Chapter 268 Qingfeng
The old lady urged her three sons to go out and investigate, which greatly displeased Yongqingbo.
"She's always causing chaos and making things unbearable for me, she's such a jinx!"
The old lady sneered: "Is it honorable for the elders to turn a blind eye when something happens to their children?"
"I'm too lazy to argue with you. I think Sixth Sister is unlikely to survive this time. It would be good enough if she could avoid implicating the Earl's Mansion."
"You always say that, but every time Sixth Sister is perfectly fine." The old lady was inwardly worried, but she didn't back down.
"This time is different. She killed a palace maid from Yu Chen Palace, and offended the Imperial Concubine!"
"Sixth Sister couldn't possibly kill someone in the palace; she's not crazy."
The Earl of Yongqing scoffed: "Does it matter whether she killed him or not? The Imperial Concubine said she did."
After a long silence, the old lady said stiffly, "In any case, Sixth Girl will be fine."
The Earl of Yongqing was so angry that he pointed at her and stomped his foot: "You're really stubborn."
“Not as hard as my cane.” The old lady swung her cane at her.
Xue Han left the capital and went to the Yongqing Earl's residence.
Upon hearing the report, the old lady immediately had someone invite him in.
"Madam."
"We can't be bothered with formalities now. Lord Xue, you've come for Heng'er, haven't you?"
"yes."
"Do you know the specifics?"
After the old lady dismissed everyone else, Xue Han told her what he had heard from Xue Quan.
A chill ran through the old lady, and she said in a trembling voice, "Fang Rui was originally a proud daughter of heaven. It's not surprising that she's become a slave and has the will to die. To pin the blame on Heng'er like this is clearly a deliberate attempt to harm her!"
"Madam, I've come to tell you about Aheng's situation. Please rest assured, I will rescue Aheng."
The old lady's eyes lit up: "How can Lord Xue save him?"
Xue Han stated frankly, "It's not convenient to disclose that."
Thinking of Xue Han's status as the Imperial Envoy, the old lady quickly said, "Then I won't ask anymore. I'll wait for Heng'er's good news."
"I'll take my leave now."
The old lady saw Xue Han out of the house, then returned and silently began counting her prayer beads.
The three masters of the Qiu family went out to investigate but returned empty-handed, and instead spread the news of Qiu Heng's murder and imprisonment even further.
Master Qiu wiped his eyes, choking back tears, and said, "It's all my fault for being useless. I couldn't find out anything about Heng'er, and those people laughed at me..."
"Let them laugh it off." After Xue Han's words, the old lady felt much more at ease.
How could it be useless? The news has spread, which is better than nothing at all.
Just as the old lady had expected, the news reached the residences of Prince Kang and Prince Fu, and the two residences took action.
Ling Yun went to the inner prison, but was stopped by Xue Quan and did not see Qiu Heng.
Princess Rongning begged Princess Fu to go to the palace to see Consort Yu. Princess Fu, not wanting to disappoint her daughter, submitted her request to enter the palace, but she didn't even get to see Consort Yu.
While some were anxious and worried, others applauded and cheered.
"Father, Qiu Heng killed someone, isn't that a capital offense?" Cheng Susu asked Cheng Shilang, suppressing her excitement.
Vice Minister Cheng, displeased with his daughter's unruly manner, asked, "You came all this way just to ask this?"
"You know how annoying Qiu Heng is. And Fang Rui, I really didn't expect her to be so troublesome. First, she attracted people you were wary of, and then she was taken away by the Imperial Concubine. Luckily she's dead now, otherwise who knows what might have happened to her in the future."
"Susu!" Minister Cheng slammed his hand on the table. "You better behave like a noble lady! Whatever you think in your heart, at least you can't wish for someone to die. What will people think of you if word gets out?"
"My daughter only told you that."
"It won't work in front of anyone."
"I understand." Cheng Susu bit her lip, but still couldn't help asking, "So, do you think Qiu Heng is finished this time?"
Vice Minister Cheng sighed: "Offending the Imperial Concubine will certainly not end well."
This sigh wasn't for Qiu Heng, but for himself.
The Emperor is too fond of Consort Yu. She can watch other people's dramas now, but what if one day Consort Yu takes a dislike to the Cheng family?
"Susu, unless absolutely necessary, do not go to the palace again."
Cheng Susu was taken aback: "Why? My aunt asked me to come to the palace to keep her company often."
Although the Vice Minister's residence was not bad, it was not the best either. Being able to frequently visit the palace made her quite famous among noble ladies.
"Consort Yu's actions are unpredictable. At least for the time being, you should stay at home to avoid bringing trouble upon yourself."
Cheng Susu wanted to say that the Imperial Concubine had always disliked Qiu Heng, but seeing her father's serious expression, she wisely refrained from saying anything more.
That night, Consort Yu was unable to fall asleep for a long time.
The antidote was a matter of life and death for her. If she missed it even once, she would suffer a fate worse than death; if she missed it again, she would die from the poison.
She was in the prime of her life, living a life second only to the emperor, and she didn't want to die.
Tomorrow morning, send Qingdai out of the palace to get the medicine.
Originally, because of Qiu Heng's matter, many eyes were on Yu Chen Palace, and she should have postponed going out of the palace to get the medicine. However, she could not rest easy until she got the antidote.
Consort Yu tossed and turned all night, barely sleeping. When she woke up in the morning, she felt dizzy and kicked over a palace maid carrying a basin of water, saying, "The water is so hot, are you trying to scald me to death?"
The palace maid dared not offer a word of explanation, and kowtowed desperately, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me, Your Majesty, please forgive me."
When Qingdai entered, Consort Yu's fierce temper subsided slightly: "Go early and come back early."
"yes."
Many palace servants leave the palace daily for errands, and there is a strict system in place to manage them. After the gate guards checked Qingdai's waist tag, they respectfully let her pass without asking any questions.
Qingdai arranged for the eunuchs accompanying her to buy rouge, while she secretly went to Taoran Tower to meet her brother Qingfeng.
Qingfeng, who looked to be in his early thirties, had deep-set eyes and a cold gaze: "I thought she would come in person."
The imperial concubine, who was high above everyone else and could command the wind and rain, was nothing more than a pawn in his eyes, and naturally he didn't respect her much.
Qingdai explained to her brother in a low voice, "Something happened at Yuchen Palace yesterday, and she couldn't leave..."
After hearing Qingdai's account of Fang Rui's death, Qingfeng's tense expression eased somewhat: "So that's how it is. She did well. That Miss Qiu Liu repeatedly caused trouble; she truly deserved to die."
"Yes. Brother, please give me the antidote. It's not good for me to be out for too long."
Without needing to conceal it with roasted duck, Qingdai obtained the porcelain bottle containing the antidote.
"Brother, the roasted duck containing the antidote was stolen by a beggar yesterday. Was it a coincidence or is there something fishy going on?"
Qingfeng's eyes turned cold: "We're investigating."
"Then you should be careful too."
"I know what I'm doing."
Qingdai appreciated her brother's caution. The famous Taoranlou teahouse in the capital was under his control, making it convenient to investigate the movements of court officials and gather information. However, less than half of the people in the teahouse were truly his own; most were ordinary people who knew nothing about it.
As for those who knew the identity of the woman in the palace, only the brother and sister knew. There was also a confidant who knew she had entered the palace and could contact her if necessary, but did not know that Consort Yu was one of their own.
This chess piece is too precious; the more people who know about it, the greater the danger.
"Brother, I'm leaving."
(End of this chapter)
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