Chapter 28: You Don't Need to Rebel with Lu.
Shortly after the imperial physician's examination, Yun Qian's temperature finally dropped, and the Crown Prince's injuries also stabilized considerably, leaving only Li Yu to attend to him.
After the maid took Gong Shuling to a side room to rest, Qin Song became increasingly worried about the situation in the palace. Yun Qian tried to persuade her to get some sleep several times, but she just couldn't close her eyes.
In the latter half of the night, the wind howled fiercely, and the remaining snow in the yard froze into ice, making people shiver with cold.
When the servants and servants were all dispirited, the head of the Qin family finally returned home in the dead of night.
When Qin Song heard the news and rushed to the front yard, Uncle Zhao had already given him a briefing on the situation in the mansion.
"So, the Crown Prince and the Duke of Anguo's son are both at the manor right now?" Qin Daoji took a sip of hot tea, slammed the lid shut, and spoke with a hint of displeasure.
Uncle Zhao took the teacup from his hand, frowning as well. "Yes, sir, Yun Qian has returned as well, along with the daughter of Governor Gong. She's settled in Miss's courtyard."
Qin Daoji, who had just left the Dali Temple and was serving in front of the palace, seemed to have aged a lot in just a few days. His worried face looked particularly tired, and the rheumatism in his legs made him move his legs from time to time while sitting to get slight relief.
Qin Daoji frowned deeply, sighed, and his eyes were dark, revealing no emotion.
Qin Song had been missing her father for several days. When she saw his figure in the distance, she excitedly stepped forward to greet him, "Father, you're finally back! I was so worried about you."
Upon seeing Qin Song, Qin Daoji's worried expression vanished. He stood up, supporting himself on his knees, and held his daughter's shoulders, examining her from head to toe with concern in his eyes. "I'm fine, Song'er, you've suffered."
Upon hearing this, Qin Song burst into tears. She had truly had enough these past few days. Clinging to her father's arm, she sobbed and complained incessantly, "That Lei Heyang is no human being, and the Empress is full of evil intentions too. Their methods are too despicable; they actually wanted to... Also, how is the palace now? When will those soldiers outside the gates leave?"
"Minister Lei died in the palace. Except for the Empress, who is pregnant with the Emperor's child, the entire Lei family was imprisoned. However, His Majesty's attitude is ambiguous; he doesn't intend to convict the Lei family. Instead, because Lei Heyang presented evidence of the Crown Prince's involvement in the treason case, he intends to grant leniency. The Crown Prince is not His Majesty's biological son; this situation is beyond redemption..."
The current emperor ascended the throne at the age of twenty and has reigned for thirty years. He has no sons, only one daughter, the eldest princess. For the sake of the country's survival, he sought out a bloodline with outstanding qualities and character from among the imperial relatives to enter the Eastern Palace, which is the current crown prince.
Qin Daoji calmly explained the current situation, and Qin Song was horrified. He raised his head, wiped the tears from his face, and asked, "We are powerless to turn the tide? Then... you are the Crown Prince's tutor. If something happens to the Crown Prince, will the Qin family also be implicated?"
Moreover, the crown prince was in their residence, which was clearly a potential threat.
When Qin Daoji heard her ask this question, he actually showed a hint of gratified appreciation, but he did not answer her question directly. Instead, he smiled and praised her: "As expected of my daughter, you understand so quickly. I have already found a private tutor for you. Starting tomorrow, he will come to your home every day to teach you. You should also try to change your tendency to cry."
Qin Song listened in a daze. She was not against learning now, but with the Qin family in such a predicament, how could her father still have the mind to send her to a private school?
Before she could figure it out, Qin Daoji returned to the main seat, sat down calmly, and instructed Uncle Zhao, "Summon Yunqian."
Zhao Bo obeyed and went to the backyard. Qin Song was very puzzled. He went around behind Qin Daoji and asked while massaging his shoulders, "Father, Yun Qian is sick. Why are you summoning her so late?"
