Chapter 286 Upstairs
Several young girls stood in that corner, but Consort Yu's gaze was fixed on only one person.
She wore a large cloak, but because it was night and illuminated by colored lights, the color of the cloak was indistinguishable; the fur trim around the hood was snow-white.
Qiu Heng also came.
From a distance, Consort Yu gazed at the somewhat blurry face, her heart filled with turmoil.
Wasn't he seriously ill? How did he get better so quickly?
Others may not know, but she knows all too well that Qiu Heng is not really sick, but poisoned.
Yes, due to limited resources, the amount of poisoned tea was small. But it was precisely because the amount was insufficient that the poisoned person suffered for several more days, eventually slowly losing all their vitality and dying.
Why is Qiu Heng still alive?
Consort Yu unconsciously tightened her grip on the railing, thinking of the message Qingfeng had once conveyed to her.
The old woman from the Prime Minister's residence, Su, who was bought by a brothel, said that Qiu Heng was not human and could communicate with ghosts and gods.
At the time, she found it amusing, but now, thinking back on it, she felt a little apprehensive.
The idea that she could communicate with ghosts and spirits is certainly nonsense, but the fact that such a young girl has repeatedly escaped death is certainly unusual.
Consort Yu was not one to dwell on civil war. Sensing that Qiu Heng was unusual, she immediately ordered her eunuchs to bring her over.
When the eunuch came over, Qiu Heng was talking to Princess Rong Ning.
"Greetings to Princess Rongning and Princess Suiyun."
The two nodded in return.
"Princess Suiyun has not been to the palace for a long time, and the Imperial Concubine has been thinking of her, so she has specially summoned you to see her."
"Then I'll go over there first," Qiu Heng said to Princess Rongning, and followed the eunuch.
"Your subject Qiuheng greets Your Majesty and the Noble Consort."
Emperor Jingping's gaze, which had been fixed on the lion dance in front of the building, shifted to Qiu Heng.
The girl, draped in a dark blue cloak, had two snowballs casually draped over her hood. Her small face, illuminated by the light, resembled flawless jade, almost translucent in its whiteness.
Emperor Jingping couldn't help but think of the phrase "beauty as jade".
He quickly realized he had been silent for too long, and covered up his lapse with a hearty laugh: "Hehe, it's been a while since I've seen Princess Suiyun. I heard you were ill, are you better now?"
It's strange. He had been tempted by the girl's unconventional ways, but when he found out that she was particularly troublesome and prone to causing problems, those feelings immediately disappeared. But now, he found her face inexplicably attractive.
Perhaps it's the novelty of her current appearance as a sickly beauty.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am all better now, but I am a little more sensitive to the cold than before."
"It's like this after recovering from a serious illness. You should eat more warm and nourishing foods and take good care of yourself."
"Your Majesty, I haven't seen Princess Suiyun for quite some time and would like to speak with her."
"Oh, you all chat, you all chat." Emperor Jingping walked to the side and watched the acrobatic performance of swallowing swords and breathing fire downstairs.
"After not seeing her for several months, Princess Suiyun has lost a lot of weight."
Qiu Heng smiled and said, "Illness strikes like a landslide. It's already lucky that you've recovered. It's normal to lose some weight."
Consort Yu tilted her head slightly, scrutinizing the girl's flawless smile.
Could Qiu Heng detect that the tea was poisoned?
Logically, this shouldn't be the case. The imperial physicians and renowned doctors from the common people all diagnosed it as an acute case of indigestion. Qiu Heng, who didn't understand medical principles, was unlikely to doubt the doctors' words.
But this girl is shrewd; perhaps she has some suspicions…
"I think Princess Suiyun is even more beautiful now that she's lost some weight."
"Your Majesty flatters me. I am but a humble woman, far inferior to Your Majesty's grace." Qiu Heng hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Is Your Majesty still interested in straw weaving? While I was convalescent and bored, I invented a new straw weaving technique—"
Consort Yu raised her eyebrows slightly, the scrutiny in her eyes fading, replaced by a captivating light: "That would be fine. In a few days, I will summon Princess Suiyun to the palace to accompany me."
He was even thinking of going to the palace to teach her straw weaving, so it seems he has no suspicions. However, he can't be careless with this girl; he needs to patiently find another opportunity to make his move.
Consort Yu was confident that she wouldn't have to wait long for such an opportunity, since she was the one who called the shots in the harem.
Qiuheng, oh Qiuheng, you asked for this yourself.
"I'm glad Your Majesty is pleased." Qiu Heng smiled, pursing her lips.
She offered to go to the palace, so Consort Yu probably won't waste her time on her tonight.
Just as Qiu Heng had expected, after the topic of going to the palace another day was over, Consort Yu smiled and said, "It's a rare occasion for such a lively festival, so I won't disturb Princess Suiyun's lantern viewing."
"This humble woman takes her leave."
Qiu Heng bent her knees, took a few steps back, and then turned to walk towards Princess Rongning. On the way, she casually pulled up her hood, which immediately hid her smooth forehead and even her eyebrows and eyes were shrouded in shadow. Only her straight nose and light red lips were exposed to the view of others.
Princess Rongning also wore a hood, but unlike Qiu Heng's dark blue cloak that blended into the night, her cloak was silver-white. Among the thousands of lights that connected with the starlight, it stood out like a flowing beam of moonlight.
"Aheng, you're back." Princess Rongning, wearing a hood, had eyes as deep as a still pool, as if she had returned to the time when she was in a foreign land and determined to join hands with Qiuheng to kill King Xijiang.
The girl walking towards her looked more relaxed and walked with more ease. When she got closer, she took her hand and said, "Yes, you're back."
Just as the two clasped hands, fireworks burst in the night sky, and cheers erupted downstairs.
Princess Rongning looked down and said, "It's so lively. When I was sitting in the carriage on my way to Xijiang, I thought I would never see the Lantern Festival in the capital again in my life."
Qiu Heng leaned against the railing, her dark blue cloak touching her friend's silver-white cloak.
They were so close, just like two hearts that had never drifted apart after Xi Jiang's near-death experience. Even though to outsiders they had some contact, they didn't meet very often.
"I quite like lively atmospheres," Qiu Heng said softly.
The crowd downstairs was bustling and noisy, providing the perfect opportunity and cover.
Unlike Princess Rongning and Qiuheng, who were chatting quietly in a corner of Lehua Tower and gradually lost attention, most of the royal women and noble ladies who were qualified to go up the tower were in groups of three or five, looking for good spots to enjoy the lanterns and scenery.
The Imperial Street during the Lantern Festival is indeed beautiful. Not only are there dazzling lanterns of all kinds, but also impressive skill displays. Moreover, because of the high vantage point, you can see couples either secretly holding hands, thinking no one will notice, or gazing at each other intently to express their feelings.
For noble ladies who spend most of their time in their boudoirs, this passionate and unrestrained youthful affection from the streets is more beautiful than lights and fireworks.
Amidst the soft whispers and laughter, two figures walked downstairs.
Guards stood watch at every corner of Lehua Tower, ensuring there were no blind spots. At the entrance downstairs, guards stood on both sides, each with an upright posture.
These were all imperial guards from the Palace Guard, and in addition to the Palace Guard, the Imperial City Guard also patrolled and guarded the Imperial Street.
During her trip to Xijiang, almost every guard at Lehua Tower recognized Princess Rongning's face.
"Is Your Highness going downstairs?"
(End of this chapter)
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