HLnovel Chapter 94 Not Ruthless Enough
Chapter 94 Not Ruthless Enough
"Yes...it was my mistake. Her Highness the Consort returned to the residence alone." The steward immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed to apologize.
Qiao Gongquan finally relaxed and looked down at the old butler in front of him.
He's been by my side for years, and he's always been very discreet. He certainly wouldn't dare to speak carelessly unless he's seen it with his own eyes.
Now that her eldest daughter is a Noble Consort, how can she easily return to the palace without an imperial decree?
Furthermore, even according to custom, the Ministry of Rites would give advance notice before a trip home to visit relatives; one would never suddenly return home unless—
Thinking that what the butler had just said might be true, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
If Yinyin is truly audacious enough to openly appear in public with another man, then he probably won't be able to protect her.
Thinking of this, a hint of reluctance appeared in his cloudy eyes.
"Sir, you'll have to go to the front and see the young lady yourself to find out the specifics."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Gongquan suddenly came to his senses, immediately put down the wolf-hair brush in his hand, and strode towards the front hall.
He walked hurriedly, each step heavy, his heart filled with panic.
Upon arriving at the front hall, from a distance, he saw his daughter, Qiao Qingyin, clasping hands with a man in fine clothes.
Qiao Gongquan's view was blocked by a large vase with lotus branch patterns, so he couldn't see the man's face.
But the two whispered to each other as if no one else was around. The man seemed to say something, and his daughter lowered her eyes, chuckled coquettishly, and blushed on her beautiful face.
"Qiao Qingyin, what are you doing!"
Qiao Gongquan strode forward and raised his hand to pull the two apart, but as soon as he raised his hand, the man next to him grabbed his wrist.
He was the Minister of War, a position earned through battlefield experience. Although he hadn't fought in a long time, his martial arts skills remained intact. But at this moment, he could clearly feel the powerful, solid force pressing down on his wrist, completely suppressing him. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't move.
"Let go! You—"
Qiao Gongquan roared, raising his eyes to hurl insults, but upon seeing the handsome face before him, his knees buckled, and he nearly knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty..."
Why has Your Majesty come?
"Father?"
Chu Qingyin looked at the scene before her, feeling somewhat bewildered. What was wrong with Qiao Gongquan?
It was one thing for her to suddenly rush out and glare at him angrily, but she almost acted rudely towards Pei Yuanling as well.
However, she was now, after all, the daughter of Qiao Gongquan. Since her father had knelt down, she, as his daughter, naturally couldn't remain indifferent. So she quickly stood up and softly apologized to Pei Yuanling: "Your Majesty, please forgive my father for his rudeness."
"Your Majesty, I was unaware of your presence and thus offended you. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
Pei Yuanling had already guessed what was going on; it was clear that Qiao Gongquan had mistaken him for Yinyin's lover.
He stepped forward and personally helped Qiao Gongquan up: "Please rise, Lord Qiao. This matter is also my fault; I did not send someone to inform you beforehand."
"No, no, I wouldn't dare." Qiao Gongquan raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and hurriedly stood up, trembling with fear.
Chu Qingyin had now figured out the whole story and couldn't help but find it amusing.
This Qiao Gongquan is underestimating his daughter too much. Even if she really did find a lover, he wouldn't dare to bring him back to his mansion so openly.
Don't you even have this much trust in her?
I learned that His Majesty brought Consort Qiao back to visit relatives.
Qiao Gongquan also remembered that today was Qiao Qingyin's birthday. He figured that His Majesty had come especially to celebrate Qingyin's birthday, so he immediately instructed Qiao Nian to arrange a banquet.
"Lord Qiao, I am bringing my wife back to visit my family today. You need not be reserved. Just act like an ordinary family and relax as you please," Pei Yuanling said calmly.
Ordinary family? Casual?
This emperor, who commanded respect and authority in the court, was now being treated like an ordinary family member. He couldn't very well act like the emperor's father-in-law!
Qiao Gongquan was unwilling and dared not show it on his face, but he only smiled and agreed: "Your Majesty, this humble subject will obey your orders."
