Chapter 27: Intimacy with Li and him, trying out all sorts of different methods…
Uncle Zhao returned quickly with the family physician, and the maidservants outside the door also came in to serve him.
"Miss, are you alright?" Uncle Zhao was still shaken by the long needle in the Taoist priest's hand; his old bones were trembling with fear.
Qin Song felt a tingling, itchy sensation on her cheeks and quickly pulled away from the bedside. "I'm fine, go check on Li Yu."
Li Yu had not yet recovered from the pain; her fingers burned and stung, and fine beads of sweat continued to appear on her forehead.
Uncle Zhao was extremely displeased with Li Yu's sudden visit and the fact that he had no choice but to hide on the young lady's bed, but seeing his expression, he couldn't lash out. He simply ordered with a cold face, "Take the young master downstairs to get him bandaged up and change his clothes. The Qin mansion is so crowded that not even a fly can get out right now. The young master may have to make do here for a while."
How could he feel wronged? This is a blessing from heaven, and he even wanted to be grateful and take a few more injections.
However, the person Qin Song was worried about was still in imminent danger, and he needed to find a way to contact the outside world. If he disappeared, who knew what kind of trouble would ensue.
As Eunuch Li said, Qin Daoji and Tao Qingyang were both detained in the palace and did not return until dusk.
Without the stimulus of an emergency, Li Yu could only maintain a distance from Qin Song, keeping a clear distinction between inside and outside the Qin residence, under the watchful eyes of the servants. A distant glance was already the most extravagant favor she could bestow upon him.
In the evening, Li Yu endured the pain in his fingers and climbed the high wall to observe the situation outside the mansion, taking the opportunity to contact his servant A Zhao to pass on a message.
Just as the hour of You (5:45 PM) arrived, the figure Li Yu had been waiting for appeared as promised.
Dressed in all black, Ah Zhao pretended to be ordinary and came to the outside of the Qin residence.
Li Yu quickly gave him a look and gestured a few times. His trusted confidant, who had grown up with him since childhood, naturally understood what he meant, nodded, and left.
A moment later, two people came running from across the gate, shouting, "Assassins! Assassins! Someone is trying to assassinate His Highness the Crown Prince..."
"Two unconscious men and women are hidden in Master Li's cowshed, one of whom is His Highness the Crown Prince..."
With a clear objective, the two headed straight for the Imperial Guards at the entrance of the Qin residence, speaking with absolute certainty and even producing the Crown Prince's hair ornament.
The commander of the Imperial Guards had some doubts at first, but when he saw the golden and jade hair ornament, he did not hesitate to send most of his guards to follow it.
That hair ornament was a contingency plan that Li Yu gave to A Zhao before he came to the Qin residence, specifically for using as a feint to lure the enemy away from their prey.
As the number of imperial guards outside the mansion gradually decreased, he took the opportunity to plan A-Zhao's actions. He climbed over the wall and went to the backyard of the Qin mansion, intending to sneak out through the back door to see A-Zhao. However, the backyard became lively before he could.
The back door was wide open, and candlelight illuminated the alley outside. Uncle Zhao and several maids stood at the door, receiving a distinguished guest from a carriage.
Two imperial guards blocked the entrance, so Uncle Zhao and his maid could only greet the people in the carriage through the guards.
As Li Yu passed through the backs of the people from the Qin residence, he caught sight of the person in the carriage and was momentarily surprised.
The people in the carriage also happened to see him, which was equally unexpected.
“Watch—” Gong Shuling’s maid lifted the carriage curtain and looked over from afar. She was about to greet her, but then stopped herself, carefully looked away, and pretended that nothing had happened.
Li Yu also quickly slipped away and hid behind the high wall.
Zhao Bo and the maid beside him glanced back out of the corner of their eyes, following Gong Shuling's gaze, their hearts leaping into their throats.
Fortunately, Gong Shuling was quick-witted. Seeing the imperial guards blocking her at the door, she twisted her hands and changed the subject, "A small token will suffice. Do you think the people of the Qin family are criminals? Why won't you let me visit Miss Qin?"
Gong Shuling had been there for a while. She kept claiming that she had come to visit Qin Song, but no matter how much Zhao Bo cooperated, the Imperial Guards did not let her pass easily.
The commotion earlier had drawn away a large number of people from the surrounding area, including the leader, leaving only two guards to guard the back door. They were caught in a dilemma, and after exchanging glances, they questioned, "Why did Miss Gong choose to come through the back door?"
"What do you think?" Gong Shuling lowered her head and stared. "If I, a woman confined to my chambers, were to walk through the front gate, would you all say that I'm parading around in public and disregarding traditional womanly virtues?"
The guard choked on his food, and another guard said, "Miss Gong can just exchange a few greetings, but you should think carefully before entering the manor. Nowadays, the Qin manor only allows entry but not exit. Once you're inside, it won't be so easy to get out."
"Greetings? How can I greet her?" Gong Shuling was petite, and her shoulders trembled slightly as she stared at the two guards, but her head remained tilted back, and her eyes did not waver. "Butler Zhao just said that Miss Qin is still unconscious. If I greet her here, will she respond?"
