Shangguan Yi’s testimony was undoubtedly the most favorable evidence. All the students of the Qi Dynasty knew that as the most elegant and upright man, Shangguan Yi looked up to the manners of men. Otherwise, he would not have abandoned glorious fame and wealth to live in the south of the river.
However, Qin Yunuan had left for a long time during their meeting. By insisting that she had never left, Shangguan Yi was helping her and even willing to make false evidence for her.
“Since Master Shangguan is the witness, I have to believe in the innocence of Infanta Ping.” Emperor Zhaoxuan seemed to be impressed by Shangguan Yi. His words were without any hesitation.
“Apart from that, I have another word to say.” Shangguan Yi straightened up. His eyebrows had turned white, but his eyes were still sharp and wise, “As for your proposition of me returning to the palace as the manager of the Imperial College, your Majesty, if you don’t despise me of being an old man in his seventies, I would love to take the honor and continue to promote Qi’s Confucianism.”
“Good!” Emperor Zhao Xuan felt joy coming from his heart. He showed an enraptured expression, clapped and praised, “It was blessing for Qi to have you again in the court.”
“On one condition,” Shangguan Yi shifted the conversation suddenly, “All the personnel of the Imperial College should go through a thorough investigation. No government officials would ever gang up for selfish interests.”
“Sir Shangguan could rest assured about that,” Leng Changxi said faintly, “I have taken people concerned into custody. I’m just waiting for a chance to throw them at the mercy of the royal court.”
Shangguan Yi’s eyes were clear and free from vulgarity. He nodded approvingly to Leng Changxi. Then he turned to Qin Zhi suddenly. The perishing coldness in his eyes surprised him, reminding him of the look that Lady Yang gave him when she was dying six years ago. It was so cold and indifferent as if she had seen through her unfaithful lover, and all the hopes were dashed.
When he first saw Yang, he knew it immediately that she was not an ordinary embroiderer. How could an embroiderer have such an excellent appearance and such a ladylike manner? What’s stranger is that Lady Yang could even write poems and songs. Hiring a few investigators would be enough to discover her background. He wanted to make use of this relationship, but he didn’t expect that Yang would rather die than agree. When Lady Yang killed all his patience, the sweet words he performed turned vicious words and threatening. He even connived at Dou’s torturing Yang.
Thinking of Lady Yang, Qin Zhi felt guilty looking into Shangguan Yi’s eyes. Shangguan Yi’s protective act of Qin Yunuan and his involvement in the Imperial College seemed to tell him that Shangguan Yi had already known about Yang’s affairs and the real identity of Qin Yunuan and Qin Baochuan.
Minister Liu had retreated with his dead son. Emperor Zhaoxuan promised him that he would look into the incident. But where could Qin Linfeng have gone if he hadn’t died?
While Qin Zhi was standing up to Qin Yunuan as an equal, people outside the palace reported that a letter came from Miss Shangguan. She said that Qin Linfeng handed it to her when he left.
Shangguan Yee and Qin Linfeng? Thinking of those vows and vicious curses Shangguan Yee said in front of her, Qin Yunuan stepped up her vigilance.
After Emperor Zhaoxuan browsed roughly through the letter, his eyes became very strange, and his tone was somehow unnatural. He looked at Qin Zhi and said, “In the letter, Grand Young Master Qin called himself by his title. He claimed that he had always been ambitious, but worried that his younger sister couldn’t get her happiness. Now that Yunzhuang had found a good place, and he would no longer have any worries. He left abruptly and hoped that his father would forgive him.”
Huh. Qin Yunuan snorted coldly in her heart. Such a tone and statement was obviously fake. Qin Linfeng thought about Qin Yunzhuang all the time. How could he leave so easily? Moreover, Qin Yunuan saw Qin Linfeng sink into the lake.
Qin Zhi’s hands were trembling as he took the letter. The tears had clouded his eyes, making it hard for him to read the one-page letter. After a long time, Qin Zhi lifted his head and said, “This was indeed my son’s writing.”
“It turned out to be a misunderstanding,” Empress Chen said awkwardly. “Linfeng acted recklessly, saying goodbye without informing anyone. We had been worrying about it in vain. Young master Liu happened to wear almost the same clothes as Linfeng, and their body shapes were similar, which inevitably caused misunderstanding.” Empress Chen said, stroking her sleeve with a gentle look.
“Misunderstanding?” Shangguan Yi said abruptly, “It turned out that in your eyes, Her Majesty, one life was just one misunderstanding?”
“I would look into it.” Emperor Zhaoxuan didn’t dare to be careless in Shangguan Yi’s questions and made a promise at the scene.
