Chapter 133
The sharp and sarcastic words still lingered in the air, Qing Xia slowly raised her head, her eyes scanning the face of a girl in a crimson dress, her eyes narrowing as cold glints rolled inside, her mouth curling up into a mocking arc, though she didn't retort, that unbridled expression was already fully revealed.
The girl in red was obviously very timid, seeing Qing Xia's sharp gaze made her pale with fear, but when she turned to see Yao Fei still watching from the side, she suddenly summoned up courage and said loudly: "You, what kind of gaze is this? Are you not convinced?"
Qing Xia smiled coldly and replied: "How dare a commoner girl?"
"What else are you not daring to do?" Another girl, dressed in a light green palace dress, looking no more than 15 or 16 years old, shouted angrily: "You, this lowly and humble woman who has changed her mind three times four times, first had an engagement with the Crown Prince of Qi, then betrayed Qi and married into Southern Chu. Now you still have the audacity to think about my third brother? Do you think you are a golden branch or a jade leaf, or a beauty that can topple cities? Crushing you is easier than crushing an ant! I warn you to take back your wild ambitions early, my third brother has already been betrothed to Princess Jiayun of Southern Chu. What waves do you think you can stir up?"
"Kang er, hong xiao, bi zui!" The imperial concubine Yao leaned on the chaise longue, her white wrist supporting the back of her head, her snow-white chest heaving up and down. With a light wave of her hand, a maid knelt forward to present a green jade-inlaid pipe, which she handed to Concubine Yao's lips. The woman took a deep drag, her face showing a look of intoxication, her eyes dazed and unfocused. Then, slowly opening her bright red lips, she exhaled a stream of blue smoke, saying languidly: "You're all making such a racket here, trying to drive me mad?"
The green-clothed girl pouted, her delicate white hands gently pushing on Yao Fei's shoulder, and coquettishly called out: "Empress Mother, you're not saying anything either, Kang Er is going to be driven to death."
"What else is there to say?" Yao Fei sneered, her eyes scanning Qing Xia's body with a hint of disdain. She extended her slender fingers, admiring the scarlet nail polish as she spoke in a nonchalant tone: "With ulterior motives and sinister intentions, you injured the eunuchs at the inspection hall, brought weapons into the palace with the intention of assassinating me. You should be dragged out and taught a lesson."
Two girls were shocked, staring at the languid posture of Yao Fei with wide eyes. The girl named Hong Xiao said: "Mother, Empress Dowager, Third Brother will not be happy."
"He casually brought back a notorious, promiscuous woman, didn't he ever think that I would be unhappy? What's wrong with him? Is everyone dead?"
Yao Fei's eyebrows rose, her voice turned cold, and several eunuchs in outer robes rushed in from outside, came to Qing Xia, grabbed her shoulders, and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, how many strokes?"
Kang Er was young, but his heart was ruthless. His eyes turned cold and he shouted angrily: "You're not making progress at all! Do you need to be told everything? I didn't tell you how many times to hit him? It's until he's dead!"
Hong Yu was startled, carefully pulled Kang'er's sleeve from under the bed, but was pushed away. Hong Yu turned her head and said to Empress Yao in a timid tone: "Empress Dowager, isn't it just a lesson? If things get out of hand, how can we explain it to Third Brother?"
"Sixth sister!" Kang Er said in a furious tone: "It's not up to you to decide, the empress dowager will take care of it herself. If we let this woman return to the Wang Fu today, who knows what kind of cunning tricks she'll use to deceive Third Brother another day? You're all just standing there watching, why don't you drag her away!"
"Hold on!" Qing Xia suddenly shouted coldly, and with a clever grappling move, she broke free from the eunuch's grasp. She slowly stood up from the ground, her face unchanged, and said in a deep voice: "Empress Yao said I injured the inspecting official's servant girl and brought a weapon into the palace to attempt an assassination. Is there any evidence?"
"Hmph..." Yao Fei sneered, her eyes slowly shifting to Qing Xia's body, her gaze as calm as water. She said lightly: "In this Water Jade Palace of mine, my intentions are imperial decrees, and my words are evidence. You're not very good at being a person, are you? Just now, you were still lecturing my palace maid on the ways of survival with your glib tongue, and yet you're someone who has received imperial favor in the Southern Chu Imperial Palace. So, shouldn't you be very clear about your current situation?"
