The banquet was a lively affair, with toasts and laughter filling the air. Naturally, the birthday celebration for the eldest granddaughter of the Duke's mansion was far from simple.
Everyone knew the truth, and those with ulterior motives brought their nephews and nieces along, hoping to make a name for themselves in front of the old Duke.
The steward went up to the hall, leaned down, and whispered a few words in the old Duke's ear.
"Please have a seat, I'll be right back."
In the study, the old Duke's face was ashen.
“Grandpa…” Zheng Huiyin’s eyes were bright and tearful, her cheeks were red and swollen, and her finger marks were clearly visible.
Knowing she had made a mistake, she deliberately didn't apply ice. Now, in front of her elders, she was holding her little hands and turning her face away, looking incredibly pitiful.
The old Duke ignored her and coldly asked, "Where is Pei Xueqiao?"
"Someone saw him go to the southeast corner, and then he disappeared without a trace."
There's no need to ask any further questions about what the old Duke has been through in his life.
He was angry not because he had tried to harm a mere sixth princess, but because his attempt had failed and the resentment had escalated into a public issue.
Instead of looking at Zheng Huiyin, he gazed at his daughter-in-law, who stood silently to the side.
“Teach it well, then. Confine him to his quarters for a month, and send a backup gift to the Sixth Princess’s residence.”
Seeing that her grandfather, who always doted on her, still ignored her, Zheng Huiyin panicked. "Grandpa, Huiyin really knows she was wrong..."
She bit her lip, displaying her vulnerability and grievance to the fullest. "I can go to the princess's residence to apologize, and I will never implicate our family."
"What are you carrying? Just stay home and stay put!"
She's just a princess with no power or influence; she can't represent the royal family. So what if she said a few words that were offensive?
Why should the Duke's own granddaughter be forced to apologize with thorns on her back?
When the empress came to power, she opened girls' schools, established the imperial examination system for women, and promoted women to official positions. Regardless of the resistance from the literati, under the general trend of the times, her granddaughter was still thinking about love and romance and the scheming in the inner quarters.
Since you yourself are not ambitious, then don't blame him; you can only become a bargaining chip in a marriage alliance.
With that, the old Duke waved his sleeves and strode away.
...
Pei Xueqiao suddenly woke up with a start, the cooled tea dripping down her cheeks.
When I opened my eyes, they were still clearly blurry, and it took me a while to come to my senses.
Where is this...?
He remembered that he was in the Duke of Zheng's mansion when a maid accidentally bumped into him and led him to a guest room to change his clothes. After that, he fell asleep in a daze.
"Heh, Young Master Pei can really sleep."
A cold voice came from ahead. Pei Xueqiao glanced over and found that it was the Sixth Princess.
He suddenly stood up and bowed, "Your Highness."
"Alright, can you remember what you went through?"
Seeing his bewildered look, Qin Zhaoyue didn't waste any words and quickly explained the drugging incident.
However, in this story, she cleverly discovers that someone is plotting against her and tries to find the person behind it all.
"Do you know how critical this is, and how vicious this tactic is?"
If I hadn't been quick-witted, things would have been irreversible by now.
"You may not care, but you've gained a huge advantage. Wouldn't that ruin my life?"
Pei Xueqiao: ?
Although he is still somewhat dazed, his mind is not damaged.
The sixth princess has a notorious reputation and is basically ineligible for the position of crown princess.
He was the eldest son of the prime minister, a man of great learning, and a top scholar in the imperial examinations. The fact that the father and son served in the same court was a well-known story among scholars.
Who really benefits? Could it be that someone has already benefited?
Pei Xueqiao's expression instantly turned to horror, and she instinctively covered her chest, her eyes filled with doubt.
Tsk... Qin Zhaoyue curled her lips, "No way, you don't actually think that Your Highness likes a pretty boy like you, do you?"
"You're weak as a cat, skinny as a board, and have a big belly—you think I, a princess, would ever fancy you? Laughable!"
Qingfeng, the hidden guard lurking in the shadows of the palace pillars, felt a sudden jolt in his heart.
I don't like weak and powerless scholars... Oh no, is it coming for him?
Pei Xueqiao was immediately displeased, "Nonsense, I am very good at archery and charioteering, two of the six arts of a gentleman."
Qin Zhaoyue waved her hand dismissively, "Yes, it's like we didn't see when she was twisting like a maggot."
It's twisted...like a maggot!
Each word struck like a mallet against a bronze bell, and in the hazy moment, it seemed as if some memories flooded into my mind.
Ugh! Pei Xueqiao clenched her fists tightly, desperately trying to suppress the unbearable scene.
"Listen carefully, I like guys who are strong and muscular with eight-pack abs, and you?"
Qin Zhaoyue raised her proud head and looked the prime minister's eldest son up and down. "Tsk tsk tsk... Greyhound."
Biaji, it's as if something fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, that is something called dignity.
Pei Xueqiao clutched her clothes and stumbled back several steps, her face as pale as paper, giving her a pitiful and beautiful appearance.
It was only at this moment that Qin Zhaoyue realized that this pretty boy was actually quite handsome.
It's not about undermining her confidence, but about completely severing her connection to the drugging incident to avoid the Empress's disdain and the Prime Minister's retaliation.
That wasn't enough, Qin Zhaoyue continued with KFC:
"Don't act all delicate and weak. Are you going to lean on a willow or a railing?"
What value would it have for a princess like me, who is neither skilled in literature nor martial arts, to frame me? Whose path could I possibly be in?
"Although you were the top scholar in the imperial examination, you are still young and your official position is not high. It is not worth it for others to plot against you like this, but your father is different."
"If the prime minister, the leader of all officials, has his eldest son framed and forced to be associated with me, who do you think would benefit the most?"
Pei Xueqiao frowned deeply, her mind reeling from the shock, and instinctively followed the train of thought in the words.
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