Chapter 272 Counterattack
Just kidding, just kidding, just kidding...
"How could you lie to me!" Xue Quan was so angry he jumped up and down.
For the sake of his grandson, he was almost convinced to accept it, but it turned out to be a lie. What was the point of all his agonizing and frantic struggle all day?
Qiu Heng's gaze towards Xue Quan turned strange: "Does Eunuch Xue perhaps hope it's true?"
Xue Han's adoptive father is not a very good person.
"Who wants it to be true?" Xue Quan's voice suddenly rose, and he calmed down when he noticed the jailer peeking around in the distance.
He has weathered countless storms to reach his current position, yet this shameless girl has repeatedly caused him to lose his composure.
"Sixth Miss Qiu!" Xue Quan said, enunciating each word clearly, "Do you even know how to write 'propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame'?"
The girl being questioned replied calmly, "Of course I know, I've been to school."
"Did you read something that turned out like a dog's belly, trying to scheme about something like this?"
"Why is Eunuch Xue so angry? So many officials who have studied hard to enter officialdom are so eager to make money and advance their careers that they even collude with the enemy and betray the country. That is truly shameless and lacking in manners. I am just a little woman who was wrongly accused of murder and is imprisoned. I only told a trivial little lie to see my beloved. How could that be considered shameless and lacking in manners?"
Xue Quan paused, then sneered, "No matter how eloquent you are, I will never agree to your marriage with Xue Han!"
"If you don't agree, then forget it." Qiu Heng sat down against the wall.
Xue Quan was stunned.
What does this girl mean by looking so indifferent? Does she not care whether she can enter the Xue family?
Xue Quan stared at the girl sitting with her knees drawn up, his expression a mixture of disgust and resentment. Finally, he snorted coldly and turned to leave.
In the following two days, Consort Yu did not summon Qiu Heng to torment her again, but Xue Quan's interrogation methods became more sophisticated.
Out of consideration for Xue Han, he did not torture Qiu Heng, but instead deprived her of sleep.
"Qiuheng, once you've signed the confession, you can finally get a good night's sleep."
Xue Quan stared at the girl whose eyes were bloodshot, and said those words for what seemed like the umpteenth time.
Qiu Heng lifted her heavy eyelids and met Xue Quan's gaze: "Is Eunuch Xue in such a hurry for me to confess to murder?"
"Of course. Only if you admit it can the case be closed, and only then can we report back to the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine."
Only by confirming that Qiu Heng is a murderer can the possibility of her being with her adopted son be eliminated.
"Perhaps the Imperial Concubine suddenly feels that I have been wronged. If Eunuch Xue is in such a hurry, it would be unpleasant if the wrongful case were to be overturned in the end."
Xue Quan stepped forward, staring intently at Qiu Heng: "What do you mean by that?"
The girl in front of me was clearly exhausted, but her eyes were still bright, as if a cluster of never-extinguished starlight had fallen into them.
Xue Quan suddenly became curious.
Any one of the things Qiu Heng got involved in would be considered a huge problem for anyone else. Wasn't she afraid? Wasn't she tired? What was the purpose of all that desperate struggle?
"I don't quite understand." Xue Quan stared intently at Qiu Heng and spoke, "Since you lied to me, why did you explain yourself so quickly?"
This girl is incredibly clever. She managed to get him to agree to see Xue Han by lying about being pregnant, so she clearly knew that if she kept lying, at least her days in prison would be easier.
However, after meeting with Xue Han, everything was immediately cleared up.
Qiu Heng blinked laboriously, but her tone remained relaxed: "I've already seen Xue Han, so I'm too lazy to keep lying to you."
Xue Quan rolled his eyes in anger: "You stubborn brat!"
Does this mean she disdains using lies to trick him into being more lenient with her?
How come you suddenly became so arrogant when you can just casually utter lies about being pregnant out of wedlock?
Qiu Heng lowered her eyes slightly and ignored Xue Quan.
She wondered how things were going with Xue Han. Xue Quan was keeping her on her toes like a hawk, and she was starting to feel the strain.
Extreme drowsiness made Qiu Heng close her eyes unconsciously as she thought this.
Just as the imperial guards who were keeping watch were about to wake Qiu Heng up, Xue Quan raised his hand to stop them and walked out with mixed feelings.
In the Jade Palace, Qingdai's official job was to take care of Consort Yu's beloved pets: two cats, several birds, and an old tortoise.
She was filling a thrush's cage with food and water when a young eunuch came over.
"Sister Qingdai, someone outside has sent a message saying that someone in your family is sick."
As one of the very few palace maids who could enter Consort Yu's bedroom, Qingdai held considerable prestige among the palace staff.
Qingdai's heart sank, but she didn't show it on her face: "I understand."
After quickly wiping her hands, Qingdai went to see Consort Yu.
"What is it?" Consort Yu asked, her tone revealing a hint of impatience.
This impatience wasn't actually directed at Qingdai, but rather at Qiuheng.
These past two days, Qiu Heng has been subjected to prolonged interrogation in the interrogation room, and Consort Yu has also been having trouble sleeping.
When I close my eyes, I am filled with recurring, fragmented dreams.
The woman, whose face was indistinct, spoke in a young and gentle voice, calling her "Baozhu" over and over again.
This is a terrible memory!
Consort Yu closed her eyes, so she did not immediately notice Qingdai's urgency.
"This servant needs to go to Taoran Tower."
Consort Yu frowned, glanced at Qingdai, and said indifferently, "Go."
She didn't ask what they were going to do.
It will only make the situation of the Great Xia Dynasty worse.
She didn't care about any of that; all she cared about was the antidote pill she took once a month.
Qingdai left the palace discreetly and went straight to Taoran Tower, where she met Qingfeng's confidant.
"You've made an exception and sent a message to me from the palace. Has something happened to my brother?"
"The master went out yesterday and hasn't returned. A letter was found in the courtyard." The confidant handed a letter to Qingdai.
The envelope was addressed to Qingdai.
"Has the master gone on a long trip?" the confidant asked, suppressing his unease. He noticed that Qingdai's expression changed drastically after reading the letter, and his ominous premonition grew stronger. "Has something happened to the master?"
Qingdai squeezed the letter tightly as she opened the seal: "I'll try to find out through other channels. Don't spread the news that my brother hasn't returned yet."
The confidant agreed, and after Qingdai left, his face darkened.
If he had known it would end like this, he should have read what the letter said.
On her way back to the palace, Qingdai read the letter again carefully, then stuffed it into her bosom. Her expression was even more unpleasant than when she was in front of her brother's confidants.
Before confirming her brother's accident, his confidante probably wouldn't dare to read this letter; only she knew its contents.
If you want your brother to live, release Qiu Heng...
Was the other party going to use her to deliver this letter to Consort Yu?
Who are they? How is my brother doing now?
Qingdai was unwilling to do as the other party wished, but the safety of her brother and the fate of many on her side forced her to become the messenger.
After returning to the palace, Qingdai immediately went to see Consort Yu.
Consort Yu was playing with a tabby cat, seemingly unconcerned about Qingdai's visit to her brother.
"Your Majesty," Qingdai called out, emphasizing her words.
Consort Yu looked up at her, letting the cat slip away: "What?"
Qingdai leaned down slightly and whispered, "My brother has disappeared."
(End of this chapter)
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