OBS Chapter 1 is still a fool.
Chapter 1 is still a fool.
In the depths of winter, with fierce snow and howling winds, the withered garden was covered with a thick layer of snow.
"Quickly, carry him away! It's bad luck during the Lunar New Year!"
The biting cold startled Chu Qingyin, making her shiver. The noisy sounds around her made her confused.
She struggled to open her eyes, but only managed to open them a crack, and the unfamiliar surroundings that greeted her made her freeze.
Where is this?
Wasn't she poisoned in the Cold Palace and died vomiting blood?
It was truly a case of a tiger fallen into the plains being bullied by dogs. The thought that some audacious eunuch dared to hold her chin and force-feed her poison was an intense humiliation that far surpassed the excruciating pain of the poison itself!
Hatred boiled within her, Chu Qingyin's throat tightened, and she wanted to call out, "Come..."
Before she could finish speaking, a heavy object suddenly fell on her, followed by a burst of wailing.
"Young lady, young lady, you're finally awake!"
A maid with her hair in two buns, her eyes red and swollen from crying, lay on Chu Qingyin's body. "You really scared me to death. How could you be so foolish as to do something as stupid as suicide?"
Chu Qingyin felt dizzy and disoriented. "Girl? Suicide?"
Even though Pei Yuanling despised her and banished her to the cold palace, that scoundrel did not strip her of her title.
Even when others see her, they still address her as Imperial Concubine.
As for suicide, how could Chu Qingyin be the kind of person who would casually harm herself and be incapable of taking her own life?
Just as doubts began to grow in my mind, another sharp voice rang out from above.
"Oh dear, thank goodness! It's so good that you're alright, young lady!"
Dressed in brocade, Aunt Jiang said "That's wonderful!" but her gaze swept over the frail beauty who was soaking wet, and a sinister glint flashed in her eyes.
Qiao Qingyin has been sickly since childhood, yet she survived falling into icy water in the dead of winter.
This is truly unbelievable!
Even though she was unwilling, with so many eyes watching from around the pond, she had no choice but to pretend to be anxious and ordered, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and fetch a doctor!"
"If anything happens to the young lady today, you'll all be in for a beating!"
The servants dared not delay any longer; some called for doctors, others carried people away.
Chu Qingyin was quickly lifted up by two strong female servants and carried towards the inner courtyard, while the weeping maid and the woman in brocade robes followed closely behind.
"Alright, alright, stop wailing. The young lady is fine! If you keep crying, you'll be cursing your master."
The maid seemed timid; threatened in this way, she immediately fell silent, sobbing, only tightly holding Chu Qingyin's hand, repeatedly calling out, "Miss, please don't let anything happen to you."
Chu Qingyin felt cold and damp all over, and her mind was a complete blur, making her extremely dizzy.
Some memories that didn't belong to her flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern; she tried hard to grasp them, but her body was too weak.
But one thing is certain: this is not the inner palace.
And she is still alive.
However, he was resurrected, living in the body of a "young woman".
The world is full of wonders, and after the initial shock, Chu Qingyin calmly accepted this bizarre fact.
After all, in her previous life, within just one month, her illustrious general brother was falsely accused of treason, the once-powerful Chu State Duke's mansion was raided, the men were exiled, and the women were enslaved. She, the once high-ranking and favored imperial concubine, instantly became a helpless and despised abandoned woman in the cold palace.
How hateful! How hateful that she still held onto a sliver of hope for Pei Yuanling even on her deathbed.
He felt that his decision to retain her title of Imperial Concubine might indicate that he still loved her.
She held her breath in the cold palace, waiting anxiously for Pei Yuanling to come so she could tell him in person, "Your Majesty, please be aware that my brother has been wronged."
But after waiting day after day, on a dark and windy night, he was met with a cup of poisoned wine.
The eunuch who delivered the wine was masked, so Chu Qingyin couldn't see his face and therefore didn't know who had sent him.
If Pei Yuanling wanted to kill her, he could have simply issued a verbal order; there was no need for such sneaky methods.
If it wasn't Pei Yuanling, then who could it be?
Consort De, Consort Shu, Noble Consort Zhou, Lady Li...
Despite feeling dizzy, Chu Qingyin tried her best to recall her "enemies".
It's better not to think about it, because once you start, there are just too many things to worry about.
Everyone knows that Consort Chu Qingyin is the most favored concubine in the harem, and probably all the women in the harem hate her the most!
Just as she was trying to recall any clues, she was carried into a fragrant and warm courtyard.
Then, maids changed her clothes and wiped her body. Chu Qingyin was extremely weak at the moment, so she half-closed her eyes and let them serve her.
"Madam, should we go and inform the master?" a maid asked.
"Nonsense! The master is discussing important matters with distinguished guests in his study. How can you disturb him with matters concerning the inner quarters!"
Aunt Jiang slowly glanced at the young girl on the couch whose face was pale, her tone cold: "Besides, isn't the eldest young lady alright?"
If he really drowned, she would not stop him from reporting the death.
Since the mistress passed away five years ago, the affairs of the entire inner quarters of the Minister's mansion have been managed by Concubine Jiang. Therefore, after she said this, the servants dared not say anything more.