Qing Xia smiled faintly and said lightly: "I am very clear about my own situation, but I'm afraid you, Your Highness, are not clear about your own situation."
"Stop spouting nonsense here and misleading people!"
"Could this be Princess An Kang?" Qing Xia looked at Kang Er, who was only fifteen or sixteen years old, and said with a smile: "It's said that two years ago, you came to our country wanting to marry the Crown Prince of Dong Qi, but the princess had already traveled halfway when she was suddenly jilted. The princess insisted on going to Dong Qi's Sea City, where she lingered outside the palace for half a month without even catching a glimpse of the Crown Prince An. If it weren't for Emperor Xuan personally sending troops to escort you back, the princess might have ended up dying in Dong Qi, with no face to return home and face her parents."
"How dare you!"
"Besides!" Qing Xia stepped forward, her voice low and stern: "Last June, you heard that the Crown Prince of Dong Qi would be coming to Beijiang to discuss the autumn salt purchase, so you secretly left the palace, bringing a group of guards to ambush him halfway. Not only did you ruin the king's plan for the people of Beijiang to buy salt, causing the border soldiers to go without salt for months, but you were also captured by the Xiongnu and would still be in their camp as a lowly military prostitute if it weren't for the king using 3,000 Xiongnu prisoners to exchange for your freedom and lifting the siege on Beijiang's North Dog Hill!"
"You're looking for death!" Princess An Kang was furious and suddenly raised her palm, slapping it towards Qing Xia's face.
Qing Xia let out a cold snort, and with one swift motion, grabbed hold of Princess An Kang's wrist. A loud cracking sound was heard, and Princess An Kang's entire arm went limp, dangling down limply. The shrill cry of pain echoed through the grand hall of Shui Yao Palace, and Consort Yao's eyes turned icy cold, her lazy and disdainful expression gone. In a furious voice, she shouted: "You dare to harm the princess! Guards, take her away and beat her to death with sticks!"
The guards outside the door had not yet rushed in, Qing Xia's hand flashed with a cold gleam, and all that could be heard was a "whooshing" sound. A silver line, along the neck of Yao Fei, was fiercely nailed to the bedpost behind her. A strand of black hair was nailed to the bedpost, swaying gently in the breeze. Everyone's movements were frozen in an instant. Yao Fei had entered the palace at 14 years old and spent her life in intrigue and deception, but she had never encountered such a real-life sword fight before. She was so frightened that her mouth was agape, sweat dripping from her forehead. After a while, Hong Xiu Gongzhu suddenly hugged her head and let out a shrill scream.
"I've said it before, the princess may not be as clear about her situation as she thinks." Qing Xia smiled faintly as he looked at the three women and the guards waiting outside like enemies, saying casually: "Don't you think we need to have a serious talk now? Otherwise, I can't guarantee that when they rush in, I won't accidentally throw another knife."
"You, you killed your mother, and the Imperial Court will not let you off, you will be punished by having your family exterminated!"
Qing Xia smiled faintly as she looked at Hong Dou Gongzhu and said, "Hong Dou Gongzhu, what you're saying isn't right. Firstly, I'm from Nan Chu, my family members are all citizens of Nan Chu, what qualifications do you have to confiscate our property and exterminate our clan? Or do you think the entire world is surnamed Qin? Secondly, even if I didn't take action, you would still sentence me to death for attempted assassination. The crime has already been established, so why should I be a scapegoat? It's better for me to die with a clear conscience than to be wrongly accused. Thirdly, you and your mother have been acting arrogantly in the palace, taking drastic measures. As a humble commoner, how could I possibly enter the imperial palace to attempt an assassination that has nothing to do with me or the great Qin dynasty? Even if someone was foolish enough to think that way, they would still know that you're framing me. Today, you've dug up old almanacs and used various methods to threaten and coerce, but these are just pieces of evidence. The current situation is such that unless you kill me right here in the Shui Yao Palace, if this gets taken to the Supreme Court, it will be a lose-lose situation for everyone."
Yao Fei's face was gloomy and her complexion turned pale. She looked at her daughter kneeling on the ground and said in a deep voice, "What kind of person are you?"
Qing Xia lost her smile: "I am, of course, the escaped princess consort of Dong Qi, the banished imperial concubine of Nan Chu, the jinx who caused the war between the two countries of White Deer Plain. How could you not know, Your Majesty?"
