Cheng Simian knew that Hongrui's greatest desire at this moment was to live, and to live in a decent and noble way.
Her intimidation had worked wonders.
A flash of fear quickly crossed Hongrui's eyes.
She deliberated, thinking about how to start, how much to say, and how much to hold back.
Qiluo spoke up while she was still hesitating, "Miss Hongrui, you should take a good look at me. I also came out of the Qin family's man - eating den. Our young lady has treated me with such sincerity. You have eyes, so you can see and judge for yourself. You don't have to have any misgivings about our young lady."
She said "our young lady", using an intimate term.
Hongrui's sense of belonging to Cheng Simian grew a bit more.
She sized up Qiluo carefully.
She had seen this little girl in the inner courtyard of the Qin family before.
At that time, she was dressed in coarse cloth clothes without any decorations. She was thin and timid, and often had wounds on her body and face. At the sound of a man's voice, she would be like a frightened bird.
But now, Qiluo was generous and calm, dressed brightly and adorned with gold and silver. She was a decent and glamorous top - ranked maid.
She no longer had that timid and panicked look. The whole person seemed reborn, shining brightly.
Some of Hongrui's doubts were dispelled.
A person who could gain the appreciation of the queen, and as the daughter of a convicted official, could still defeat the noble and proud Qin Xuanyan, must not be simple.
Cheng Simian's cold expression softened a bit.
"Get up and talk."
She personally helped Hongrui up.
Then, in front of Hongrui, she tore up her indenture.
"From now on, you're a free person."
Hongrui's eyes welled up with heat, and her eye - rims reddened.
That indenture, which had been held in the hands of different people since she could remember, had become a pile of waste paper.
She was originally a low - class actress. Although she had been a concubine in the Rongxiang Duke's Mansion for three years and lived a life of luxury, it couldn't eliminate people's prejudice against her at the core.
Moreover, she had just come from a place like Yichun Hall.
The Crown Princess didn't mind her being "dirty" at all!
She even returned her freedom.
This sincerity touched Hongrui.
"I know a big secret of Qin Feng. Even Qin Feng himself doesn't know that I've caught a glimpse of his secret."
She was very good at speaking. She first pointed out that this secret of hers was definitely of great value.
To hold a big secret of an enemy without the enemy's knowledge was equivalent to getting the greatest handle on the enemy, and one could strike a fatal blow at any time when the enemy was off - guard.
Cheng Simian looked at Hongrui with great interest.
Hongrui bent down slightly and leaned close to Cheng Simian's ear.
"Qin Feng forged an imperial edict of the emperor! The edict listed dozens of crimes of the Crown Prince, aiming to depose the Crown Prince, execute the Prince Rui, and order all civil and military officials to support the Second Prince to ascend the throne!"
It was like a thunderbolt exploding on the calm water.
A huge wave rose in Cheng Simian's heart.
Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine. While she was angry, countless questions arose in her mind.
"How did you know such a secret?"
It was true that Hongrui was favored.
But Qin Feng was not stupid. He wouldn't discuss court affairs with a concubine.
Moreover, it was a secret that could lead to the execution of his entire family!
Hongrui told her story slowly, "Three months ago, Qin Feng developed a problem of talking in his sleep. Since he had doted on me exclusively for these three months, only I knew about this problem of his."
Counting carefully, three months ago was the time when the Crown Prince spread the news that he was going to marry her as the Crown Princess.
Qin Xuanyan was not favored by the queen. Qin Feng was anxious. Under the pressure, he started talking in his sleep.
Hongrui was smart and knew how to protect herself.
The sleep - talking of a high - ranking court official might very well reveal court secrets. If Hongrui had told Qin Feng that he talked in his sleep, she might have lost her life.
"At first, he just mumbled some trivial things, and I didn't pay much attention. Until one night, he stayed in the study very late before going to bed. In his dream, he said, 'My imitation of the emperor's handwriting is ten - tenths similar. No one will suspect that the imperial edict is fake.' I was so scared that I broke out in a cold sweat. I became more and more convinced that it was right not to tell him about his sleep - talking problem!"
