Princess Consort Jing came back to her senses. "How should I test her?"
"Simply send someone to the palace with a message, saying that you suddenly dreamed of your sister and feel uneasy in your heart, so you wish to see her. We will see if Cousin refuses or agrees."
"Very well, I shall have the message sent tomorrow." Princess Consort Jing agreed immediately, though her mood could not have been more depressed.
"Mother, I'm back." Qi Huan strode in, and seeing both Qi Shuo and Qi Qiong there, he gave a sheepish smile. "Big Brother, Little Sister, you're both here."
Based on his experience, he was certainly about to be scolded.
Princess Consort Jing was in no mood to reprimand her son at the moment; she forced a smile. "Now that you're back, let's eat. Zhenzhu, go invite the Prince."
The head maid, Zhenzhu, took the order and left. Qi Huan winked at Qi Qiong.
What happened? He was scared!
Qi Qiong silently looked away.
She didn't know if her eldest brother would tell her second brother.
Qi Huan:?
Unable to hold it in any longer, he looked expectantly at Princess Consort Jing. "Mother, is something wrong at home?"
"Nothing is wrong," Princess Consort Jing denied instinctively.
Even if she believed her eldest son's words and was utterly disappointed in her niece, it was far too embarrassing for her that her own kin acted this way; naturally, she did not wish to speak of it.
Qi Huan wanted to ask further, but Qi Qiong gave him a tug.
Before long, Prince Jing arrived, and the family gathered for a meal, dispersing only when the sky had turned completely dark.
As soon as they stepped out of the main courtyard, Qi Huan impatiently asked Qi Qiong, "What exactly happened?"
It couldn't be that his mother found out about him and a few friends sneaking off to play at the Golden Water River, right?
No, it couldn't. If that were the case, even on his birthday, he wouldn't escape a session of "bamboo-board fried pork."
Qi Qiong looked toward Qi Shuo.
Qi Huan: "..." So once again, he was the only one who didn't know?
Qi Shuo had no intention of hiding it and said indifferently, "It is no great matter. Cousin put poison in my tea. After I detected it, I informed Mother."
Qi Huan stumbled, nearly falling over, his eyes widening as he looked at his elder brother.
No great matter?
Qi Shuo reached out and patted his shoulder. "I know you have many questions, but you only need to remember one thing: stay away from the Crown Prince."
The depth in his brother's eyes, dark as the night, stopped Qi Huan from asking further. He nodded, casting aside his usual playful carelessness. "I understand."
"Big Brother, I have one more question."
Qi Shuo looked at his sister. "Speak."
"When Sun Xiuhua offered you tea, how did you hide it from her eyes?"
Qi Shuo smiled slightly. "Speaking of which, it was thanks to A-Hao—"
Qi Qiong suddenly realized. "I know now!"
A-Hao's fish-skin disguise really was miraculously effective; she shouldn't have refused it back then.
"Wait a minute, why does this have to do with Sister-in-law? Why do I know nothing about this..."
Qi Huan continued to press for answers as the silhouettes of the three siblings disappeared into the ink-black night.
Princess Consort Jing did not sleep all night. Early the next morning, she sent someone to deliver a message to Sun Xiuhua.
As soon as Sun Xiuhua heard that someone from the Prince Jing's manor had come, her first reaction was that Qi Shuo had lashed out. She didn't believe a single word of the reason for her return and hurriedly made an excuse to decline.
When Princess Consort Jing heard the report, the heart that had been clenched all night finally let go—and fell into an ice cellar.
She had truly loved her niece. Even while not doubting her eldest son's words, as she tossed and turned countless times throughout the night, a sliver of hope had uncontrollably surfaced, hoping her niece had not done such a thing.
In the end, no miracle occurred.
Princess Consort Jing smiled bitterly as she reached for her teacup; her trembling hand failed to grip it firmly, and tea spilled out.
Worried, Qi Qiong grasped Princess Consort Jing's hand. "Mother—"
Princess Consort Jing looked at Qi Shuo. "Shuo-er, what do you intend to do regarding Xiuhua?"
