By evening, Fei Yanggu and his two sons, along with Yin and Qingyan, had returned to the mansion. Jue Luo Shi had been waiting there all day. Seeing Qingyan nestled in Fei Yanggu's arms with a happy smile, she felt even angrier.
Jue Luo believed that no one would ostracize her if it weren't for Qingyan. Before Qingyan was born, she was the most popular concubine among the noble ladies. Since Qingyan's birth, those people have never laughed with her as freely as before.
"Yin, take Xiao Guai back first." Jue Luo Shi, dressed in court robes, sat in the main hall. He wanted to send Qing Yan back first. Jue Luo Shi's expression was definitely not good.
"Yes!" Yin took the banquet and turned to leave, but was stopped by Jue Luo Shi.
"Qingyan, wait a minute!" Jue Luo Shi believed that girls should be raised by their mothers. What kind of behavior is it to always be protected by Fei Yanggu in the military camp? "How old are you? You're still being carried by the Fourth Prince."
Jue Luo thought she had done a good job; Qingyan's rebellious and disobedient behavior was something she should have disciplined.
After everyone entered the main hall and took their seats, Jue Luo's face became even more unpleasant. Yin and Fei Yanggu sat in the seats of honor, with Qingyan placed on Yin's lap. Jue Luo could only condescend to sit in the seat of honor below Fei Yanggu.
Eshuo and Saito exchanged a glance. Their mother was up to no good again. Qingyan was already being protected by Yin, so they certainly couldn't interfere.
"Look at your rules, so lazy. During the selection, you're disgracing the Ulanara clan." Jue Luo was prepared to make the matter more serious, otherwise, Fei Yanggu would definitely not agree to let Qingyan go back.
Yin kept a stern face. The Jue Luo clan, constantly tormented by the court ladies, always vented their anger on Qing Yan. Each time, seeing her pouting face as she looked at him, he felt a pang of pain. He hated his own powerlessness even more, and Yin unconsciously tightened his grip, causing Qing Yan's face to contort in frustration.
"Four... I'm not going back!" Qingyan said softly.
"How dare you! How can you be so rude? How dare you address the Fourth Prince like that?" Seeing that Fei Yanggu remained silent, Lady Jue Luo quickly stepped forward and scolded him.
Yin found the Jue Luo clan particularly irritating. In his past life, wasn't the Wu Ya clan the same? Regardless of whether it was his fault or not, they would always push him out to take the blame first, never giving him a chance to explain. Now, Qing Yan had become like that again.
"I..." Qingyan didn't know what to say. She had gotten used to calling Hu Yin "Fourth Prince".
To outsiders, this address would be utterly disrespectful. He, however, considered it an affectionate nickname given to him by Qingyan, and thought it was perfectly acceptable.
"Lady Ulanara, this is my permission. Qingyan is very well-mannered. The two palace maids have not been lax. Today, in Chenggan Palace, did you see any error in Qingyan's manners?" Yin looked at Jue Luo Shi with cold eyes. Originally, he was prepared to give face to Fei Yanggu and his two sons and not to retaliate against Jue Luo Shi. He really looked down on this woman.
Jue Luo was stunned; Yin and Fei Yanggu's reactions clearly puzzled her. Weren't they afraid that Qingyan would become unruly from being spoiled?
"The rules of the Qingyan banquet were taught by the palace matrons, so they can't be wrong." Jue Luo was being a bit too presumptuous; once Kangxi had made up his mind, no one could resist it.
"Master, I'm only doing this for Qingyan's own good!" Looking at Fei Yanggu's annoyed expression, Jue Luo felt a surge of emotions. Zhu Ying's delayed return only worsened her mood. "Qingyan, didn't Zhu Ying come back with you?"
Zhu Ying was a maidservant who accompanied the Jue Luo family during their dowry. No one knew about the many secret things she had done. If she fell into someone else's hands, all those things she had done would really be known.
As soon as Jue Luo finished speaking, Fei Yanggu smashed the teacup in his hand on the ground. He was in charge of the Criminal Division, and the things he had dug out from Zhu Ying's mouth made him feel ashamed.
"Don't mention her anymore, just pretend she never existed." Fei Yanggu rubbed his temples. Zhu Ying would probably be silenced, and his residence absolutely could not be disturbed. He also understood Kangxi's hint that Jue Luo should be kept in the residence as much as possible and not appear in public.
Jue Luo stared blankly at Fei Yanggu; he rarely spoke to her in such a tone. Unless, of course, Kangxi found out about this...
"He's been sent to the criminal trial department!" Qingyan muttered softly.
Actually, that woman was quite unlucky to have run into Consort Tong.
Upon arriving in Beijing, Emperor Kangxi was nearly assassinated. Consort Tong had nowhere to vent her anger, and Zhu Ying conveniently provided her with an excuse to vent her frustration. How could this woman possibly be any better?
"What?!" Jue Luo's loud voice rang out, and Qingyan's face turned pale instantly.
Seeing that Lady Jue Luo cared more about a servant girl, a look of melancholy slowly crept into her large eyes.
Hasn't she done enough? Whenever she gets something good, she always wants to give a share to the Jue Luo clan; those things are basically priceless.
"Little darling, don't listen to that." Yin hugged her tightly, her little body trembling, and whispered in her ear.
He picked up Qingyan and walked out of the hall. She needed a quiet space to think about the path she should take in the future.
Eshuo and Saito could only sigh helplessly as they watched the two figures disappear.
Qingyan leaned on Yin's shoulder, tears streaming down her face. Why did her heart still ache so much when she had given up long ago?
"Sisi, you won't leave me, will you?" Her hoarse voice pained Yin. In his past life, Qingyan would always stand firmly by his side no matter what happened. Now, he hoped that Xiaoguai could be strong.
The rift between the mother and daughter grew wider and wider. Yin patted her back with heartache, thinking that Xiao Guai shouldn't have to suffer such injustice.
"I will not leave you," Yin promised.
Neither of them imagined that this small promise would last a lifetime; of course, that's another story.
Jue Luo's questioning was overheard by many servants. There were still spies around, and within a night, news of Jue Luo's dislike of Qingyan's daughter spread throughout the mansions of high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital.
Some of the court ladies despised the Jue Luo clan's behavior; she received exquisite gifts from Qingyan, yet she still badmouthed Qingyan behind his back.
How can such people be trusted to befriend someone? They even look at Qingyan with prejudice. If her mother is like this, how can her daughter be any better?
"Fourth Sister, the road ahead will be even more difficult!" Qingyan didn't like interacting with others, and now, those noble ladies were even less willing to accept her.
Yin patted Qingyan affectionately as the two walked back to the courtyard. They hadn't been back for a long time, and the courtyard had been cleaned spotlessly, but she couldn't bring herself to smile.
For several months, Qingyan and Yin slept in tents. Even though they had beds, they couldn't compare to the carved mahogany bed in the room.
"I'll stay with you!" Yin kissed her forehead, then gently laid her on the soft couch, allowing Su Lan and the others to help her wash and rest. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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