The carriage had traveled some distance, leaving Lu Siming behind.
A faint chill was wafting inside the carriage.
Cheng Simian kept silent.
The Crown Prince couldn't contain his annoyance alone.
He couldn't stand the thought that the woman he loved was being coveted by another man.
An overwhelming impulse raged in his chest.
He wanted to tear Lu Siming's hypocritical face apart.
It was at this moment that he suddenly understood Liang Yuzhou's hostility towards him before.
But he couldn't vent his anger on Mianmian.
Mianmian was so talented and radiant that her brilliance couldn't be hidden.
He loved Mianmian's calligraphy and paintings, yet he couldn't be so domineering as to stop others from liking them.
However, Lu Siming's feelings for Mianmian were not just a simple appreciation of her character and talent.
In the Crown Prince's eyes, he was like a venomous snake in the gutter, greedily spitting out its forked tongue and covetously eyeing Mianmian.
"Your Highness, actually I'm not very interested in Mingxi's paintings," Cheng Simian said frankly, hoping to ease the Crown Prince's anger. "It doesn't matter if we don't go to this famous painting banquet."
"If we don't go, how can we find out what tricks they're up to?"
Cheng Simian blinked her eyes and straightened her back a bit more. The look in her eyes when she looked at the Crown Prince was like looking at an extremely intelligent teammate.
"Does Your Highness also think there's something fishy?"
"If Lu Siming were truly sincere, he could have invited you along when he invited me. The banquet is tomorrow, but he's making a hasty invitation. It shows that his heart isn't sincere enough."
"If his heart isn't sincere, there must be something wrong. Maybe some people joined the banquet at the last minute, and they think they can use these people's power to set up a trap against me."
The alcohol in Cheng Simian had completely worn off, and her mind was very clear at the moment.
Her voice had returned to its usual coldness.
The Crown Prince's eyes were cold and his gaze was surging like ink.
Mianmian's analysis was incisive.
Some people were so confident that the trap they set up at the last minute could hurt Mianmian.
He was going to see which devils and snakes were causing trouble in the world!
Cheng Simian originally wanted to ask if the previous promise still counted.
But Lu Siming's sudden interruption had made her miss the best opportunity.
For now, the most important thing was to fight the enemy together.
The first person that came to Cheng Simian's mind was Qin Xuanyan.
"Your Highness, what's the relationship between the Second Prince and the Qin family?"
She only knew that Qin Ziqi often appeared at Lu Siming's poetry gatherings.
But if they were just poetry friends, why would Lu Siming take the risk to help the Qin family deal with her?
The Crown Prince looked at Cheng Simian in surprise.
Mianmian's intelligence and quick - wittedness surprised him again.
He had also thought of the Qin family.
"Of course there's a relationship, and it's a very close one." A meaningful smile played on his lips. "Lu Siming's biological mother is Concubine Lan. Her elder brother, Gao Zhao, married the younger sister of Lady Yang, the wife of Qin Feng. However, this Lady Gao passed away from illness five years ago. Gao Zhao is over forty but has been reluctant to take a second wife, probably because he's afraid of losing this connection with the Qin family."
Cheng Simian understood. "The Second Prince's maternal family and the Qin family are in - laws."
"Qin Feng and the Gao family don't have a very close relationship. Gao Tianyu has 50,000 troops under his command. Qin Feng is an old official in the court. He knows his limits and is afraid of arousing suspicion. It's this Lady Qin who has a very frequent interaction with Concubine Lan."
Cheng Simian had a clear idea in her mind.
She should be able to meet this Concubine Lan at the famous painting banquet tomorrow.
A pair of warm hands covered the back of her hand. The fingers were pressed together, tightly enclosing her hand.
"Mianmian, I won't let anyone hurt you."
The protective desire in his eyes seemed about to burst out.
Cheng Simian's heart skipped a few beats.
But then she thought about it and didn't think she needed to be overly touched.
She was now in the same boat as the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince cherished his reputation, so he must protect her, his future Crown Princess.
If she didn't need to repay a favor, she wouldn't have to deal with people like Qin Xuanyan.
All her troubles were brought by him.
Wasn't his protection a matter of course?
The momentary fluctuation of her emotions subsided, and her heart became very calm.
...
Qiluo left the medical center and first went to Yunshen Alley.
(Don't you guys forget that this is also the little love nest of Wanchu and Taoist Priest Qingzhou!)
When her mother, Liu Yan, saw her come back, she was very happy. But when she saw Qiluo's swollen cheeks, she couldn't help but shed tears.
"Did Miss Qin take her anger out on you again?"
