When Shangguan Yee opened her mouth to keep clamoring, there was a gust of cold wind. With a streak of silver light, Shangguan Yee felt something cold on her neck. It was a crape myrtle soft sword in the hand of Leng Shuang.
The atmosphere became intense. Shangguan Yee felt that every breath she took was as ice-cold as the one from hell. The surrounding seemed to be quiet too, without anyone passing by.
Qin Yunuan stared quietly at Shangguan Yee, whose body stiffened under the sword of Leng Shuang, “Don’t ask me what I relied on casually. If it had been not for the sake of an old friend, you should have paid your price after so many tricks you played behind my back. Just leave now. However, I need to warn you that there won’t be any tolerance next time.”
Qin Yunuan turned her body. She let Shangguan Yee go only because Shangguan Yee and her have a kinship between them and Shangguan Yi couldn’t bear any strike after his grandson’s death. Otherwise, she would never release Shangguan Yee easily like that.
Leng Shuang put back her crape myrtle soft sword and glanced at the ground under Shangguan Yee’s feet. There was a small puddle of water with a pungent smell, wetting the hemline of Shangguan Yee’s dress. Leng Shuang sneered and walked away without hesitance.
Following Qin Yunuan to hurry to the entrance of the palace, Leng Shuang said, “Just now the Shangguan girl was nearly scared to death.” Then she told Qin Yunuan about Shangguan Yee’s incontinence.
Qin Yunuan laughed, “For a person loving keeping up appearance like Shangguan Yee, it was enough for her to continue to grudge us for a long time.”
“Third Young Madam, aren’t you afraid?” Leng Shuang said scrupulously, “I think that the Shangguan girl is not ordinary. Despite her reckless action, she is already quite treacherous. We need to keep an eye on her.”
“She is not the real treacherous one,” Qin Yunuan was certain of it, “She can never compete with that person in scheming. So that’s why I say that she is asking a tiger for its skin. She thinks she can reach a win-win result, but in the end, she is used and tricked by the other one.”
“Third Young Madam, what do you mean?”
Qin Yunuan looked around. The carriage for her to return to the Prince Ning’s Mansion was already waiting outside Rosefinch Gate. The wind was blowing the tassels on the curtain of the carriage like a gentle touch.
“I doubt that,” Qin Yunuan said in a low voice, “All the things are part of a trick. Qin Linfeng is very likely alive now. You need to send people to watch the servants beside Sima Ray closely to see whether there will be several people popping up who shouldn’t be there.”
“Third Young Madam, are you saying that Prince Ray….”
“I just doubt,” Qin Yunuan patted Leng Shuang on her shoulder. Leng Shuang was not like other servant girls. Although they all called themselves as maids and servants, Leng Shuang was in charge of several master-hands given by Leng Changxi. They listened to Leng Shuang, which meant that they acted on Qin Yunuan’s order, “Anyway, just be careful.”
Leng Shuang nodded. At this moment, the carriage curtain was lifted by a wheat-colored large hand, showing Leng Changxi’s face with a black mask. The moment he saw Qin Yunuan’s eyes, all his solemnity and coldness turned into ocean-like tenderness and care.
“Get up,” Leng Changxi gave his hand to Qin Yunuan. The scene that Qin Yunuan’s white small hand was held in his wide palm gave out a huge sense of safety.
In the carriage, Qin Yunuan stayed comfortably in Leng Changxi’s arms. The soft pillow in the carriage and the curtain were made up of special ice silk, so they felt cool even in the hot summer.
Leng Changxi let the little hedgehog in his arms worm her body to change positions until she fully settled down. Then Leng Changxi lifted Qin Yunuan’s chin to kiss her and said, “Sorry that I’m late today.”
“Not late,” Qin Yunuan whispered.
“I’ve cleaned up those people in the Imperial College. You don’t need to worry about Baochuan being bullied by the teachers and teaching assistants once he starts school,” The big issue of putting 18 people in the Imperial College involving corruption into jail seemed easy in Leng Changxi’s words.
Qin Yunuan nodded. She knew that Leng Changxi was never willing to see her suffer losses. Although Qin Yunuan said that she herself could handle the problem that Qin Zhi used students of the Imperial College to prevent Qin Baochuan from attending the autumn exam, Leng Changxi still used extreme means. Since now what the emperor hated most was corruption among officials, the 18 people were either dead or being banished to the frontier. No matter which one was their ending, it was enough to hurt Qin Zhi’s power badly.
When they reached Prince Ning’s Mansion, Princess Ning sent a servant girl to inform them that because it was already late and so much had happened in the Royal Palace, she canceled the greeting tradition. There was no need for them to greet her in the evening.
“Mother was so kind,” Qin Yunuan leaned against Leng Changxi in his arms and looked at Qingzhu reporting the information in a smile, “Qingzhu, please tell mother that today there is some misapprehension. Both the emperor and the empress didn’t make things difficult for me. I’m sorry that I make mother worry about me.”