The other guard was also speechless. The two of them always followed orders and had never made decisions on their own before. Why did it have to happen at this particular time?
They exchanged another glance and said routinely, "Miss Gong, please get out of the car for inspection before we can let you pass."
Gong Shuling's face turned pale, and her clenched hands tightened even more, pressing the small shell armor until it was completely bloodless.
But she remained completely calm. She didn't get out of the car; she simply called out "Uncle Lin" and got back into the car.
Uncle Lin, her coachman, opened both carriage windows upon hearing the noise and took over from the maid to lift the curtain, exposing the interior of the carriage to the two imperial guards without any obstruction.
“I am the daughter of the Governor’s Mansion. As the saying goes, gossip is a fearsome thing. I have always felt this way. Please forgive me for asking me to bow down in front of you two officers. I cannot do it.”
Gong Shuling sat upright in the carriage, and the maid beside her stepped back to support her tightly.
She held her head high, neither humble nor arrogant, but from the perspective of Uncle Zhao and the others, her hands, which were holding the hand warmer on her knees, were clearly trembling.
The two guards had no choice but to carefully examine the carriage from the inside. They couldn't find anything unusual. With limited manpower, they couldn't linger. As long as no one was allowed to slip out, there was no need to be paranoid.
The two eventually waved for them to leave.
The grooms closed the car windows and doors one by one, sat on the throne, and followed Zhao Bo's instructions to drive into the backyard.
The carriage stopped, and Gong Shuling got out with her maid. Without saying a word, the maid next to Zhao Bo hugged the maid next to Gong Shuling tightly.
"Yun Qian, it really is you!"
Qin Song, disguised as a maid from the Qin household, was about to burst into tears of joy as she walked out of the bedroom, while the person in her arms was burning hot and trembling all over.
"That's wonderful, Miss. I've finally met you." Yun Qian's voice was weak.
Zhao Bo then understood why Qin Song had asked him to help Miss Gong drive into the mansion. He quickly arranged for the group to settle down and summoned the mansion doctor to examine them.
"Wait a minute," Gong Shuling called out to the busy Uncle Zhao, "There's one more person."
"Let me do it." Li Yu stepped out of the crowd, without Gong Shuling needing to say anything, climbed into the empty carriage, lifted the spacious back seat, picked up an eight or nine-year-old boy, and steadily got out of the carriage.
The little boy was wearing only a snow-white undershirt, his eyes were closed, and he was fast asleep, as if he had been hastily stuffed from the hospital bed into a box in the chaos.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince?" Zhao Bo was both surprised and suspicious when he saw who it was. His first reaction was to kowtow and pay his respects.
Qin Song immediately spoke up, "Don't waste any more time. There are too many people around. Arrange accommodations first. Miss Gong and Yun Qian will come back to the West Garden with me. Uncle Zhao will lead Li Yu to escort His Highness back to Chenxi Pavilion. Quickly arrange for a physician to treat him."
As soon as she finished speaking, she didn't need a maid to take over, and instead helped Yun Qian walk back.
"Miss, did you come here specifically to pick me up?" Yun Qian leaned her small head on Qin Song's shoulder, feeling utterly weak.
Qin Song was startled by her state, and casually squeezed her wrist, "Of course, I could smell your sweet fragrance in the yard, so I quickly came out to greet you."
She wasn't lying. It was when she heard Gong Shuling negotiating with the guards in the backyard that Qin Song smelled a faint orchid fragrance on Yun Qian. However, it wasn't just a fragrance; there was also the same bloody and muddy smell as on Li Yu. This made her even more certain that Yun Qian was nearby.
So she hurriedly changed into a maid's clothes and rushed to the backyard to meet him.
After the group returned to the West Garden, Qin Song had Yun Qian lie down on the bed. She was drowsy and her eyes were too weak to open. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. Qin Song quickly sent someone to urge the royal physician.
After she finished all the busy work and was unable to get involved, she finally remembered to receive Gong Shuling.
Gong Shuling waited quietly in the outer room until Qin Song came out from the inner room. Then she said politely, "I hope Miss Qin doesn't mind my unannounced visit."
“Miss Gong, you flatter me. I should be thanking you for escorting Yun Qian back to the manor,” Qin Song said, then sat down opposite her at the table. “I wonder how Miss Gong discovered Yun Qian and the other person, and why you were willing to risk sending them back? The Qin family has gotten involved in this mess, and it won’t be easy for them to extricate themselves now.”
Gong Shuling picked up the water glass on the table and said with a smile, "I saw my cousin Li Yu's wet nurse and her husband on the street. They were pushing a broken cart and looked flustered, as if they had encountered difficulties. When I went up to take a look, I found out that there was such a shady business going on."
They recognized me and begged for my help, saying that just after my cousin Li Yu left, the soldiers searched their house, and they had no choice but to push the two uninvited guests out. Luckily, your maid was already awake, so I had her take my place to get through the situation. I couldn't think of a good place to send her right away, but considering your maid's status, I figured sending her back to the Qin residence would be the right thing to do, and it would also be considered..."
