Wrapped In Golden Branch - Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Searching for “Qingqing”
Looking closely, one of the couple was the future son-in-law, Heir Pei! The eunuch’s heart beat like a drum, and he was at a loss for a moment.
On the other side, Pei Yujin heard the sound of carriages passing by and felt worried —
He patiently coaxed the petite woman who was sobbing in his arms. “Ruoqing, let go quickly. There seems to be movement over there.”
The woman in his arms was stunned momentarily and quickly let go of her hands holding his waist. She was still crying, her eyes full of affection. “Brother Yujin, I didn’t mean it, I just…” I couldn’t control my emotions.
“I know. I know you didn’t mean it.” How could Pei Yujin not be moved by such a beautiful woman’s admiration?
“Go back quickly, and don’t let anyone see you,” he patted the woman’s thin shoulders. Then, the two hurriedly left in different directions.
The eunuch watched the couple walk away, and cold sweat dripped from his forehead. Shit, this moment of hesitation made the shadow disappear.
After returning to Yingxin Hall trembling with fear, his knees softened, and he knelt before the Princess.
“Xiao Luzi, what are you doing?” Zhi Lan was shocked.
Pei Lan also subconsciously protected the Princess behind her, fearing Xiao Luzi would do something terrible.
Xiao Luzi shivered and slapped himself, “Princess, I deserve to die!”
Li Kangning blinked, looking at a loss, “What’s going on?”
Xiao Luzi stammered, “When I passed Wanshu Garden just now, I saw…”
“What did you see?” Zhi Lan asked.
“I saw a man and a woman hugging each other in the jungle, and the man looked like the Prince Consort from a distance…”
After saying this in one breath, Xiao Luzi’s heart was in his throat, fearing getting caught in the disaster.
“Really?” Li Kangning was shocked.
Xiao Luzi nodded like pounded garlic, “It’s true. I dare not say anything nonsense!”
Li Kangning’s heart trembled, and her eyes were slightly cold. Didn’t Pei Yujin start to secretly keep a mistress a year after marrying her? He had an unclear relationship with another woman before the wedding date?
Pe Lan and Zhi Lan were so surprised they couldn’t recover for long.
“How could it be?” Zhi Lan whispered, “Prince Consort has always been clean and self-disciplined, and there is not even a maid around him…”
Li Kangning sneered at herself. She would probably find it unbelievable if it weren’t for that prophetic dream. She was worrying about canceling the engagement; now, a ready-made reason was presented to her.
“Xiao Luzi, you get up first.” Li Kangning said slowly, “If what you said is true, I will reward you handsomely.”
Xiao Luzi was stunned momentarily, then overjoyed, kowtowed several times, and thanked her profusely.
After he left, Li Kangning thought for a long time alone. Zhi Lan and Pei Lan stood on both sides of her, wanting to say something, but stopped.
“Your Highness, do you want to report this to His Majesty and the Empress?” Pei Lan asked softly
Li Kangning shook her head. Her father and mother loved her; even if she were making trouble, they would help her cancel the engagement as she wished. But she didn’t want them to have a bad reputation for indulging their daughter in bullying their subjects because of her. She had to come up with actual evidence.
Who knows that the mistress called “Qingqing” by Pei Yujin in the dream also accompanies the Emperor to Rehe now?
Zhi Lan said indignantly: “Maybe Xiao Luzi is confused. I think the Prince Consort is not that kind of person…”
Li Kangning seemed to have noticed something and glanced at Zhi Lan lightly.
“Pei Lan, go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to check the list of people who accompany the Emperor to escape the summer heat and see which female relatives have the word “Qing” in their maiden names.”
Pei Lan was confused, but she did as she was told. The Princess’s maid came in person, so the people on night duty in the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not dare to neglect it. Pei Lan returned to Yingxin Hall with a copy of the list in an hour.
Li Kangning had bathed and changed into a light blue inner dress. She sat before the dressing table, and Zhi Lan and several little maids wiped her hair. The hot air from the bath flushed her cheeks, but there was a hint of sadness between her beautiful eyebrows.
Pei Lan respectfully presented the list to the Princess. “Your Highness, I have copied all the names of the female relatives with the word ‘Qing.’ Please take a look.”
Li Kangning took it and looked through it carefully under the palace lantern on the dressing table. However, the noble ladies on the list did not seem apt to be someone’s mistress. Could it be that “Qingqing” was just Pei Yujin’s nickname for the mistress?
Pei Lan asked tentatively: “I have also copied the list of the maids with the word ‘Qing’ in their names. Would you like to take a look?”
Li Kangning nodded, “Bring it to me.”
Only two maids in the palace had the word “Qing” in their names. One was a female official over 40 who acted under the imperial decree, while the other was 18, named Du Ruoqing, an embroiderer in the embroidery department.
Pei Lan spoke at the right time: “I heard from the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs that Du Ruoqing has an aunt who is the concubine of Huai’an Marquis, and it seems that she is the biological mother of the newly appointed General Pei Yizhi.”
Li Kangning’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“Send her over immediately. I have something important!”
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Author Notes:
The engagement will be canceled soon, and the male protagonist is a rough man with a loving brain (/w?)