Chapter 207 Hunter and Prey
Qiu Heng followed Uncle Zhang's gaze and looked down at the carrier pigeons in the cage. Without changing her expression, she asked, "Uncle Zhang, what's wrong?"
Zhang Bo tried hard to suppress his horrifying speculation and forced a smile: "It's cold, Miss Liu, please get in the car."
At my age, I shouldn't be too curious. As long as Sixth Sister is alright, that's all that matters.
Qiu Heng boarded the carriage, and whether it was just her imagination or not, she felt that the carriage was moving incredibly fast today.
The maids at Lengxiang Residence were all very enthusiastic about the pigeon the young lady had brought back. The task of caring for the pigeon was assigned to Qingluo.
After that, Qiu Heng entered the palace every day, and everything was peaceful. Consort Yu was really like a person who was fascinated by the art of incense. Although she did not study for long each day, she was very serious.
Qiu Heng couldn't figure out Consort Yu's thoughts. Since the other party was diligent in learning, she was diligent in teaching her.
As soon as Qiu Heng left the capital city that day, she saw a man riding at full speed coming towards her, shouting urgently, "Make way! Make way!"
Qiu Heng quickly moved aside, and the rider sped past, the yellow flag tucked into his waistband particularly eye-catching.
He was a courier on an urgent delivery route.
Qiu Heng almost instinctively thought of the chaos in the southeast.
Is that why?
The saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day." Yuan Chenghai had wreaked havoc in the southeast for many years, and the people's resentment was deep. Even if he were dead, Qiu Heng didn't hold out any hope that the southeast would be free of trouble.
But guessing is useless; we still need to find someone to verify.
Qiu Heng met with Xue Han two days later.
"A couple of days ago, when I came out of the capital, I was almost hit by a man on a fast horse. Was he a courier delivering an urgent message?"
"If we met two days ago, then it should be him."
"What happened?"
The ministers were all aware of this matter, and Xue Han was also aware of it: "A civil unrest has broken out in the southeast."
Just as I expected.
Qiu Heng felt like a stone that had been suspended in mid-air had finally fallen to the ground.
It felt solid, but it also hurt terribly.
Is it serious?
"This is quite a mess; two counties are involved..."
Qiu Heng was taken aback: "Only two counties?"
According to the book, this civil unrest spread to seven or eight counties in a short period of time, growing like a wildfire.
Are there only two counties now?
Does that mean that Yuan Chenghai's death was still useful?
The situation in war is constantly changing; even the slightest disruption could alter the final outcome.
If the east wind had not favored Zhou Yu, the two Qiao beauties would have been locked away in the Copper Sparrow Terrace in the depths of spring. A gust of wind, a rain shower, or a general's sudden illness can all become variables, let alone the stability of several counties.
"Only two counties?" Xue Han asked with a strange expression.
Qiu Heng explained without changing her expression: "Seeing how anxious that person was the other day, I thought it was more serious."
“Aheng pays close attention to these things.”
Qiu Heng readily admitted, "Yes, my wish is for peace throughout the world."
These words sound grand and empty, but Xue Han knew the sincerity in the girl's heart when she said them.
He thought of the lanterns that Qiu Heng had put into the river on Qixi Festival last year.
She wrote on the lamp: "My first wish is for a peaceful world, my second wish is for good health, and my third wish is to see you often when I am old."
Her wish has never changed.
"Since General Zhu took over the Imperial Guards, military discipline has improved considerably. The Emperor has decided to dispatch a portion of the Imperial Guards to the southeast, and with the cooperation of local garrison troops, the unrest will eventually be quelled."
Qiu Heng has done all she can regarding the unrest in the southeast; now she can only monitor the situation.
"Xue Han, if there are any new developments, remember to let me know."
"good."
The capital remained prosperous afterward, with officials and nobles continuing their feasts and revelry, and Emperor Jingping even had the leisure to stay in the Incense-Making Pavilion to blend incense.
It seemed that the courier who delivered the urgent message from 800 li outside the imperial city that day was just Qiu Heng's illusion.