She took a sip of water, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and smiled at Qin Song, "I've repaid Miss Qin's kindness."
Qin Song was puzzled; she didn't remember ever doing her any favors.
Seeing her blank expression, Gong Shuling gestured to the servants behind her.
Qin Song understood and dismissed everyone behind her before straightening her sleeves and speaking gently, "When I heard your voice at the palace banquet that day, I knew that it was you who saved me from being... naked and stared at by everyone at my grandmother's birthday banquet. It was my own fault for being shameless and doing something wrong. I deserve to be criticized, but you at least protected my basic dignity, and I should thank you in person. Of course, my silence at the Winter Solstice Banquet was not out of jealousy, but simply because I didn't want to implicate you."
Her tone was hesitant, and her face was embarrassed, as if she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
After listening, Qin Song silently pondered the pleasures of being with eight concubines and said earnestly, "What do you mean by shameless? What did Miss Gong do wrong? You are as beautiful as a fairy, clear about your likes and dislikes, and pure in heart. Why should you care about other people's opinions? You neither killed nor committed arson, nor did you steal someone's love. On the contrary, you were framed and deceived. You are the victim. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, you should trample the person who betrayed and framed you underfoot and make him receive the punishment he deserves."
Gong Shuling was shocked by her words, even more so than when she heard words that disregarded human ethics and accused the emperor of treason.
She was stunned for a moment before regaining her composure. "Miss Qin is truly a wonderful person. No wonder Cousin Li Yu is so fond of you."
Qin Song's eyes widened in surprise. Could she be seeing her as a rival in love?
She quickly waved her hand, "Miss Gong, don't misunderstand. I admit that if it weren't for Li Yu's engagement, I might have already slept with him. But now that he's engaged to you, I won't covet him anymore. You and I are not enemies."
Climbing into bed?
How could the daughter of the Grand Secretary utter such reckless words? Gong Shuling covered her astonishment with her handkerchief, but then she thought that Qin Song might be trying to express that she and Li Yu were in love, so she asked, "Then why did you get engaged to General Tao?"
Qin Song blurted out, "It's just a temporary measure. We'll talk about it later."
Gong Shuling glanced at Qin Song for a while, then rested her elbow on the table and leaned to whisper to him:
"In that case, Miss Qin, please consider my cousin. I've heard my aunt mention that he's almost obsessed with you. My marriage to him was arranged by my father. There's no romantic relationship between us, and I've already begged my father to allow us to call off the engagement. Cousin Li has always been self-disciplined and learned, a model for the young masters of the capital. He's always had a very good temper and will definitely treat you well."
Qin Song also rested one elbow on the table, moved closer to her, and stared intently at the beauty before him: "Break off the engagement? Don't you want to sleep with someone like Li Yu?"
After speaking, Gong Shuling's face instantly turned ugly. She stood up abruptly, twisting her handkerchief in her hands, her delicate brows furrowed, her face flushed red, and she opened and closed her lips several times before desperately trying to explain, "Miss Qin, I did make a mistake, but I don't believe I'm a reckless person. My cousin and I are completely innocent, and there has absolutely been no overstepping of boundaries. If you don't believe me, I..."
She desperately wanted to offer some compelling evidence, but she stammered and couldn't utter a single complete sentence, feeling even more aggrieved than when she was besieged by everyone at the palace banquet that day.
Qin Song was also flustered and at a loss, completely unaware of why she suddenly reacted so strongly.
Her tone was clearly sincere; I asked her because I wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with her. So what went wrong?
She quickly stood up and explained in a flustered manner, "Miss Gong, please don't be angry. I didn't mean to offend you at all. I was just curious why you were unmoved by Li Yu. When I first met Li Yu, I wanted to be intimate with him and couldn't wait to try all sorts of things with him..."
The woman's voice continued inside the house, while outside, the sweet taste in Li Yu's heart was suddenly overturned, making her lips curl into a smile.
He slowly withdrew his hand, which was about to knock on the door. He had come to inquire about Qin Song's condition in the courtyard and to retrieve the medicine box hidden under her bed. Just as he reached the door, he heard Qin Song's urgent words. An immense sense of joy filled his chest, and even breathing felt superfluous.
He seemed to have forgotten the purpose of his visit to the West Garden. Like a puppet, he turned and walked out of the West Garden, returning to the Crown Prince's sickbed, still pondering the various tricks she had mentioned, wondering what they were all like...
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Author's Note: Little stick-in-the-wall Li Yu has gone to do his homework. Looking forward to seeing the little girl!
The scene where the Empress makes her move was originally several chapters long, but to speed up the pace, I've integrated all of that into the dialogue, including the next chapter. There might be a lot of dialogue, so please bear with me. After this part of the story where the female lead closes her eyes and the player's perspective is over, the female lead will feel more involved and won't be constantly on the defensive, making the story more enjoyable.
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