"I intend to do nothing to Cousin."
Princess Consort Jing was stunned.
Qi Qiong was even more incensed. "Big Brother, are you just going to let people harm you?"
Qi Shuo smiled unconcernedly. "The person who truly wants to harm me is the Crown Prince. As for Cousin, staying beside a man like the Crown Prince will likely lead to a poor end. I told Mother about her actions only because I did not want Mother to be heartbroken for her in the future."
Qi Qiong blinked, understanding her brother's meaning.
The fall of the Crown Prince would be the greatest punishment for Sun Xiuhua. And since their mother recognized Sun Xiuhua's true colors early, she would not be heartbroken for that ungrateful wretch, nor would she be utilized by her.
In the end, Big Brother had not hidden this matter for the sake of their mother.
"But the Crown Prince—" A great sense of unease rose in Princess Consort Jing's heart, outweighing the hurt caused by her niece.
"Leave the matter of the Crown Prince to me, Mother. You need not worry."
Princess Consort Jing nodded, but she couldn't truly be at ease. "Regarding Xiuhua's matter, I haven't told your father."
"For now, there is no need to mention it to Father."
The Emperor was meticulous. For their father, who dealt with him frequently, it was better to remain ignorant. As for the Crown Prince, courtesy demands a return for every gesture; it was time to lend a hand in accelerating his self-destruction.
"Very well." Princess Consort Jing instinctively breathed a sigh of relief.
She truly had no face to speak of her niece's actions.
After leaving the main courtyard, Qi Qiong was full of worry. "The Crown Prince has developed murderous intent toward Big Brother. We can guard against and avoid underhanded methods for now, but what about the future?"
Qi Huan also lost his vibrant energy. "Yeah, he's going to be the Emperor in the future."
Qi Shuo looked at the two of them, his expression becoming serious. "I told you this so that you would be aware. If you let it show, it might instead harm the manor. Do you understand?"
The two nodded in unison.
"We understand, we're just worried about the future—"
The corners of Qi Shuo's mouth curled slightly as he looked up at the clear, empty sky. "The Crown Prince lacks virtue, and the Emperor is already dissatisfied. Who can say for certain what the future holds?"
Qi Huan and Qi Qiong looked at each other, both seeing shock in the other's eyes.
The next day was clear. Bright, thin sunlight spilled over the streets and alleys, and the roads began to bustle.
Qi Shuo made an appointment with Lin Hao to go see the flower fields.
The flower fields were in the outskirts of the capital. When Lin Hao saw the endless sea of roses, she was so shocked that she forgot to speak for a long while.
"A-Hao, look. The quality of these roses is quite good, isn't it? They should be fine for making floral water." Qi Shuo casually plucked a large red rose and handed it to Lin Hao.
Looking at the vividly colored, fragrant rose, Lin Hao nodded. "The quality is better than those bought from outside."
She stood in the flower field, looking around, as if she were in a dream. "How did you discover this place?"
Qi Shuo smiled. "This is a property of the Prince Jing's manor."
Seeing Lin Hao's surprise, he explained, "Mother loves roses. When we first came to the capital, Father bought this field specifically to grow roses. When they bloom, the best are selected and sent to the manor for vases."
Lin Hao: "..." What should I do if I suddenly find the person in front of me unpleasant to look at?
On the Crown Prince's side, he had arranged for people to monitor the movements of the Heir of Prince Jing since yesterday. Thus, the Crown Prince awaited the report: "The Heir of Prince Jing has taken Second Miss Lin to see flowers."
Another day passed.
"The Heir of Prince Jing has taken Second Miss Lin to pick flowers."
Another day passed.
"The Heir of Prince Jing has taken Second Miss Lin shopping."
The Crown Prince, who had waited for the Heir of Prince Jing to die on the left and waited for him not to die on the right, flew into a rage and stormed over to Sun Xiuhua.
(End of Chapter)