“Princess Suiyun seems to have something on her mind,” Consort Yu said, putting down her incense spoon with a half-smile.
She's so patient! She's been teaching me how to make incense for so long, and she's still as dedicated as she was at the beginning.
That old nanny Su said this girl isn't human; she can summon spirits.
While her ramblings were laughable, once we noticed something was wrong with this girl, the more we thought about it, the bigger the problem became.
Qiu Liu, disregarding the stigma, associated with the concubine of a high-ranking official—oh, I mean, she made incense pills for his concubine. Later, that official died.
Is this a ritual to summon the soul of Fang Xiang's grandson?
How did they recruit him? Did they use some kind of incense?
Later, Fang Xiang also died.
Consort Yu wiped her hands with a soft silk handkerchief, her long-held patience beginning to wane.
She's been the prey for so long, why hasn't this girl made a move yet?
Could it be that she was just overthinking things, and that the deaths of Yuan Chenghai and Fang Xiang had nothing to do with Qiu Liu, but were merely coincidences?
"My second elder sister will be getting married in a few days. I wanted to ask Your Majesty for leave, but I feel ashamed for delaying Your Majesty's studies, so I am conflicted." Qiu Heng found a perfect explanation for her slight distraction.
"Is that so? Then you can come to the palace after your sister gets married." Consort Yu had a faint smile on her lips. "Am I such an unfeeling person?"
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."
Watching Qiu Heng leave, Consort Yu rested her chin on her hand, her eyes slightly cold.
She didn't believe the girl was alright.
She, the hunter disguised as prey, needs to be more patient and wait for her chosen prey to fall into the trap.
Qiu Heng left Yu Chen Palace and went to Qiu Meiren's place.
Qiu Meiren has gradually gotten used to having lunch with Qiu Heng. Her initial unease has turned into numbness over time.
"Sister, I won't be coming tomorrow."
Qiu Meiren was stunned for a moment: "Consort Yu is not going to learn?"
"No. My second sister is getting married soon. I spoke with Consort Yu, and she told me to come after my second sister gets married."
"Second Sister is getting married?" Qiu Meiren looked stunned, then frowned. "Why haven't I heard Sixth Sister mention it? I haven't prepared anything—"
Not only the sixth sister, but also when she met her grandmother on the first day of the Lunar New Year, her grandmother didn't mention it either.
Qiu Heng blinked: "Didn't you mention it? I thought you did."
Qiu Meiren was forced to separate from her beloved years ago, and the memory of that time brought back painful memories for her.
"What kind of family is your second sister betrothed to? What kind of character is the man?"
After Qiu Heng finished explaining the situation, Qiu Meiren smiled and said, "That's good." After a while, she said softly, "That's really good."
Qiu Heng listened silently, and suddenly noticed that there were already silver strands in Qiu Meiren's hair.
A wave of sorrow washed over her, and Qiu Heng felt a heavy weight in her heart. She hurriedly took her leave and returned to the Earl's Mansion with the dowry that Qiu Meiren had prepared for Qiu Xuan.
March 22nd is an auspicious day for marriage; it is the wedding day of Qiu Xuan, the second daughter of the Yongqing Marquis's family.
Qiu Heng met the groom, Song Rui, who had come to fetch her.
With bright eyes and sparse eyebrows, his red robe accentuated his exceptionally handsome appearance.
Qiu Ying leaned close to Qiu Heng's ear, her voice low but filled with excitement: "Sixth sister, look! Second brother-in-law is so handsome!"
Qiu Heng wholeheartedly agreed: "It really is beautiful."
"I was childhood sweethearts with my second sister, and we were deeply in love..." Qiu Ying's eyes lit up.
Qiu Fu nudged her: "Tone it down, don't be this silly when you get to the Song family."
In the Great Xia Dynasty, when a woman got married, she needed to be accompanied by her sisters who were still unmarried.
As the bridal sedan chair left the Yongqing Marquis's residence, the Qiuheng sisters boarded the bride's carriage and followed the wedding procession to the Song family.
(End of this chapter)
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