body for a few times and finally touched his arm sleeve.
"Didn't I follow your majesty's orders to retrieve Songtsen?"
She said this without changing her expression or heartbeat.
Immediately he leaned over and smelled the strong smell of alcohol: "Your Majesty, it seems you drank more than yesterday."
The emperor's hand fell on her waist: "I didn't dislike you yesterday."
Hearing that the emperor was talking and laughing as usual, Qingzhan probably had no suspicion about her whereabouts. A stone fell from her heart, but she still felt a little uneasy because she couldn't see anything.
Just as she was about to pull the ribbon on her head, someone stopped her.
Both hands were then held in this position by five fingers and clamped behind the head, unable to move at all.
During the stalemate, the dark shadow in the white before their eyes was getting closer and closer, with an irresistible overwhelming force.
His laughter was warm and tangy, mingled with the scent of alcohol. "Hush. I've heard that when you can't see, your other senses become more acute."
The voice was clearly hoarse and unclear, but the feeling of numbness and heat clearly began to spread from Qingzan's ears, flowing through all the bones and rushing straight to the soul.
"It's the same with my body and my heart."
"Is that true, huh?"
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