Qin Daoji swallowed another mouthful of strong tea but did not respond.
A moment later, Uncle Zhao led Yun Qian, who had just recovered a little, to the main hall.
"Greetings, Master." Yun Qian knelt before Qin Daoji.
Qin Daoji did not tell her to get up. He stared at her with an ambiguous expression, remaining silent and lost in thought.
In the stillness of the night, no one spoke in the hall except for the sound of the wind rattling against the door.
Yun Qian was still recovering and was kneeling on the cold, hard brick floor, which worried Qin Song. Just as she was about to tell her to get up, Qin Daoji finally reacted and gave an order that made everyone present find unbelievable.
He threw a dagger in front of the kneeling girl: "Yun Qian, kill yourself."
The sound of the dagger hitting the ground jolted Qin Song's nerves. If Yun Qian hadn't looked up in shock, she would have doubted that she had heard correctly.
Yun Qian glanced at the dagger, then looked up at the patriarch sitting at the head of the table. Her pale, sickly face became even more stiff, and she remained lost in thought for a long time.
Qin Song immediately stepped out from behind Qin Daoji, kicked away the sharp blade on the ground, and asked excitedly, "Father, what are you doing?"
"Song'er, step back and let Yun Qian make her own decision." A draft of wind crept in through the window and suddenly extinguished the candle beside the main seat, dimming the light and making Qin Daoji's eyes unfathomable.
Qin Song stood in front of Yun Qian, angrily saying, "What decision are you making? What did Yun Qian do wrong? Why are you forcing her to commit suicide?!"
"The Lei family woman used the dragon heir as a pretext, insisting that the Qin family maid poisoned the dragon prince. This is a crime that implicates nine generations of your family. If she doesn't die, you will, and even the entire Qin family will be buried with her. Yun Qian is just a maid; she has absolutely no motive to harm anyone. The finger is pointing directly at you, the Qin family woman. If the Qin family doesn't give an explanation, you will be the next one to be punished. Even if that Tao family boy vouches for you with his official position, he still can't clear you of any involvement unless we can find evidence that Yun Qian is not involved in this matter."
Qin Daoji sat firmly at the head of the table, calmly analyzing the pros and cons, prompting deep thought: "The Empress is ruthless, and His Majesty is cruel and suspicious by nature. He has been plotting to eliminate the Qin family. If we are not careful, we will be doomed. Yun Qian, given this situation, do you think there is still a chance to find evidence to prove your innocence?"
Yun Qian was stunned from the moment she saw the dagger, and she didn't utter a single word. At this moment, she still stared blankly at the imposing man in front of her, unable to answer a single question.
Qin Daoji stood up and walked over to Yun Qian. "Yun Qian, I'll ask you one more time: are you willing to die for Miss?"
Qin Song realized that Qin Daoji was serious, so she rushed over in a panic, wanting to plead with her father. Before she could speak, Yun Qian responded first.
"I don't want to."
Yun Qian spoke resolutely, raising her head slightly as if to show the world her unyielding spirit.
"Yun Qian, now that things have come to this, sacrifice is inevitable. Don't you have any feelings for Miss at all?"
"Yes, Master." Yun Qian spoke slowly and calmly. "I grew up with Miss. She is the closest person to me. I can do my best to take care of her and protect her, but I don't want to die for her. I have never thought of sacrificing myself for others. I saved the Crown Prince only because I had no other choice. If I could, I would not even want to be a slave."
As she spoke, she turned her head again, her gaze towards Qin Song firm yet gentle: "I'm sorry, Miss, I know that if the master wants me dead, I have no chance of escaping, but I still want to say these words. Although I am a worthless life, I do not want to die for anyone."
"If Master insists on my death, then do it yourself. I will never kill myself." She turned to look at Qin Daoji again, appearing very calm, but as soon as she finished speaking, tears welled up in her eyes and fell like beans. Her fingers gripped the fabric on her knees tighter and tighter.
