Ji Junye seemed to sense her confusion. He took her hand and said, "There are too many people by the moat. This stream is connected to the moat at its source. Releasing the river lanterns here has the same effect."
Ji Junye waved to the people behind him. Zhuiyun immediately brought two river lanterns and handed them to Ji Junye, then quickly stepped back to a distance.
"I brought some too." Shen Qing lifted her chin.
"Miss." Zhuxing brought over three lotus-shaped river lanterns.
Although Shen Qing was still a bit angry, she still gave the one meant for Ji Junye to him.
When she saw him looking at her, Shen Qing felt her cheeks heat up.
"I made it myself."
Ji Junye glanced at her, discarded the two lanterns in his hands, and instead lit the one Shen Qing had given him.
Shen Qing lit her river lantern and set it afloat on the water. The lantern drifted away with the current. In Shen Qing's heart, this was like her and her child from the previous life bidding farewell to her.
Shen Qing stole a glance at Ji Junye beside her. She had thought that a person like Ji Junye didn't believe in ghosts and gods. Even if he did, he wouldn't come out to release river lanterns himself.
Especially in a place like this, just the two of them.
"Your Majesty, who is the lantern for?"
Shen Qing sat down on the lawn by the stream. She thought it wasn't so bad to come here. At least, she felt at peace now.
Ji Junye sat down beside her. "For myself."
Shen Qing's heart skipped half a beat.
For himself?
Could it be that he...
No, it should not be.
For some reason, Shen Qing suddenly thought of the scene after he was buried in the fire in the previous life. The entire court was overjoyed, as if they were celebrating. They welcomed the new king, King Jin, in the most enthusiastic way, but no one felt the slightest bit of regret for his departure.
Even though he single - handedly turned the tide and pieced together the fragmented Jing State under the previous emperor bit by bit, in the end, those officials and noble families only remembered his tyranny.
Maybe after a few more years, when the common people met a kind - hearted monarch, they might gradually forget this tyrant who had ended their war and made them no longer homeless.
The name Ji Junye would only leave a cruel and tyrannical mark in history.
A proud man like him, how could he allow others to stand in front of him in a victorious stance?
Was he releasing the river lantern for himself because he was afraid that after he was gone, no one would remember him, and no one would release a river lantern for him on such a day?
Ji Junye's voice pulled Shen Qing back from her thoughts.
"What about you? Who is your lantern for?"
Naturally, Shen Qing couldn't say that hers was also for herself. She softly replied, "For my grandfather and father."
They had suffered so much in the previous life. May they all have a new life this time.
Suddenly, the sound of an arrow piercing through the air came. Ji Junye quickly pushed Shen Qing down and rolled to one side. An arrow plunged into the ground where they had just been sitting. The arrowhead glowed with a faint blue cold light.
"The arrow is poisoned!"
"Assassins!"
Zhuiyun quickly reacted and led his men to fight the assassins.
"Are you okay?" Ji Junye looked down at Shen Qing.
Shen Qing shook her head. "I'm okay."
How could there be assassins?
The people around Ji Junye were highly skilled. They quickly eliminated the assassins.
"Your Majesty, we've captured two alive."
"Take them back for interrogation."
Ji Junye picked Shen Qing up horizontally. Shen Qing instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Let's return."
Pregnant women tend to get tired easily. After such a long day and this unexpected incident, Shen Qing fell into a deep sleep as soon as she got into the carriage.
When she woke up, it was already the next day.
Shen Qing looked at the furnishings around her. Was she in the Marquis Mansion?
Shen Qing called for Yingxiu. "What time did I get back last night?"
"At the third watch."
"Got it."
Ji Junye should have gone to interrogate the two assassins.
She had already asked to borrow people. She should know the real cause of Xu Yanxing's death in the next few days.
Shen Qing stretched, got out of bed, washed up, and had breakfast.
During breakfast, she listened to Yingxiu talking about what had happened outside in the past few days.
The day after they returned from the horse - ranch, the prime minister personally brought his son, whose face was swollen like a pig's head, to the Princess Mansion to apologize to Princess Jingyang. He also stated that if the princess didn't forgive his son, she could punish him however she wanted, and he, as a father, would never protect his son.
Ji Qingshu was not a person who would push things too far. She had already punished the son, and the prime minister had shown such a humble attitude. If she still held on to it, it would seem that she had no tolerance.
So she let them go on the spot.
"The princess is kind - hearted."
Otherwise, she wouldn't have remembered Jiang Chan just because of an embroidery and brought Jiang Chan into the circle of noble ladies in the capital.
After eating, Shen Qing put down her chopsticks and asked someone to clear the table.
Just then, Yuzhen came back from outside. After she entered, Shen Qing saw the slap mark on Yuzhen's face. She asked with a straight face, "What's going on?"
Yuzhen said aggrievedly, "I went to the cloth shop with Nongyun to pick up the new fabric for you, Miss. On the way back, we ran into the Second Lady. She said that since the Second Master was gone, it was inappropriate for me to pick such bright fabrics. Then she slapped me. Nongyun was indignant and argued with the Second Lady for a few words. Then the Second Lady..."
"Then what?"
"The Second Lady punished Nongyun to kneel in the garden. She said that Nongyun couldn't get up until she had knelt for two hours. Miss, please go and save Nongyun!"
Yingxiu said angrily, "The Second Lady is really going too far!"
The Second Master was neither from their courtyard nor an elder. Why should they and their young lady observe mourning for him?
Shen Qing's face darkened. She asked someone to take Yuzhen down to reduce the swelling on her face and called Zhuxing in.
"Go and bring Nongyun back. Then send a message to the Second Aunt. Nongyun is from my courtyard. If she needs to be disciplined, it should be me who does it. Outsiders have no right to interfere."
"Yes, I'll go right away!"
Nongyun soon came back. Her knees were swollen. Shen Qing asked someone to apply medicinal wine on them and gave her two days off to rest.
"Miss, I'm okay. I'll be fine after two days of rest."
Nongyun tried to comfort her. She really wanted to say that Miss should smile. With such a straight face, she was really scary.
Shen Qing tucked in the quilt for her. "You've been with me since I got married. I won't let you be wronged for no reason."
What was the Second Branch? How dare they lay hands on her people!
After going out, Yingxiu was still indignant. "Miss, are we just going to let it go like this?"
The Second Lady's hand had reached too far!
Did she expect everyone to feel the same pain as her for losing her son?
Of course, it was not just that!
Shen Qing's eyes sharpened. She asked, "How's the thing I asked you to do?"
Yingxiu quickly took out two pieces of paper. "The Second Master's recent schedule and the people he met are all here."
Shen Qing took a quick look and a cold smile appeared on her lips.
Her second uncle had done quite a few "good things" recently...
Forcing a civilian girl into marriage and competing with others for a prostitute were just common occurrences. But her people also found out that Xu Wei had suddenly acquired a courtyard outside the city recently. He had been there almost every day these days.
What surprised Shen Qing even more was that this courtyard was actually the work of Jin Bao.
"Check out that courtyard and Jin Bao too."
She remembered that in the previous life, Xu Wei was sued to the Yingtian Prefecture for forcing a civilian girl into marriage and causing a death. It had caused quite a stir at that time.