Qing Xia slowly walked forward, pulled up Princess An Kang, amidst the terrified screams of Concubine Yao and Princess Hong Dou, and immediately reattached Princess An Kang's arm.
"Your Ladyship, don't you think that today's actions are somewhat thoughtless?" Qing Xia slowly sat down in the soft chair beside her, picked up the lid of the teacup and suddenly turned around to fling it, just hearing a whooshing sound as the door was tightly shut. The guards outside were shocked and cried out, but they didn't hear Concubine Yao's summons, nor did they dare to enter rashly.
"The Emperor Xuan was defiant towards the Emperor on the White Deer Plain, but it cannot be denied that he brought back more favorable news from Penglai Valley, forcing the Western Emperor to promise to open two horse ranches. The merits and demerits cancel each other out, and the merits are even greater. Now, you, Queen Yao, want to take advantage of this situation to intervene in these matters with your attitude as the birth mother of Emperor Xuan. If you were to kill me tonight or hand me over to the Ministry of Justice for investigation, the name of Zhuang Qingxia would be put on the wanted list, and naturally, there would be people who would take advantage of this incident to attack Emperor Xuan. Do you know what crime this is? And do you know how many articles would be derived from this crime?"
Qing Xia sat upright in her chair, speaking fluently: "Moreover, Your Majesty's intention to form an alliance with Southern Chu is merely a ploy to find a powerful backing and external support for King Xuan. In the short term, this may seem like a shrewd deal, but have you considered that once war breaks out between our two nations, Princess Jia Yun, as the mistress of King Xuan's household, will be in a precarious position? If she were to bear King Xuan's children, what would become of them? Throughout history, royal families have passed down their thrones through generations. Could it be that the descendants of the great King Xuan of Qin would actually be the bloodline of the treacherous officials who once divided our nation? The Crown Prince's power is weak, and the king is advanced in age, making the position of heir uncertain. Your Majesty should put yourself in their shoes and think: if you were in their position, would you establish the royal bloodline of Southern Chu as the future ruler of our kingdom? If King Xuan were to fall from power, could Your Majesty and the two princesses still enjoy your current life of luxury and comfort, with the admiration and deference of all in the palace?"
"Princess Ankang is arrogant and domineering in the harem, bullying the weak and timid. You, too, have always been haughty and dismissive, making enemies everywhere. If it weren't for a good son to support you and smooth things over for you, you wouldn't be able to stand here today, speaking to me with such arrogance. Now that the Qin family's fortunes are flourishing and their descendants are numerous, the emperors of successive generations have done nothing but eliminate dissenters and kill off princes and nobles who pose a threat to them. Due to circumstances, Emperor Xuan has ascended to a high position and cannot step down; his frail body is exhausted from maintaining the prosperity of the Great Qin, while also being vigilant against the hidden arrows and secret plots around him. Not only can you not share his worries, stabilize the harem, unite the beautiful and childless concubines, and win over the emperor's heart, but instead you are directing your spearhead at your own family's door. Are you wise or foolish?"
Princess An Kang was furious and shouted loudly: "How dare you!"
"You've only just realized now? I've long been tolerant of you all. Today, you're finally aware?" Qing Xia turned around, her voice stern and angry: "What you've done today is simply the ignorant and absurd behavior of a group of foolish women! Previously, I had tolerated it because of the face of King Xuan, not wanting to be blamed for the mistakes of the King's household. But now, I won't hold back anymore. With my military power, taking down enemies is as easy as turning my hand over. What can you few weak and foolish women do? If I wanted to leave, even if you set up a heaven-and-earth net, you'd be powerless to stop me. Similarly, if I wanted to take your lives, even if you hid in the deepest palace, you'd still die without a whole corpse in one night. I love Qin Zhiyan, so I respect his parents and family. However, respect is built on mutual understanding. If you continue to force me, I won't tolerate it indefinitely. People don't offend me, I don't offend people. Our goals are the same - for Zhiyan's good. There's no need to tear our faces apart and make him unhappy. Why not calm down and shake hands peacefully? In the future, we can still have a way out. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
Yao Fei's face turned pale, and after a long while, she gritted her teeth and said in a cold voice: "I really underestimated you."
