Chapter 11 The girl's lips were surprisingly soft...
Upon hearing this, Yang Qing felt as if struck by lightning. Her legs went weak, and she only managed to stay upright with Liu Ye'er's support. Her face was frighteningly pale.
Back inside, Liu Ye'er quickly brought over a bowl of sweet tea. Yang Qing drank it while it was hot, and her face regained some color, but her heart was still filled with sorrow.
Li Shangxuan had a good reputation when he was the crown prince, but his reputation was not so good when he became emperor. He ordered the execution of countless people.
The ministers wanted to drag her along to plead for him, but who was Yang Qing? She was used to protecting herself and would never risk upsetting Li Shangxuan for people she had never even met.
She was still quite afraid of him. In the five years since he ascended the throne, she had executed two of her maternal uncles. One was her blood uncle, and the other was the younger brother of the Empress Dowager, the then-father-in-law of the Emperor, Marquis Chengen.
The former abused his name to bully men and women outside, while the latter embezzled and accepted bribes in the court. They deserved to be executed, but they had indeed done him a favor, having helped him when he was young.
From then on, not only were the civil and military officials afraid of him, but Yang Qing was also very afraid of him. She didn't dare to throw a tantrum at him anymore, for fear that he would kill her if he was unhappy with her.
Now, although Li Hebi's death is not a pity, he is still the heir of Prince Ning. If the real culprit is not found, it will be difficult to explain to Prince Ning.
After thinking it over, Yang Qing decided to give up. When Li Shangxuan came again that night, she stayed in her room and refused to come out. Liu Ye'er pleaded with her three or four times, but to no avail. Finally, she sent a message saying, "If you don't come out, I'll have to go in." Only then did Yang Qing reluctantly go out. When she saw Li Shangxuan, she had a stern face and didn't give him a friendly look.
Li Shangxuan had already guessed most of what was going on. There was no one else in the room, and he asked in a somewhat cold voice, "Didn't you just tell me yesterday that Li Hebi's matter had nothing to do with you? Why are you scared now?"
Yang Qing was already feeling wronged and scared. Now, after being spoken to so lightly, she simply resorted to her old trick and started sobbing. Tears flowed freely, half of them genuine, and the other half were an attempt to shut Li Shangxuan up and make him too embarrassed to say anything more about her.
Li Shangxuan was initially furious with her for refusing to see him, but seeing her tears streaming down her face, he softened and asked gently, "Why are you crying?"
He reached out to wipe away her tears, but it seemed like he could never wipe them all away; one tear after another appeared.
Yang Qing choked back tears and said, "You're interrogating me like a criminal, and you won't even let me cry?"
Li Shangxuan looked at her tearful eyes and said, "First, tell me clearly, do you know anything about the fake peony?"
Seeing that she couldn't fool him, Yang Qing burst into tears, "I didn't know he was going to die. He's allowed to bully me, but can't I even get a little revenge on him?"
Li Shangxuan snorted, "Now you're telling me the truth. Was it Li Heyun, the second young master of the Ning Prince's Mansion, who told you about the fake peony?"
Yang Qing nodded gently.
Li Shangxuan said, "He's already lost his life, is this considered a small act of revenge?"
Yang Qing had just calmed down for a while when she heard his words and burst into tears again, "I didn't know it would be like this! Now that you know, just send me to the Dali Temple! I hate you so much!"
"You still hate me?" Li Shangxuan was both helpless and angry, but when he saw her face covered in tears, his heart softened.
She was still just a young girl. He had grown up with her, so how could he not know her personality? She would smile at him when she was happy and cry when she was scared. He had never doubted that she really wanted Li Hebi to die; she was definitely being used by someone with ulterior motives.
He could only wipe her face with a damp cloth while gently reasoning with her, "Do you know what the relationship is between Li Hebi and Li Heyun? How can you believe his words? Li Hebi is a good-for-nothing. Although he is not favored by Prince Ning, his maternal family is noble, and he is the eldest son of the legitimate wife, so his position as heir apparent is relatively secure. The second young master, Li Heyun, is very talented, but his birth mother is of lowly birth and he has been severely suppressed in Yunzhou. Now that Li Hebi is dead, who do you think is happiest?"
Yang Qing looked up at him. In her previous life, Li Hebi had probably died around this year, around the time of the Emperor's birthday celebration. It was said that he had suddenly fallen ill in the palace, but it didn't cause such a commotion. Both the palace and the Prince of Ning's residence kept the news very tightly under wraps, and the rumors circulating among the people were varied.
Some say Li Hebi harassed palace concubines, some say he sexually assaulted palace maids, some say he was haunted by vengeful spirits in the palace, and others say he died suddenly from an illness.
Yesterday, Yang Qing was cursing him, asking why he couldn't die like he did in his previous life, and why he had to die in front of him. But after hearing Li Shangxuan's words, she understood a little better now.
So, was it that the second young master, Li Heyun, deliberately set a trap for her and dragged her into it?
Li Shangxuan saw her staring blankly at him, her head tilted up like some kind of small animal, her misty eyes seeing only him. A strange feeling welled up in his heart.
He couldn't help but move closer and closer, and by the time he realized what he was doing, he had already taken his lips into his mouth.
The girl's lips were surprisingly soft. Since he had already gone this far, he suppressed his shyness and gently caressed her lips before quickly releasing them, as he assured her just like yesterday, "Don't be afraid, I'm here for you."
Yang Qing was stunned for a moment before she realized what he had just done.