Before she could take a closer look at Qiluo's injuries, a man in the room said unhappily, "Why are you back again? When have servants not been wronged? You're too headstrong!"
The man in the room was in his forties. He was wearing a dark blue brocade robe, and there was a beautiful jade inlaid on his headgear. He looked imposing even without getting angry.
He frowned at Qiluo. There was no trace of pity in his eyes, only blame and impatience.
Qiluo gave him a cold look.
"So it's Lord Zhuang."
The man's face instantly darkened.
Liu Yan nervously pulled Qiluo into her arms and whispered reproachfully, "Qiluo, how can you talk to your father like that?"
Qiluo felt irritated just by looking at the man. She just stuffed a bulging purse into Liu Yan's hand.
"Mother, this is the monthly allowance I've saved up for half a year. You can keep it for spending."
Liu Yan's eyes were sore and her throat was clogged. The purse in her hand seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.
"You keep it. Mother has money. Look, your father came today just to give me money."
She pushed the purse back into Qiluo's bosom.
On the square table in the room, there was indeed a shabby money bag. It looked flat and dry. Compared with the purse in her hand, it was like a malnourished rat.
A sarcastic smile played on Qiluo's lips.
"Lord Zhuang hasn't been so generous for several years."
Zhuang Qixian angrily slapped the table and roared at her, "How can you talk to your father like this?"
This little girl didn't know where she got her rebellious spirit. He saw her only a few times a year, and every time she made him so angry that his heart ached.
She even gave money to Liu Yan in front of him. Wasn't this a blatant irony that he, a grown man, couldn't even support his mistress?
It was true that he hadn't given Liu Yan any money for three years.
He was just a low - ranking eighth - grade official in the Secretariat. His salary was meager.
There was a shrew at home who held the money tightly.
His wife's family was in the spice business and was very wealthy. His dignity when going out was all thanks to his wife's dowry.
If she knew that he had a mistress secretly, she would surely skin him alive!
He had finally saved up some silver and rushed to give it to Liu Yan.
But he was being ridiculed by this little girl!
Zhuang Qixian felt embarrassed. He also lost the mood to have a tender moment with Liu Yan.
"Since you've seen your mother, go back to the Rongxiang Duke's Mansion quickly!"
He flicked his sleeves heavily. "Remember what your father told you. You're very beautiful. As long as you can catch the eye of Young Master Qin, your father's official career and your mother's wealth for the rest of her life will all be guaranteed!"
The head of the Secretariat was Qin Feng, who controlled the promotions of all the officials below. Zhuang Qixian spared no effort to curry favor with him.
Qiluo turned around, showing him a stubborn back.
After Zhuang Qixian left, Qiluo disdainfully swept the flat money bag onto the ground.
Liu Yan silently wiped her tears.
"Mother, I've given you all my monthly allowance in the Rongxiang Duke's Mansion for the past three years. You must have saved a lot. When there's a chance, redeem yourself, and I'll take you away from the capital."
Liu Yan's tear - filled eyes glimmered with faint hope.
"Yes, I've saved a lot. In another year or so, I'll have enough money to redeem myself."
Back then, she was bought from a human trafficker by Zhuang Qixian for 160 taels of silver.
Zhuang Qixian didn't give her any status. Instead, he asked her to serve his wife, Lady Cao.
Lady Cao treated her like a beast of burden. When she found out that Zhuang Qixian was interested in her, she started shouting and threatening to kill.
Zhuang Qixian took her out of the house and settled her in this small courtyard.
He lied to Lady Cao that he had sold her.
In fact, Zhuang Qixian had always lusted after her beauty.
Then Qiluo was born.
By the time her daughter was ten years old, she was already very graceful.
Zhuang Qixian's official position hadn't been promoted for a long time, so he had a wicked idea.
He sent Qiluo to the Qin family and instigated her to seduce Young Master Qin.
Liu Yan couldn't protect Qiluo. She always felt guilty in her heart and could only cry.
Her daughter's toughness and tenacity gave her a glimmer of hope.
Qiluo didn't have dinner at home. Although Lady Yang of the Qin family said she didn't need to work today, she couldn't really be absent for the whole day.
As soon as she entered the side door of the Rongxiang Duke's Mansion, a servant woman who ran errands stopped her.
"Qiluo, you're just in time. This is what the lady wants. The lady is in the young miss's room. You can take it in for her."
Qiluo took the package from the servant woman's hand.
It was very light, only the size of a handkerchief, and didn't weigh much.
She felt it. It seemed to be a piece of wood with carved patterns on it.
She traced the patterns carefully with her fingertips. When she figured out the pattern on it, her face suddenly changed.
What was carved on it was actually a pornographic picture!