Lin Qingwan breathed a sigh of relief. If it was just that, what was wrong with it?
If even the Crown Prince isn't afraid of her being discovered and causing trouble, what does she have to fear?
I should feel relieved, but I still feel a bit down.
"I'm asking you a question." Zhao Cong was losing his patience, annoyed that he had been defeated in front of a woman.
It must be because they didn't do any research or preparation beforehand.
Yes! If I had thought it through before I came, instead of only realizing it after sitting across from her, I wouldn't be feeling so frustrated now.
Lin Qingwan smiled lightly, feigning nonchalance, "I would be very happy to see His Highness again."
Zhao Cong rarely saw her smile; only when Feng'er was around did he see her eyes slightly upturned once or twice.
But she only smiled at Feng'er; when she saw him, she always lowered her head and looked at him with demure eyes, behaving very properly.
Except for the few days they spent in the camp, when he caught her pulling down her pants.
Thinking about it that way, she was only truly alive and vibrant during those few days.
Zhao Cong was also alive and well during those days.
"If Your Highness needs my help, please just give the order." Lin Qingwan stood up and bowed, speaking as if she were a loyal subject.
It shouldn't have been a pleading tone asking her not to leave; it should have been a cold, commanding tone telling her not to go.
Zhao Cong's expression had returned to its usual indifference, but the coldness in his eyes had unknowingly diminished considerably.
"In two days, the Jiang family will be executed. Once things have settled down, I will give you a new identity so that Feng'er can see you."
Upon hearing the words "execution," Lin Qingwan's heart tightened.
"Exterminate nine generations of your family?" She found her voice trembling slightly.
“No,” Zhao Cong said. “It was Consort Ning who had dealings with the Xiongnu royal family. Jiang Su only forged the letter, and the matter back then did not succeed.”
"He was just a dog under Consort Ning's command; he could only be considered to have knowledge of the matter, but he had no substantial evidence."
Lin Qingwan breathed a slight sigh of relief. She hated the Jiang family, but she never intended for them to be beheaded.
How ruthless could she possibly be?
Lin Qingwan gave a self-deprecating laugh, "What about the others in the Prime Minister's residence..."
Zhao Cong had a sudden thought. "The women should have been demoted to military prostitutes, but I thought that you would eventually have to stand in front of people again, so I changed it to exile. All the men of the Jiang family will be sent to the army, but they will never be able to return to the capital."
Upon hearing this, the sharp thorn in Lin Qingwan's heart softened a little. "Thank you for your mercy, Your Highness."
Zhao Cong nodded, "You..."
"The Lin family and Jiang Zhenlin know you are not dead, and they want to see you."
Lin Qingwan's eyes stung with tears. The hopes and expectations she had held for the past fifteen years surged up again, only to be gradually worn down by the torment she had endured in the Prime Minister's residence over the past few months.
She shook her head. "No need."
She hoped the Crown Prince would give her a new identity soon, anything would do, she didn't want to have anything to do with the Jiang family anymore.
*
As Zhao Cong came out of the house, he immediately saw Zhu An standing properly in the courtyard.
He walked down slowly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Zhu An."
Zhu Anhou felt a chill run down his spine and trembled as he said, "Your humble servant is here."
"Father's health has not improved, which shows that you imperial physicians are really useless."
Zhu An sensed something was wrong, but he couldn't argue back. He thought to himself, "The emperor's health is poor, isn't it because you're preventing him from getting better?"
The person hasn't even died yet, and they're already being used as scapegoats?
No, no, no, the Crown Prince isn't that kind of person. It must be that he set off a fire too high, causing the Crown Prince to misunderstand.
Zhu An hurriedly said, "Please let me explain. The reason I was worried about Miss Qingwan is because Guard Tong instructed me to take good care of her."
"It really wasn't that I had any ulterior motives."
Zhu An was about to cry, "You must believe in your humble servant!"
Zhu An suddenly thought of a palace drama he had watched in modern times. Should he castrate himself to save his life in this situation?
No, no, the guy in the TV series really slept with the empress, but he didn't! He didn't even touch the girl's hand!
Zhu An's eyes were brimming with tears.
Zhao Cong didn't really think he had the guts; he had only asked that question because he was in a bad mood.
However, seeing this guy with tears and snot streaming down his face, he felt a surge of satisfaction. "It's no use if you have any thoughts about her; she's not leaving."
"She doesn't have feelings for you."
Zhu An wiped away her tears. "So she has feelings for you?"
A shadow crossed Zhao Cong's otherwise calm face. "She's willing to stay and keep Feng'er company."
Zhu An thought he was so capable, managing to keep the person in place and making progress, but it turns out he was just using the young prince as an excuse!
Zhu An sobbed, "Oh."
"Once you establish your principal wife and ascend the throne, I'm sure Lady Tang will try her best to give birth to your legitimate son. At that time, it will be perfect for the young prince to leave with Miss Qingwan."
"There's no need to worry about no one genuinely taking care of the young prince."
Zhao Cong's long eyes were filled with coldness. He suspected that Feng'er hadn't learned those messy things from reading storybooks, but rather from this man surnamed Zhu!
He sneered, "Chen Xu."
"Your subordinate is here."
"Send Physician Zhu back to the Imperial Hospital. No physician is allowed to leave the palace until His Majesty's illness is cured!"
Zhu An asked anxiously, "What about Miss Qingwan?"
Shen Xu quickly covered his mouth and dragged him out.
······
Two days later, Jiang Su was executed in front of the Meridian Gate. Lin and Jiang Zhenlin were also exiled from the capital on the same day.
A light drizzle fell in the morning. Lin Qingwan's body had suffered a lot in the past; her wrists, knees, shoulders, and waist would ache whenever it was rainy or windy.
The whip marks left on her body in the flowerbed felt like insects crawling all over her, densely covering her flesh and blood.
Seeing that she looked unwell, Mu Xue and Qiu Hong immediately wanted to send someone to fetch the imperial physician.
"No need for trouble, just ask Manager Tao for a couple of doses of painkillers and you'll be fine."
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