"You really underestimate me." Qing Xia smiled faintly and said coldly, "You can say I'm a femme fatale or that I'm seducing the master, you can even say I'm promiscuous, but I just want to tell you that not everyone can be a femme fatale. At least you can't, and your daughter can't either. I've succeeded because I have my own abilities and strengths. You can't accept it, that's all."
After speaking, Qing Xia bowed and smiled lightly: "The deep palace is not convenient for staying overnight with commoner girls, so I'll take my leave. Before leaving, there's one more thing I want to say, if you can't help him, it's best to mind your own business. If you continue to stir up trouble, even a biological son will become fed up. The parent-child relationship in the imperial city is already thin, so please take care of yourself, Your Majesty."
No longer paying attention to the mother and daughter who were staring at her in shock, Qing Xia turned around and walked out of the Shui Yao Palace. The palace servants and eunuchs stood aside, but no one dared to step forward to stop her. The lanterns shone brightly, the palace walls towered above, and the cold wind howled through the Tai He Palace, startling the crows on the roof into flight. Their black wings swept across the sky, dispersing the chilly mist in mid-air. Qing Xia wore a magnificent robe with blue and white horizontal stripes, her hair styled high on her head, her neck straight, and her pale face had a beauty that was as if carved by a knife. She stood under the paulownia tree in the inner palace, gazing up at the full moon in the sky, feeling only icy coldness in her heart and loneliness in the mortal world.
Is that your family? Your mother, your sister, and those brothers with ulterior motives. How do you endure the cold arrows and dark machinations in their hypocritical words when you are ill? A mother who is so arrogant and overbearing, a sister who curries favor with others, such relatives who don't know what's good for them - it would be better if they didn't exist!
Qing Xia suddenly remembered that night three years ago, in the southernmost palace, a woman in brocade clothes was loudly cursing herself, struggling and shouting like a madman. Compared to Yao Fei, Xiao Gui Fei, who for her own ideals, for her son to become the master of the world, did not hesitate to sacrifice her life, abandon her responsibilities as a mother, and abandon her son's love for her, even after death, she had no good reputation, or slightly more noble. Although, from start to finish, she always chose the wrong way to love.
The palace, it's really a place that devours people. Here, there is no affection, no warmth, everywhere are cold stones, and in the cracks, corruption and intrigue grow. Thus, Chu Li's dark personality was formed. And thus, Qin Zhiyan's indifferent face was also formed.
And now she has to exist here too, wearing a hypocritical mask and dancing with them until death.
Qing Xia smiled coldly, her life seemed to be born for struggle, this was her fate, and she couldn't escape it. She slightly raised her head and said calmly: "Come on, I won't admit defeat!"
Since there is no utopia in the world, let me use my own hands to open up a piece of land that belongs to myself. No one will ever have the power to take anything away from my own hands again.
The sound of horseshoes suddenly echoed in front, Qing Xia's eyebrows raised slightly, thinking to herself that perhaps Yu Fei really had the audacity to get rid of her. Just as she was fully alert and ready to counterattack, a handsome man in a white long gown rushed over from afar, his sword-shaped eyebrows and starry eyes furrowed, but it wasn't Qin Zhiyan, so who was it?
Qing Xia smiled at the corner of her mouth, and a warm feeling suddenly surged through her heart. She stood smiling brightly in place, waving her hand and calling out softly: "Zhi Yan, I'm over here."
In an instant, she was pulled into a cold embrace. Qin Zhiyan's chest was cool to the touch, even colder than Qing Xia's skin after kneeling in the cold wind for five hours. However, his breathing was hot and urgent, blowing onto Qing Xia's head with a hint of alcohol and a pleasant medicinal scent. Qing Xia muffledly said while being held in Qin Zhiyan's arms, "Zhiyan, have you been drinking? You're ill, you can't drink."
Qin's flames did not respond, loosened his hand, and looked up and down at Qing Xia. Seeing that she had no obvious external injuries, he finally put down a breath, frowned and said in a low voice, "How can you be so reckless? Didn't I instruct you that no matter who comes to find you, you cannot leave the Wang Fu?"
Qin Zhiyan rarely lost his temper, and even his tone of questioning had never been sharp. But at this moment, facing Qin Zhiyan's interrogation and anger, Qing Xia only felt a warmth from the bottom of her heart. She smiled and hooked her arms around Qin Zhiyan's neck, speaking in a flattering tone: "Look, I'm fine, don't be angry. Your frowning face really looks ugly."