Qingzhu twisted her lips, watching Leng Changxi’s hand supporting Qin Yunuan tightly. Third Young Master had never done so to other women. It seemed that the Third Young Madam really had some tricks.
However, Qingzhu was quite polite in appearance. She curtseyed, “I will report your word truthfully.”
After Qingzhu had left and there were only Qin Yunuan and Leng Changxi, Leng Changxi relaxed in his most comfortable posture. He lay on his back on the bed with two legs apart slightly and hands crossed under the head, looking at the blue-and-white silk curtain above his head.
Qin Yunuan smiled. She tugged at a wet handkerchief, preparing to wipe Leng Changxi’s face.
“Look at your sweat! Hurry to wipe it out,” Just when Qin Yunuan lowered her body, her wrists were grabbed by Leng Changxi suddenly. Leaning her body, she was pulled into Leng Changxi’s arms successfully. The wet handkerchief was pressed between them, immediately wetting their clothes. The feeling that the two stuck to each other tightly was half cold and half hot.
“What about my sweat? Do you dislike it?” Leng Changxi’s eyes were shining, and he spoke like a child.
“Yes,” Qin Yunuan coaxed him, “I dislike it. Hurry to wipe it out.” When speaking, her face was flushing.
Leng Changxi smiled, hugged Qin Yunuan tightly in his arms backhand, and said a bit bossily, “Even you dislike it, you have no other choice. You are already mine.”
Qin Yunuan sniggered. Just when the two were about to trick each other, nurse Liao’s voice came from outside the door, “Third Young Madam, Concubine Tang sent two servant girls here, ordering them to serve Third Young Master.”
People sent by Tang? Qin Yunuan raised her eyebrows. This was exactly what the proverb “the weasel pays respect to the hen without the best of intentions” was about. While there was no obvious conflict between Tang and Qin Yunuan, they were secretly against each other because of the three shops in the east of the city. Now Tang even sent servant girls here.
Hesitating, Qin Yunuan heard nurse Liao shouted outside, “They were led by Concubine Tang herself. Now they were waiting in the small wing-room.”
Humph! Tang even came by herself! No wonder that nurse Liao, who knew Qin Yunuan’s thought well, had to report the issue honestly to her.
“I’ll come right away,” Qin Yunuan shouted towards the door, then she turned to look at Leng Changxi. They both knew well that sending two servant girls to serve Third Young Master explained Tang’s intention clearly. She wanted to arrange two people beside Qin Yunuan and Leng Changxi. After all, she was the elder. They couldn’t refuse her when she herself led people here.
“Go ahead. I said that I wouldn’t look at any woman except you, so I don’t go there. However,” Leng Changxi pinched his nose and understated, “Don’t go overboard. Just cut off their hands and feet but keep them alive.”
His joke made Qin Yunuan snigger again. She rubbed Leng Changxi’s temple and said gently, “I know you are too tired,” Then she teased him, “What about receiving the two servant girls? Adding more people to serve you so that I won’t be so busy.”
Leng Changxi smiled, “I know that I’m too strong. You don’t need to be so kind,” Then he touched Qin Yunuan’s face and said mischievously, “Speaking of this, well, come back early for us tonight.”
When Qin Yunuan was about to leave, Leng Changxi pinched her face with a little baby fat gently. The small wing-room was not far away from Qin Yunuan’s bedroom, so it only took her half of a tea break’s time to get there.
The servant girl guarding the door saw Third Young Madam come and hurried to lift the soft curtain for her. Entering the wing-room, Qin Yunuan saw Tang, who was sitting upright by the tea table and waiting impatiently. She was in high spirits the moment she saw Qin Yunuan come in. Without any word, she stood up to welcome Qin Yunuan.
“Ah! Here you are. I’ve waited for such a long time!” Tang said softly, with a tone like the ditty of the regions south of the River.
“I apologize for keeping you waiting for a long time. However, you know the reason. There are lots of rules to enter the palace to attend the wedding feast. Now that you haven’t been there, it’s okay that you don’t know about it.” Qin Yunuan lowered her head and used her handkerchief to cover her smile. Her words just now were directly pricking the heart of Concubine Tang.
The family she was born was not inferior as her biological brother was the third-grade war-horse general. What’s more, she gave birth to the eldest son of the Master. However, her rank was always Madam Ru. Prince Ning would rather keep a side concubine’s position empty than promote her rank, making her uncomfortable for a long time. If she had been side concubine, she could officially enter the palace to attend the wedding feast following people of Prince Ning’s Mansion.
Being unhappy for a second, Concubine Tang smiled craftily, “Of course! How can we compare to Third Young Madam and Third Young Master! Third Young Master has his own great business. You see, I’m thinking that since Third Young Master is busy every day, there should be more people to serve him by his side. I pick up the two servant girls after careful selection. Come, you two. Come to meet Third Young Madam.”