Chu Qingyin watched the two interacting and couldn't help but find it amusing.
After a lavish birthday banquet, Qiao Gongquan took the opportunity to pull Chu Qingyin aside and said, "Yinyin, I originally planned to send your birthday gift to the palace."
"Now that you are here before me, who knows when I will return to your residence again. So I will take this opportunity to present you with the wedding gift left by your mother."
As he spoke, he took out a delicate and translucent jade bracelet from his sleeve and handed it to Chu Qingyin.
"Thank you, Father."
Chu Qingyin lowered her eyes to examine the jade bracelet. Its texture was translucent, and when held up to the light, it shimmered with a greenish fluorescence. Even when she was a favored concubine, she had rarely seen such a rare and exquisite piece.
"Your mother's biggest worry before she passed away was you. I was reluctant for you to enter the palace back then. But now, seeing how much His Majesty favors you, I feel I have done right by your mother in the afterlife." Qiao Gongquan said, his eyes reddening and glistening with tears.
"Father, don't be sad..."
"I'm not sad, I'm happy." Qiao Gongquan said, gently patting Chu Qingyin's hand, a smile appearing on his slightly aged face. "Don't keep His Majesty waiting. You should go back now."
As Chu Qingyin walked forward, she looked back at Qiao Gongquan, who was standing still, wiping away tears with his sleeve, and felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
Her father passed away early, and she hadn't experienced the warmth of father-daughter affection in a long time.
If the Qiao and Chu families weren't political enemies, she would have been willing to fulfill her filial duties to Qiao Gongquan in place of Qiao Qingyin. Unfortunately—
Chu Qingyin looked down at the emerald green on her wrist, her eyes darkening.
Qiao Qingyin, all I can do is help you keep this jade bracelet safe. As for anything else, I can only apologize to you in the afterlife after I have fulfilled all my wishes.
It was a rare occasion for his daughter to return home, and Qiao Gongquan originally wanted them to stay a while longer. However, when he heard Chu Qingyin say that she wanted to visit her maternal grandfather's family, and thinking of his deceased wife, he did not stop her.
Inside the carriage, Pei Yuanling sat upright, his eyes closed as he rested.
Chu Qingyin, using the excuse of getting some fresh air, lifted the car curtain and looked towards the street.
As dusk fell, street vendors began to hang lanterns one by one beside their stalls, and the street was gradually covered by a hazy, yellowish light.
She watched quietly, but memories of playing with her brother on the street when she was a child surfaced in her mind, and her eyes welled up with tears.
I wonder how my brother is doing now, whether he is suffering in prison?
The last time I saw him, he looked much thinner and more haggard; he must be blaming himself for her death. If there were a chance to let my brother know she was still alive, he would surely be very happy.
Unfortunately, she is now trapped in the palace, right under Pei Yuanling's nose, and seeing her brother is as difficult as climbing to heaven.
"What is Yinyin looking at?"
Noticing the probing gaze from behind, Chu Qingyin took a deep breath, composed herself, and turned around, lowering her eyes as she said, "This concubine just misses Mother a little."
Pei Yuanling's eyes flickered slightly: "..."
He remembered that the guards had reported that Madam Qiao had passed away early, leaving behind only Qiao Qingyin, an orphan girl who was raised by Aunt Jiang, which spoiled her personality.
If she hadn't later seen through Aunt Jiang's scheme, her reputation would probably have been ruined long ago, with no chance of recovery.
It's just a pity that his wife wasn't ruthless enough; the punishment this concubine received was far from sufficient.
But that's alright, the rest will be left to him.
Thinking of this, Pei Yuanling's eyes turned cold.
He remembered that Consort Jiang had a daughter named Qiao Qingling, who was also in the palace at the moment. It is said that daughters pay for their mothers' debts, so he thought Qiao Qingling should also suffer a bit.
In the side hall of Mingyue Pavilion, Qiao Qingling, who was embroidering, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine and a sense of unease inexplicably arose in her heart.