PNB Chapter 1052 Beauty's Tragic Fate
Chapter 1052 Beauty's Tragic Fate
When they returned to the mansion, Grand Tutor Qian had already retired for the night, but the two brothers, Qian Jie and Qian Wei, were still awake and waiting in the study.
The two thought it was pretty much true, but when Qian Ying explained what had happened, their expressions changed: "What a coincidence that Cui Ling ran into this!"
Qian Ying also felt a headache coming on; this matter was not easy to handle!
Cui Ling will definitely follow up like a cat that has smelled fish, relentlessly pursuing the Qian family.
"Send someone to tell my fourth brother not to make any rash moves recently."
"Understood," Qian Jie nodded. "What about Wan'er..."
Mentioning her daughter, Qian Ying sighed deeply, "Our Qian family is going through a lot of trouble lately, let's do our best to help Wan'er!"
“Brother, to be honest, I really didn’t expect His Majesty to be so disrespectful to Father. Father even went to the palace in person, but His Majesty still claimed to be ill and refused to see him. Whether he is truly ill or not, everyone knows the answer in their hearts. If this continues, it will only chill the hearts of our noble family.”
Upon hearing this, Qian Wei patted Qian Jie on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Second brother, don't you understand? The court has changed, and His Majesty is no longer the same His Majesty he once was."
"Your Majesty can refuse to see me today, tomorrow, or the day after?" Qian Ying sneered, though he was actually furious. "There are rules to everything. If Your Majesty doesn't follow the rules, you can't blame us subordinates for not following them either!"
"Big Brother!!"
Qian Ying waved her hand, "Alright, that's enough. Go back and rest. The Qian family's sky won't fall anytime soon. As for Cui Ling, hmph, he won't be able to cause trouble for long. Originally, I didn't want to get involved in his affairs with the Li family, but those two insisted on stirring up trouble in the capital. Well then, let the waters get even muddier. It's easier to fish in muddy waters!"
The next day arrived in the blink of an eye. It wasn't until after breakfast that Grand Tutor Qian learned that his eldest son had gone out to discuss his granddaughter's matter with Cui Ling the previous night, but not only did it fail, it also led to a new lawsuit.
There were only the four of them—father and sons—in the study, so there was nothing they couldn't talk about. Grand Tutor Qian stroked his beard with some annoyance: "The ancients said that fortune and misfortune are interdependent, and they were absolutely right. Fourth son, you weren't careful enough in handling this matter!"
“Father, I estimate that Cui Ling doesn’t have much evidence. He’s probably just guessing the truth. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to fool us so easily last night. Besides, after we got back, I sent people to inquire in secret. Cui Ling did indeed fight with a group of merchants in the outskirts of Beijing. They were all killed in the end, and not a single one was left alive. So there’s no question of any confession,” Qian Ying added.
“Even so, we cannot let our guard down. From now on, my sons and I must not utter a word about the treasure. Even the clan elders do not know about it, so let it remain a secret,” Grand Tutor Qian slowly instructed. “As long as he does not have concrete evidence, Cui Ling alone cannot do anything to our Qian family.”
“But this person is always a major threat. He’s too restless, has no sense of propriety, and isn’t on our side. It’s best to get rid of him as soon as possible,” Qian Wei added.
"Yes, that makes sense. I'll leave this to you. Just be careful how you handle it."
Qian Wei smiled and nodded: "Father, don't worry, our Qian family doesn't need to do anything ourselves. We can just use someone else to do the dirty work!"
After the father and sons finished their discussion and parted ways, Grand Tutor Qian went to the palace to request an audience with His Majesty, but Zhou Pu still refused to see him, claiming illness.
This was also within Grand Tutor Qian's expectations. Since he didn't see him yesterday, he wouldn't see him today either, but he still wanted to make this gesture so that the court officials would know.
In everything, one should strive to occupy the high ground of public opinion.
He refused to believe that the emperor would refuse to see him at the empress's coronation ceremony tomorrow.
Upon hearing the palace servant report that Grand Tutor Qian had left, Zhou Pu rubbed his temples, his annoyance undisguised. "That old man is really clueless. I haven't even bothered the Qian family yet, but he still comes to see me every day to clear the name of their daughter. The items were found in Consort Qian's bedchamber. I'll examine them according to procedure. Is that wrong?"
"Your Majesty is the ruler of the country, above all people. How could Your Majesty be wrong?" The personal eunuch immediately flattered him upon hearing this.
"Forget it, I won't bother with them. After all, they are veteran officials who have served the court for generations and made great contributions. Let's talk about it after the case of Consort Qian is resolved! I'm tired. Go, go and get some more hibiscus ointment!" Zhou Pu said lazily, leaning back on the couch.
"Yes!" The little eunuch accepted the order and left.
At this moment, the head eunuch, Fu Gonggong, subtly gave the younger eunuch a wink, and the incense in the incense burner burned even brighter, making people feel as if they were floating on clouds, unaware of the time.
"Your Majesty, tomorrow is the ceremony for the Empress's investiture. The Imperial Clothing Bureau has already delivered the new dragon robe. Would you like to try it on now? If there are any imperfections, you can send it back for them to alter," Eunuch Fu asked cautiously as he stepped forward.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Pu waved his hand impatiently, "Don't bother me with such trivial matters. What could be wrong with the clothes? If you have any questions, go ask the Imperial Concubine."
"Yes, then this servant will not disturb Your Majesty's rest any longer," Eunuch Fu smiled, lowered his eyes, and withdrew from the inner hall.
Once outside, the air felt noticeably fresher, and I felt much more awake. Looking back at the emperor, who was still dazed in the palace, I sighed inwardly, thinking that the hibiscus ointment was indeed a harmful substance!
The inner court looks like a complete mess, but what does it have to do with him? He's just a eunuch! He's only concerned with being happy while he's alive.
On the other side, Cui Rong touched the nine-dragon and four-phoenix crown and the gorgeous and exquisite ceremonial robe that had been delivered to her, and couldn't help but exclaim with satisfaction: "The Empress's ceremonial robe is truly extraordinary. Only by touching it and wearing it herself can one know how magnificent this garment is."
"Only Your Majesty is worthy of such magnificent attire," Peony exclaimed at the opportune moment.
"Look at this jade, these pearls, and the gold thread beaded strings and the various sizes of beaded flowers, the auspicious patterns, it's really beautiful!"
"Yes, that's wonderful! I can finally wear this dress!" Cui Rong nodded.
Then, casually, he said, "Let's stick to the original plan and send Consort Qian on her way at midnight tonight! Blame it on her short-lived beauty!"