Qin Zhiyan sighed helplessly, and at the banquet, he was already restless. As soon as he left the imperial city, he saw Lianzhou, and only then did he know that she had entered the palace for a day. She didn't have time to return to the mansion to change her clothes, so Qin Zhiyan took his personal guard and rushed into the palace overnight. Fortunately, she was fine.
"Don't worry." Qing Xia pulled Qin Zhiyan's hand and smiled, "I've always been the one bullying others, when have I ever been bullied? So many big waves have been withstood, how can we capsize in this small ditch?"
Qin's warm smile faded as he asked, "Have you been bullying them?"
"En." Qing Xia nodded honestly and said, "You're not happy, are you? After all, they are your mother and sister. But I just scared them a bit, didn't really hit them."
Qin's flames smiled faintly and said indifferently: "Don't bother with them, if they come to trouble you again in the future, don't worry about me either."
Qing Xia was taken aback, recalling the ambiguous words spoken by Lian Zhou. A sharp pain suddenly appeared in her heart. Could it be that those words were true? Unconsciously, she tightened her grip on Qin Zhiyan's hand and smiled: "I'm hungry, let's go back."
"Good." Qin Zhiyan smiled, wrapped his arms around Qing Xia's waist, jumped onto the war horse and said: "Today is your return to the manor for dinner, I have already ordered the servants to prepare well for you."
Qing Xia frowned, looking pitiful, "I'm about to starve to death, and you're still teasing me here, hurry up and go."
Qin's warm and bright smile, he rode forward on his horse, Qing Xia leaned into his arms, closed her eyes slightly, smelling the pleasant scent on him, almost couldn't help but fall asleep. This day was really tiring, but it was truly worth it, she kept replaying Qin's words in her mind, he said this was her last dinner before returning to Wang Fu, he said "return", what a warm word, her whole life had been constantly going to different places, but never truly returned anywhere. Now, she finally had a home, she wanted to return to Wang Fu, that was her home.
Qing Xia actually fell asleep on the horseback, and when Qin Zhiyan carried her down, she didn't even wake up. Perhaps she had already woken up early, but knowing it was safe, her subconscious no longer worried or feared, so she didn't want to wake up, only wanting to snuggle in his arms and sleep soundly like a child, being coquettish.
Qin's flames all the way to hold her back to the room, all the people in the Wang Fu, gathered on both sides, looking at their usual calm and gentle king holding that delicate little girl, afraid of waking her up, even forbidding them from paying homage to him.
A warm quilt wrapped around Qing Xia, she lay on the warm bed, a pair of small hands still tightly grasping Qin Zhiyan's sleeve, holding so tight, refusing to let go. Qin Zhiyan wore a light robe and had a gentle expression, he lightly kissed Qing Xia's forehead, then lay down beside her with his clothes still on.
The maid blew out the candle flame, and the bright moonlight outside the window shone down on her pale face. Qin Zhiyan looked at her, thinking back to the day they first met. She was sleeping in bed, looking delicate and frail, clutching her clothes tightly. In the blink of an eye, three years had passed, and his life had undergone a tremendous change. He was no longer aloof and detached, nor did he fear death. He had finally become someone with weaknesses, but why did he feel so fulfilled? It was as if hot water had washed away all his internal organs, and the cold snow and icy wind could no longer harm him. For the first time in his life, he wanted to live a long and healthy life, to grasp everything tightly in his hands. He reached out and picked up the medicine bowl beside him, tilting his head back to drink it down.
Yima'er, you said I am your faith, the last redemption in your life. But you don't know, you are my light, the most steadfast long life in my life.
One day without eating, in the middle of the night, she was still startled awake by her own rumbling stomach. Qing Xia rubbed her eyes awkwardly, sat up, and looked at Qin Zhiyan's seemingly smiling yet not quite smiling face, her cheeks flushing as she said: "I told you I'm starving, why didn't you wake me?"
Qin's flames smiled and patted his hand, and the maid outside immediately sent in the dishes. Knowing that she hadn't eaten dinner, she would be hungry at midnight, so he ordered the servants to prepare food at any time and wait for her to wake up.
Qing Xia smelled the aroma of food, her stomach growled even louder. She quickly put on her shoes and saw the sumptuous dishes, her appetite suddenly opened up. Facing Qin Zhiyan, she called out: "Let's eat together."