Only the maid who had been staying by Chu Qingyin's side raised her face and exclaimed in astonishment, "Miss is the master's only legitimate daughter. How could you not tell the master about such a big thing? Madam, you've gone too far!"
"Pah! You little slut, when did it become your place to speak?"
Aunt Jiang frowned: "Do you know who our distinguished guest is today? He is a favorite of His Majesty, Lord Lu Zhiheng, who was just promoted to Grand Secretary last month! He is a first-rank Grand Secretary, one rank higher than our master. How many lowly lives do you have to dare to act presumptuously in front of him?"
Grand Secretary Lu Zhiheng.
Chu Qingyin, who was lying on the couch in a daze just a moment ago, instantly woke up when she heard this name.
Lu Zhiheng, that damned Lu Zhiheng!
The one who caused her brother's imprisonment and the exile of her entire family was Lu Zhiheng, who was always at odds with the Chu family.
How ridiculous! On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, the Chu siblings were either imprisoned or banished to the cold palace, while Lu Zhiheng stepped on their Chu family to rise to the position of Grand Secretary, riding high on his success!
The thought that the enemy who had harmed her was right there in the front hall sent a surge of intense anger through Chu Qingyin's chest; she wanted to kill him—
"Cough cough..."
Anger surged into her heart, turning into a sweet, metallic taste. Chu Qingyin turned to the side and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Upon seeing this, the maid Xianglan, who was standing guard nearby, panicked instantly: "Miss, Eldest Miss!"
Seeing Chu Qingyin lying on the bed with her face pale and blood at the corner of her mouth, Xianglan couldn't care less about anything else. "Please hold on a little longer, this servant will go and fetch the master right away!"
-
In the front hall of the Minister's residence, the gilded incense burner emitted a faint fragrance of sandalwood, creating an atmosphere of solemn tranquility.
The tranquility was quickly shattered by a commotion: "Master, Master! Let me in!"
Qiao Gongquan, the Minister of War who was discussing political affairs, suddenly changed his expression and quickly bowed to the man in the black robe seated above him, saying, "Please forgive me, Lord Lu."
He then raised his voice and asked from outside, "What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket!"
The steward quickly entered, first bowing respectfully to the tall and upright young prime minister at the head of the table, before approaching Qiao Gongquan: "This is Xianglan, the maidservant of the eldest young lady."
Qiao Gongquan frowned: "What is she, a maid from the inner quarters, doing in the front yard?"
The butler hesitated for a moment, glancing at the person in the seat of honor.
But then they saw the tall man in brocade robes and jade belt pick up the teacup on the table and slowly sip the tea. His dark eyebrows and eyes were cold and indifferent, revealing no emotion, as if everything around him was irrelevant.
The butler then approached Qiao Gongquan and whispered in his ear.
"What! Jump into the river!"
Even though Qiao Gongquan was usually composed, his expression changed drastically when he heard that his eldest daughter had drowned herself in the river during the first month of the lunar year.
When the person in the seat of honor cast a scrutinizing and deep gaze upon him, Qiao Gongquan realized his lapse in composure and quickly bowed, saying, "I was momentarily out of line; please forgive my rudeness, Lord Lu."
The young man, seated upright in a rosewood armchair, set down his teacup, his sharply defined face expressionless: "Has something happened in the manor?"
“It is indeed unfortunate that my daughter has suddenly fallen ill, and I am afraid I will be unable to entertain you, sir. Please forgive me.” Qiao Gongquan said with an embarrassed expression, “Another day, another day I will invite Lord Lu to have tea.”
Lu Zhiheng said, "Since the young lady of the manor is unwell, Lord Qiao should go and take a look at her. We can discuss the city defense issue later."
"Yes Yes Yes."
Qiao Gongquan bowed again, then instructed the steward to see the guest out before hurrying to the outer courtyard.
Since the host had already left, Lu Zhiheng, as a guest, could not stay any longer.
He took the black fox fur cloak handed to him by his attendant, put it on slowly, and strolled outside leisurely.
The butler escorted him to the door, bowing respectfully and saying, "Please take care, sir."
Lu Zhiheng nodded slightly: "No need to see me off."
As they approached the carriage with its vermilion wheels and ornate canopy, a servant leaned forward and whispered, "Minister Qiao's eldest daughter just threw herself into the pond in the backyard."
Lu Zhiheng's brow twitched slightly: "What is the reason?"
The attendant said, "I heard that she took a fancy to a poor scholar and insisted on marrying him, but Qiao Gongquan refused. In a moment of despair, she threw herself into the pond."
Lu Zhiheng frowned: "That's it?"
The attendant replied, "Yes."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "This servant has learned that it seems that Minister Qiao's concubine is secretly stirring things up."
Lu Zhiheng: "..."
He had heard before that Minister Qiao spoiled his only legitimate daughter left by his first wife, and that this young lady Qiao had developed a spoiled and willful temper.
Unexpectedly, this Miss Qiao was not only a pampered young lady, but also a fool.
However, he was too busy every day to spend too much time on fools.
Wearing black boots embroidered with gold cloud patterns, Lu Zhiheng stepped onto the stool, expressionless, lifted the carriage curtain, and bent down to enter.