In his previous life, this was absolutely unheard of. Before their marriage, although he often spent time with her, he had hardly ever even touched her finger. Now, he actually dared to kiss her?
She slapped him almost reflexively, but when she saw Li Shangxuan's shocked expression, she became frightened again, pushed him away, and ran away.
Her heart was still pounding as she closed the door, and the feeling of being touched on her lips lingered. She wiped it with her hand, thinking that since she had already hit him, she should use more force.
This old dog... no, it should be beaten even though it's still a puppy.
Li Shangxuan stood there for a while. Her grip wasn't very strong, but it still left a sting on her face.
He didn't know why he had been so bewitched as to bend down and kiss her; it was really rude and inappropriate.
But... the lips of my beloved have a kind of magic; just a light touch is enough to leave one wanting more.
He was clearly regretting it, yet he couldn't stop his mind from wandering.
We've already kissed, we should have kissed a little longer.
****
Mr. Yang has finally arrived in the capital today. He is already in his seventies, with all white hair and beard, and looks like an old immortal with a dignified and otherworldly air.
Princess Ning had already made a fuss yesterday about burying Li Hebi and having the two daughters of the Chi family undergo a ghost marriage. She refused to dissect him or even touch him with a normal person.
It took Huo Lu a lot of effort to drag this out until today.
Therefore, when Mr. Yang arrived, the happiest person was not his grandson Yang Jiarong, nor Li Shangxuan, but rather Huo Lu, a person he had never met before.
Princess Ning cried all night last night and hasn't woken up yet this morning. He was the one watching over her.
The servants of the Prince of Ning's mansion guarding Li Hebi's body today were much easier to deal with than her. At first, these people were unwilling, but Huo Lu had already exhausted all his patience and directly ordered several soldiers of the Imperial Guard to suppress them, and only then did the room finally quiet down.
Mr. Yang, with his sharp hearing and keen eyesight, said after only one glance, "For those who cannot bear it, the fake peony can indeed be fatal. Rome wasn't built in a day."
Li Shangxuan breathed a sigh of relief. After a long period of contact, it should be unrelated to Yang Qing.
Although she carried a sachet that day, there were quite a few people present, and she and Li Hebi were so far apart that it was impossible for them to be in constant contact.
Mr. Yang showed Mr. Yang all the things that Li Hebi had touched that day, and they made many new discoveries.
For example, the tea sent as tribute from Yunzhou was adulterated with fake peony stamens, and the rouge used by the palace maids also contained this substance. For Li Hebi, the entire palace was a deadly hell, and it would be strange if he didn't die.
Li Shangxuan's expression grew increasingly grim. Huo Lu asked, "What does Your Highness intend to do?"
Li Shangxuan said, "Tea was originally a tribute from Yunzhou, so that's understandable. But how could palace maids' rouge and face powder contain such things?"
Old Master Yang was invited out for lunch, accompanied by Yang Jiarong, leaving only the two of them in the room. Huo Lu spoke without restraint, "Does Your Highness suspect that this matter is related to the Empress?"
Li Shangxuan said, "Be careful what you say." After a moment of contemplation, he added, "Her Majesty the Empress is very busy, and she probably won't be able to check every single item used by the palace maids."
However, that's also a possibility.
Huo Lu realized he had spoken out of turn and touched his nose.
Empress Ming was not His Highness's biological mother, but now she is said to be his adoptive mother. However, His Highness was already fifteen years old when he was adopted by Empress Ming. What kind of relationship could the two have developed?
Li Shangxuan felt respect and affection for Empress Ming, but it was actually quite little. After all, the Empress was stern and rarely smiled. Since the death of the eldest prince, she had been gloomy all day long and did not show any kindness to the other princes and princesses.
After lunch, Li Heyun was summoned for questioning.
Having learned from the servants of the Chi family that this second young master had spoken with Yang Qing, he became more wary and more thoughtful when observing the newcomer.
Unlike Li Hebi's crude appearance, Li Heyun was handsome, with eyes like cold stars and lips like cinnabar. He always had a smile on his face and seemed very easy to get along with.
Summoned to the Imperial Guard's office, he showed no panic, remaining calm and unhurried. "Is there any progress on my elder brother's matter?"
Huo Lu smiled enigmatically, "Second Young Master, you truly have excellent self-control. Despite your elder brother's passing, you show no sign of grief whatsoever; in fact, you appear radiant!"
Li Heyun showed neither anger nor panic, as if he had anticipated this question. He answered skillfully, "My father is still in Yunzhou, and my mother is grieving too much. I have to take care of many things in my family. The dead are gone, so we who are alive have many things to consider. At the very least, we must ensure that my elder brother leaves with dignity."
Li Shangxuan, unsure whether to approve of his fluent answers, only asked, "I heard that you were in charge of all the tributes from Yunzhou?"
Li Heyun said, "Indeed, Your Highness. Why did you suddenly ask about this? Is it because I failed in my duties and something went wrong?"
Li Shangxuan said, "It's not exactly a mistake, but it's strange. Yunzhou produces good tea, so why is the tea presented different from what the Prince Ning's residence usually uses?"
Li Heyun still smiled and explained, "Yunzhou not only produces good tea, but also many flowers. This is my mother's ingenuity. Hearing that flower tea is popular in the capital, she specially added the stamens of a hundred flowers to the tea leaves."
Li Shangxuan remained silent for a long time before finally asking, "Do you know what caused Li Hebi's death?"
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