Qin Song looked at her with tears welling up in his eyes, then suddenly squatted down and pulled her into his arms. "No, Yun Qian, don't worry, I will never let you die."
Qin Song pulled Yun Qian up and looked at Qin Daoji side by side: "Father, you can kill Yun Qian, but if she dies, the whole city will know tomorrow that the Crown Prince is in the Qin residence."
“Song’er, sacrificing a maid is to protect the Qin family. If the Crown Prince is exposed, the entire family will be buried with him.”
"The Qin mansion is so vast, yet it can't even accommodate a maid? If she's so insignificant, how could sacrificing her save the entire mansion? Father, you've disappointed me greatly!"
Qin Daoji looked at Qin Song quietly, his expression complex. Qin Song couldn't discern his expression; there was no embarrassment or apology, nor any anger.
He clenched his jaw muscles and looked at Yun Qian again: "Yun Qian, if you don't die, you can only live a wretched life. Are you willing to do that?"
Qin Song and his servant were both stunned for a moment, as if they had waited for a turning point in the situation, and remained silent for a long time.
Qin Daoji sighed and looked at the dark doorway. “Given the current situation, you can no longer stay in the Qin residence. Unlike the Crown Prince, you are a young woman. This turn of events will not be easy. It will take at least three years, or even eight or ten years. You will need to lie low and flee, perhaps begging for a living, or perhaps living on the run. Are you willing to do any of that?”
Yun Qian fell silent.
Begging? Fleeing? Neither of these are things a young woman in this world can do. If she were to actually go through such a ordeal, even if she survived, she would no longer be considered a young woman.
"Yes, she is willing."
Yun Qian remained silent, but Qin Song readily agreed on her behalf, "So what if she's a young lady? Does that mean she can't overcome darkness and hardship? If the Crown Prince can, so can she. Since the Crown Prince is destined for a life of wandering, she will go with him. As long as Father protects the Crown Prince, she will protect Yun Qian. As long as Father can do it, I will follow Father's wishes—"
Qin Song paused, took a deep breath, and met her father's gaze firmly, "Zhi Xue, rebel."
The main hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop again. The three people present stared at her, each with a different expression.
“Miss, be careful what you say.” Uncle Zhao was always cautious, and Qin Daoji’s expression was unclear, so he had no choice but to overstep his bounds and whisper a reminder.
Qin Song stared intently at Qin Daoji, and slowly said, "Isn't this what Father wanted? Other girls learn needlework and embroidery, but you made me study books on governing the country from a young age. I should have guessed your good intentions long ago. Besides, I'm already past the age of marriage, yet you've never forced me to marry. On the contrary, you've rejected all those who came to propose marriage. Even if you wanted me to marry the Crown Prince, he's at most ten years old. It will be at least seven or eight years before he reaches adulthood. Once I've grown strong enough, what difficulty would it be to control a mere child?"
Qin Daoji remained silent, his expression unreadable. He didn't rush to reply, but instead scrutinized Qin Song for a long while.
After a long pause, he finally uttered five words with profound meaning: "You don't need to rebel."
After saying this, he looked away and glanced at Yun Qian with disdain: "Recently, many refugees from the north have been lingering in the outskirts of the capital. After they have recovered, they can go north with the Crown Prince."
·
The following day, Qin Daoji asked for leave and stayed at home, not going to the palace to report for duty.
Li Yu got up early to visit Qin Daoji, but was coldly dismissed and sent back to the side courtyard to continue serving the Crown Prince.
Gong Shuling also got up very early. After having breakfast, she sat leisurely in Qin Song's warm pavilion reading a book, not caring at all whether the Imperial Guards had withdrawn or not. It seemed that she wished the Qin family's courtyard would be sealed off forever so that she could stay here and not have to go back to the Gong family's residence.
