"Qingwan, I just want to take you back." Butcher Lin wished he could tear his heart out.
“Those important people outside are not someone we can contend with. You will come back to town with me, right?”
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingwan's face softened with a tenderness he had never seen before, and her usually aloof eyes sparkled with a subtle light. A hint of helplessness was enough to break his heart.
She said, "With your outburst, my reputation in Beijing is completely ruined."
"My fate in the Prime Minister's residence may only be one thing: to grow old and die quietly in Ningsi Garden."
"If you want to take me away, you have to be able to survive yourself first. Otherwise, your affection will only lead me to the underworld."
"A woman's reputation is more important than her life." She gave a weak, forced smile. "Death would be cleaner."
Lin the butcher dared not touch her hand, so he could only hold her skirt tightly. "Qingwan, I won't let you die, believe me. I will explain everything to them."
Lin Qingwan made no promises to him, but the look in her eyes before she left was like shattered moonlight.
Lin the butcher's eyes widened, and all his worries vanished. "Wait for me!"
Lin Qingwan turned around, all pity and tenderness vanishing. Even if he was being used, the poisoning was real, as was revealing her past in public. His so-called sincerity was merely cutting off her choices and escape routes, leaving her with no choice but to submit.
If the Crown Prince hadn't found the pharmacy, even if Prince Jing had protected her without any reason, she would have been scorned like a rat in the street from that day forward.
The Cheng family tormented her for fifteen years. She thought death would end it all, but she was too naive. The shadow cast by the Cheng family may haunt her for the rest of her life.
Even if they die, they won't be completely gone now.
Back at the North Garden, Lin Qingwan knelt in the outer room and mustered the courage to speak out the thought she had been pondering all the way, "Your Highness, Qingwan would like to borrow some money from you."
Zhao Cong was a little surprised. "There should be someone more willing than me to fulfill any of your requests."
Lin Qingwan paused for a moment before realizing he was referring to Prince Jing, and felt a little embarrassed. She recalled how, in the pavilion, the Crown Prince had warned her not to trust Prince Jing, yet she had immediately agreed to his request.
The next second, Zhao Cong asked, "How much do you want?"
"Twenty taels."
Soon, Cang Ying handed over the silver pouch.
Lin Qingwan respectfully accepted it, "Thank you, Your Highness. I will return it to you when I return to the Prime Minister's residence."
After Lin Qingwan came out, she asked Qiu Hong to give the silver to Butcher Lin.
"Miss, why are you giving him this?"
“He knows.”
Seeing her leave, Cang Ying couldn't help but ask, "What does Miss Qingwan need money for?"
Zhao Cong's answer surprised Cang Ying even more: "The Prime Minister's residence treated her even worse than Cheng Shi."
Cang Ying's eyes darted around. Indeed, with Madam Jiang still around, it was ridiculous that Lin Qingwan didn't ask her own mother and brother for help, but instead asked the Crown Prince.
"Birth is desire, nurturing is responsibility, and love is instinct."
“If a person’s instincts are malfunctioning, they are not fit to be parents and should not give birth to children.”
His words were devoid of emotion, yet they were like frost falling from an iceberg, chilling Cang Ying to the bone.
Actually, Miss Qingwan looks a lot like His Highness the Crown Prince.
“What the Crown Prince says is absolutely right. Few people can raise the young prince as well as Your Highness.”
Speaking of Feng'er, Zhao Cong's cold face seemed to soften a little. "Since the butcher is willing to confess, send the confession to Minister Gao and his wife."
Cang Ying hesitated, “Your Highness, this matter involves Miss Gao. It’s hard to guarantee that Minister Gao and his wife won’t show favoritism.”
Zhao Cong sneered, "If he hadn't shown favoritism, I really wouldn't have been able to find any fault with him."
"Now that the seventh prince has returned to the capital, neither he himself nor his father and Consort Ning will easily allow him to return to his fiefdom. He is busy contacting old friends to consolidate his power."
“Minister Gao is involved in too many things. Let’s keep him hanging on by his daughter for now, and he’ll naturally restrain himself.”
"Your Highness is wise."
*
Because of this incident, the banquet in the inner quarters was rather quiet. Madam Gao sent sachets to each household, personally explained the situation, and saw everyone off one by one.
The daughter-in-law, Yang, wanted to invite her to take the lead, but Old Madam Gao declined, citing fatigue.
"The matter of the Prime Minister's residence has spread to the Gao family. The Crown Prince and Prince Jing are both watching. The two of them want to be cowards and push me, the old woman, to be the first to speak out. No way."
Madam Gao immediately ordered the doors to be locked tight, lest she protect herself.
"This was most likely instigated by Jiang Yanwan to do that stupid thing, Gao Ying. The Prime Minister's family cherishes Miss Jiang, so both families will definitely protect them. And they still need to give an explanation to the Crown Prince."
The old lady had a sharp eye and was disappointed in Gao Ying. "Gao Ying has handed both families over to the Crown Prince. Prince Jing's plans are not going smoothly, so it's no wonder he hates the Gao family."
Main hall.
Minister Gao and his wife, Madam Yang, sat in the main seats, followed by Madam Lin, Jiang Yanwan, and Jiang Zhenlin.
Lin the Butcher and Jiang Mingyun were kneeling below, and Lin Qingwan was standing next to them. She noticed as soon as she entered that there were no extra chairs.
Lin the butcher recounted everything: Jiang Mingyun had found him and arranged for him to sell himself into slavery in the Gao family, as well as the matter of stealing Lin Qingwan's spices.
"Miss Jiang said that only if Qingwan makes a big mistake and shatters her dream of wealth and glory can she go back with me."
"Your Excellency is wise. I am but a butcher who has never seen the world. Miss Jiang said that I could bring Qingwan back, so I will do whatever she says."
When Jiang Mingyun came in, he was still arrogant and didn't take the people of the main house seriously. Now, when he heard that Butcher Lin had sold him out without thinking, he was both shocked and angry.
My brother clearly said that Young Master Gao had made threats, and Butcher Lin would never dare to implicate anyone!
Jiang Mingyun was determined to kill Lin Qingwan, but he never thought he would lose himself. "Lin Qingwan made you slander me, didn't she! You lowly commoner, you've tried to frame someone important, you'll die a horrible death!"
Lin the butcher said coldly, "The pharmacy has your signature on it, what are you denying! You clearly said that as long as Qingwan's spices were switched, she would come back with me. You didn't say it would ruin her reputation!"
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