Qin Zhiyan smiled and nodded in agreement, just about to get out of bed, when he suddenly discovered that there was only one shoe left. Qing Xia lowered her head and helped look for it, turning around in a circle, but couldn't find it, so she said to Qin Zhiyan: "I'll go get another pair."
Qin's flames waved his hand and said mysteriously: "No need, you see."
Qing Xia looked in the direction he indicated, and saw a white silk thread tied to the bedpost, thin and almost imperceptible. Qin Zhiyan untied the thread, grasped it in his hand, and slowly pulled it back.
That thread was incredibly long, Qing Xia looked at it in confusion, and soon heard the sound of shoes rubbing against the floor coming from under the cabinet. Before long, Da Huang's fat body appeared before their eyes, lying on a pair of soft-soled indoor shoes, belly up, paws in the air, snoring away with a look of contentment.
"It's done it again." Qin Zhiyan said in a low voice, with a hint of cunning on his face that only children have: "I expected as much."
Qing Xia was stunned, she had not expected that Qin Zhiyan would be so petty as to tie strings on his shoes just to catch the little thief who stole shoes, Dahuang.
"Do you know? It ran into my boots yesterday for convenience, and finally fell in by itself. It almost stank to death inside, fortunately it was discovered by the maid who swept the floor."
Qin's flames smiled and said: "This little beast seems to dislike me particularly, Yima, what do you think I should teach it?"
Qing Xia kicked Da Huang with one foot, and he was kicked over, lying on the ground with his four limbs in the air. He still didn't wake up, but continued to sleep soundly. She walked to the table and started eating voraciously, saying as she ate: "Suit yourself, stew it when you're done."
Qin's flames smiled and said: "Stewed or roasted? Plucked hair, cut into small pieces and drizzled with oil, crispy outside and tender inside. It is a spiritual beast, it must be very fragrant."
Qing Xia nodded, "Alright, let's do it."
"Ahh!" A loud cry suddenly rang out, and Dahuang, who was originally sleeping, finally couldn't hold on anymore. He jumped up fiercely, spread his four short and fat little paws, and ran wildly towards the outer hall.
Qin's flames smiled, with beautiful eyebrows and eyes like a painted scroll.
The Qin people were indeed the most diligent nation, getting up earlier than chickens. Qin Yiwen got up and went out early in the morning, and Qing Xia originally wanted to sleep a little longer, but after he left, she didn't feel sleepy anymore. As soon as she got up, there was a gentle knock on the door outside, and Qing Xia raised her eyebrows and asked loudly: "What's the matter?"
"Has the young lady gotten up yet? The maidservants will help the young lady with her toilette."
More than a dozen maidens in green dresses swam in, carrying basins, hot water, flower petals, fragrant oil, clothes, shoes and socks. Qing Xia was startled. Almost without moving his fingers, he was taken care of one by one. Qing Xia did not drive these maids away out of humanitarianism, saying that he could do it himself. This is their job, if they don't let them do it, they might lose their jobs. As the situation changes, follow local customs. The instructors at the Military Intelligence Bureau have always been very careful to teach them this point.
She simply tied up her hair in a bun, put on a light yellow dress and followed the crowd to the dining hall.
The dining hall of the Xuanwang Mansion is indeed grand, almost vast enough to describe it as expansive. The enormous table is so large that one could practically jump up and run around on it for a while. Uncle Xiang explained that this was because Qin Zhiyan often hosted banquets for the generals of the Yanzi Camp, which was why he had specially ordered such an enormous table.
In this era, the banquet still adopted the small table system, with one person per small table, two rows of seats, very solemn. Qin Zhiyan indeed had the ability to win people's hearts, in today's era where the hierarchy is clear, being able to dine at the same table as the commander-in-chief was an honor, no wonder the soldiers of Qin would die for him.
Dahuang was stunned when he saw the full table of food, completely forgetting that this was the home of his current arch-nemesis. He struggled desperately in Qingxia's arms, about to jump onto the table. Qingxia put him down on the floor, took a stool and casually picked up two plates of meat dishes, placing them on it, saying: "Still want to get on the table? You're thinking too beautifully."
Dai Huang gazed at Qing Xia with a sorrowful and resentful expression, then immediately buried his head in his food, not even lifting his head.