Qin Song was different. She kept thinking that since the current situation was a deadlock, how should the Qin family break the deadlock after protecting Yun Qian?
However, Qin Daoji, the head of the family, had already arranged for Qin Song's private school, personally supervising every step of the construction. Compared to the Qin family mansion being besieged, it seemed that Qin Song's private school was the most urgent matter.
Qin Song couldn't understand why he could be so relaxed.
Strangely enough, although Eunuch Li made several trips to and from the Qin residence yesterday, there was no movement from the palace today. The Imperial Guards outside the residence continued to send people to buy groceries and deliver them on time, without affecting the daily life of the Qin residence at all.
Even the tutor that Qin Daoji had hired for her was successfully brought into the mansion. He was said to be a highly respected Confucian scholar. It is unknown what method Qin Daoji used to invite this white-bearded old gentleman into Qin Song's private school.
The old master was strict and pedantic. Under his watchful eye, being late or leaving early would result in being punished by reciting texts, and spending too much time with Li Yu would result in being punished by copying books all night.
Under the tight-knit atmosphere of the entire mansion, Qin Song began attending a private school that was even more exhausting than feeding eight concubines.
Finally, at noon on the third day, someone from the palace arrived.
Holding a scroll of imperial edict, Eunuch Li once again entered the mansion, followed closely by two young men in official robes and a dozen or so clerks in black robes.
Qin Daoji and the others from the front courtyard all gathered in front of the hall to await the emperor's will.
Sensing the commotion, Qin Song quickly hid Yun Qian and sent someone to inform Li Yu to bring the Crown Prince to the West Garden before rushing to the front yard.
Just as they passed through the side room, they saw two familiar figures standing on the left and right sides of Eunuch Li—Lu Youchuan and Tao Qingyang.
Before she even appeared in front of anyone, Lu Youchuan's gaze had already fallen on her.
Qin Song met his gaze, and the scene from that night inappropriately rushed back into her mind. She silently avoided his gaze, simply hiding behind the side room, peeking out half her body to secretly observe the situation in front of the hall, and no longer going forward.
When her eyes met Lu Youchuan's, her slightly shy gesture caused the other person, who had also noticed her, to suddenly darken her eyes, turn her head slightly, and let her gaze lock onto Lu Youchuan's throat like a knife.
Lu Youchuan keenly sensed that hostile gaze wanted to tear his flesh, but he remained unmoved. Surrounded by a dense crowd, his dark eyes focused solely on Qin Song.
“Lord Qin, I am here to convey His Majesty’s decree. However, His Majesty has instructed that your residence must be searched before the decree is proclaimed, to prevent anyone with ulterior motives from sneaking in and affecting the Qin family’s reputation.” The eunuch Li said with a smile that concealed a knife, “Imperial Censor Lu, thank you for your trouble.”
Lu Youchuan's face remained calm, but his heart was pounding wildly. He waved his hand, and the clerks behind him immediately set off, scattering towards the Qin residence.
He then turned and walked steadily toward the backyard of the Qin residence amidst the silent gazes of the crowd.
"Since when has it become necessary for the Left Censor-in-Chief to personally conduct searches of officials' residences?" Tao Qingyang's malicious questioning voice rang out, his venomous gaze fixed on his back.
Lu Youchuan paused for a moment, then continued walking. “The Censorate doesn’t need General Tao’s guidance on its affairs.”
The irrefutable voice fell, and Lu Youchuan had already passed through the side room, where the beautiful figure was still waiting behind the wall.
Their eyes met, and a silent tenderness flowed through their hearts.
"Come with me."
Qin Song grabbed Lu Youchuan's hand, quickly hid behind the artificial hill path connecting to the West Garden, and kissed him directly without giving him a chance to speak.
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Author's Note: The plot involving the Lei family's scheming and plotting against the Qin family's power is basically over. The female protagonist is about to leave the "closed-eye player" phase and embark on a new storyline, while also seizing three romances~
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