Stepping out the palace, Qin Yunuan saw Shangguan Yi, who was over 70 years old, standing beside a copper pillar outside the hall. His white and elegant sleeves danced in the wind. The dark made his figure more profound and verve. Shangguan Yi was waiting for her.
Qin Yunuan turned to Leng Changxi and whispered gently, “Wait for me in the carriage, will you?”
Leng Changxi glanced at Shangguan Yi. He knew the relationship between Qin Yunuan and him. After witnessing Shangguan Yi’s protection for Qin Yunuan at the royal court, he trusted him. This was his instinct. He would never put Qin Yunuan in an extremely dangerous place. For example, even if he had been busy today and the things around him were excessively complicated, he would appear beside his little hedgehog at the most critical times.
Seeing Leng Changxi left pleasantly, Qin Yunuan walked to Shangguan Yi’s side and looked up at the bloody night sky within the palace wall.
“Thank you today for….”
Qin Yunuan didn’t finish before Shangguan Yi gestured her to stop talking. His eyes deepened as night fell, and his words cleanse people like chanting Buddhist scriptures, “Stop talking. Yu was very focused on observing the stars as a child. She said that she was afraid of waking stars that were asleep, and that waking them would drive them away.”
Shangguan Yi said with sorrow flowing unconsciously in his eyes, “Now that my Yu was gone, you and Baochuan are my Yu. I believed in justice and equity, but neither of them couldn’t have saved my loved ones. From now on, Yunuan, Baochuan and you will have a family. I won’t let anyone hurt you this time.”
“Thank you, my grandfather.” Qin Yunuan got close to him and whispered. The palace was full of people and talking mouths. She dared not to talk too much, but the gratitude in her heart was almost overflowing.
“Grandfather, father was calling you.” Suddenly there was a loud female voice. Qin Yunuan turned around and saw Shangguan Yee standing behind them in a yellow light dress, looking at them quietly.
A gentle smile was on Shangguan Yee’s face. The smile had become more and more similar to Qin Yunuan’s. Shangguan Yee was, after all, Qin Yunuan’s cousin. No wonder they were similar in some aspects, such as ruthlessness. Shangguan Yee has started to learn it by herself.
Shangguan Yi gave a meaningful look to Qin Yunuan before leaving. But Shangguan Yee stayed. Busy maids and eunuchs were walking in the corridor from time to time. Qin Yunuan and Shangguan Yee had always kept a certain distance.
“I looked down on you.” Qin Yunuan suddenly opened her mouth. A slight and imperceptible smile lingered on the corner of her lips. In her nature, there seemed to be a quiet but solemn temperament emanating from her body.
“Right?” Shangguan Yee grinned, “It’s not just you. I’m surprised at my change.”
“How did you get the letter of Qin Linfeng?” Qin Yunuan asked and then smiled self-mockingly, “Forget it. You could forge letters between Shangguan Rang and Qin Yunzhuang easily. It shouldn’t be a big deal forging Qin Linfeng’s handwriting.”
Qin Yunuan meant to say that. She knew that Shangguan Rang was always the bitterest loss of Shangguan Yee. Sure enough, as Shangguan Yee’s face turned ghastly pale, Qin Yunuan’s smile widened.
“Don’t say what you shouldn’t say.”
“What shouldn’t I say?” Qin Yunuan slightly tilted her head. “Is it about Shangguan Rang? Well?”
“You…” Shangguan Yee’s eyes turned red in an instant. “Don’t forget that I saved you with a letter when you were questioned by your father, the emperor, and the empress in the court.”
“Oh? Did you?” Qin Yunuan saw everything clearly. “You saved me? Did you save me or hurt me? You know it deep in your heart. Didn’t you buy over the maid who insisted that I pushed Qin Linfeng into the water? You hate Qin Linfeng for ignoring you, and Qin Yunzhuang for killing your brother and taking your sweetheart. You are scheming with the tiger. You sold the news to Prince Ray and also want to drag me down, shifting the blame of Qin Linfeng’s death onto my head. But you didn’t expect that, hum, there will be someone better than you.”
Shangguan Yee was stunned at the clarity of Qin Yunuan’s unreserved analysis. Everything she had done was thrown out of Qin Yunuan’s mouth. It was like throwing her naked on the street to be criticized and scolded.
“So, you actually have killed young master Liu?” Shangguan Yee murmured.
“No,” Qin Yunuan glanced sideways at Shangguan Yee. The Shangguan girl was still too naive with little experience. She was just a ruthless novice in playing tricks. “I’m not that cruel, and it should be another person who wanted to frame me. Miss Shangguan, you see, too many people want my life. You’re not yet qualified for that.”
“You…” Shangguan Yee was enraged by Qin Yunuan’s “not qualified,” “Who do you think you are? Why did you tell me that I wasn’t qualified?”