"Uncle Xiang, from now on I'll be eating alone, there's no need to go through so much trouble. You've prepared so many dishes, but I won't be able to finish even one of them, it's a sin to waste food." Qing Xia sat in the main seat, raised her chopsticks and didn't know which dish to eat first, then looked up at Uncle Xiang and said.
Xiang Shu said with difficulty, "Your Highness also instructed us when you left, but just now, Mu Lian said that she was injured and needed to eat more nutritious food to recover, so we made all this."
"Mu Lian?" Qing Xia's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she asked in a low voice, "That Mu Bian tribe woman who betrayed her clan?"
"Uh..." Xiang Shu was taken aback, thought for a moment, and stuttered: "R-right, it's her."
Qing Xia's eyebrows rose, and she had been so busy these days that she had actually forgotten about her. Speaking of which, on the day they went to Penglai, it was because she had informed them in advance. Although it couldn't be confirmed whether she was an accomplice of Mo Zhe or had accidentally discovered something, it could be determined that this woman had no good intentions towards herself. She had never been a magnanimous person, and towards this woman who had almost gotten her killed, she didn't even have a shred of goodwill. In a low voice, she said: "How did she end up in the Wang Fu? Isn't she affiliated with the military department?"
Xiang Shu furrowed his brow and said: "Pastor Lian often comes and goes from the Wang Fu, she is not a military personnel, and her military registration is not in the Yanzi camp."
"Why is she always following you around?"
"Mu Lian seems to be the servant of the Grand Elder," said Qing Er, as she added rice for Qing Xia. She continued, "She's always searching for medicinal herbs everywhere, and it's said that she's also inquiring about the whereabouts of the Shang Qiu clan."
Qing Xia's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she stopped talking. She thought to herself: Could it be that she was searching for a good medicine to cure Qin Zhiyan's illness? For some reason, she always had a strong prejudice against this woman, possibly because she had been taken advantage of by her before.
After breakfast, Qing Xia went to the accounting room to check the accounts. She cherished the opportunity given by Qin Zhiyan and was willing to take on some tasks for him, even if she didn't have any desire for power. However, before she reached the accounting room, she saw a group of maids walking in and out of Qin Zhiyan's study. Qing Xia raised an eyebrow and asked in a low voice, "What are they doing?"
Xiang Shu was also stunned and called over a maid to ask: "What are you doing?"
That maid was only fifteen or sixteen years old, with red lips and white teeth, looking very delicate. She said: "We are drying books, Pastor Lian's daughter said that the books in the study are almost worm-eaten, so we have to dry them well."
Qing Xia raised an eyebrow slightly without making a sound and said in a low voice, "Uncle Xiang, let's go."
Just a few steps away, several servants were gathered around two horse-drawn carriages, whispering among themselves. Xiang Shu saw Qing Xia's unpleasant expression and hastily called out: "Hey, what are you all doing here? Why aren't you going about your own work?"
Several servants saw Qing Xia and hurriedly bowed their heads in greeting, "These are the fur and medicine brought back from Xichuan this time. Mu Lian said that she wanted to take advantage of today's good weather to send them to the palace for the masters."
Things have come to this, even Xiang Shu's face has become awkward. He hastily dispersed a few servants, turned his head around, rubbed his hands and explained to Qing Xia: "Miss...this...this..."
"It goes without saying." Qing Xia's face was as calm as water, shaking her head and saying: "It has nothing to do with you, come with me to the accounting room."
All along the way, flowers and willows were swaying in the wind, and artificial hills and ponds were everywhere. Finally, they arrived at the accounting house in the front yard. Just as they walked to the door, an account book was suddenly thrown out from inside with great force. A clear and angry female voice shouted: "How do you do things? This account is missing more than 30,000 taels of silver income! Do you think I'm a fool just for show? Or are you not planning to eat the rice bowl of the Xuanwang Fu anymore?"
A middle-aged man in his forties rushed out, picked up the account book on the ground, and knelt down to face the people inside, saying hastily: "Miss Mu Lian, there is a severe drought in the east, water transportation is not smooth, and the rivers are all dry. The silver cannot be delivered for the time being, it's absolutely not my fault! Even if I, Song Quan, had the courage of a giant, I would not dare to deceive you, Miss Mu Lian!"
"You will disappear before my eyes immediately. If the silver cannot be credited within three days, just wait for the whole family to be thrown into the Wei River!"