Cheng Simian was shocked. Qin Feng was so bold!
He knew very well that once a new emperor ascended the throne, everything would change. Holding great power, how could he be willing to let it go easily?
He had made two preparations for himself.
If Qin Xuanyan could successfully enter the Eastern Palace, and the Crown Prince ascended the throne in the future, he would still be a high - ranking official.
If Qin Xuanyan failed to marry into the Eastern Palace, after the emperor passed away, he would take out the fake imperial edict, depose the Crown Prince, and support Lu Siming.
Judging from the current situation, Qin Feng had already decided to fully side with the Second Prince's camp.
He was the head of the Secretariat, whose duty was to draft imperial decrees for the emperor. The imperial edict in his hand was highly credible and would deceive some court officials.
The Second Prince's maternal grandfather had troops, which was a threat to the Crown Prince. If that day really came, even though the Gao family knew that the imperial edict was fake, they would still obstruct the Crown Prince from ascending the throne.
As for the Prince Rui, although he was in charge of Liang Xuguang's 200,000 troops, the real power of dispatch and command was actually still in Liang Xuguang's hands.
If the Prince Rui couldn't send troops to rescue in time, it would delay the time and give Lu Siming an opportunity.
Qin Feng's ambition was despicable!
But his shrewdness also made Cheng Simian deeply impressed.
If Hongrui hadn't provided the information in time...
Just thinking about it made one feel as if they were already in a treacherous whirlpool.
The struggle for power was really bloody, cruel, and thrilling!
Since the matter was of great importance, she had to confirm it repeatedly.
"Are you sure that the fake imperial edict really exists?"
Hongrui said firmly, "I'm sure. I saw it with my own eyes. For several consecutive nights, Qin Feng talked in his sleep about the bookshelf, the wall bricks, and the secret compartment. So, when he went to court, I searched his study. Sure enough, I found a secret compartment on the third row and fifth column of the wall bricks behind the bookshelf. The fake imperial edict was hidden inside. I read the content, and it was exactly the same as what he said in his sleep!"
With such details, it couldn't be a lie.
Cheng Simian took out a silver note worth 5,000 taels and gave it to Hongrui.
Hongrui didn't decline and calmly accepted it.
She deserved it.
"You can stay at my place for the time being. If the Qin family knows that I've redeemed you, they will be anxious and will try every means to kill you. Don't go anywhere during this period."
...
When Qin Feng learned that Hongrui had been redeemed by Cheng Simian, he was both shocked and angry.
He scolded Mrs. Yang severely.
"You've been the mistress of the family for more than twenty years, but you're not as smart and sensitive as a twenty - year - old girl! After the lesson of Qiluo, you sent another Hongrui out. Isn't this just handing the handle of our family to the Crown Prince?"
Mrs. Yang had her own grievances, "You also agreed to let Hongrui take the blame at that time. Besides, Hongrui is just a low - class concubine. At most, she knows some trivial matters in the inner courtyard. What kind of handle could she have?"
Anyway, the reputation of the Qin family was already stinking. What difference would it make if Hongrui said a few more things?
It was just some privacy in the inner courtyard. As long as Qin Feng didn't make mistakes in the court, the emperor wouldn't dismiss him.
"You stupid woman!"
Qin Feng roared angrily, his heart pounding with panic, "That girl Cheng Simian is very meticulous. If there's nothing valuable in Hongrui's mouth, would she go to so much trouble to redeem someone from a place like Yichun Hall?"
The most terrifying thing was that he didn't know what big secret of the Qin family Hongrui knew.
Not knowing what cards the enemy was hiding to deal with you was the scariest thing!
"Hongrui can't be left alive, and neither can Cheng Simian!"
With her by the Crown Prince's side, the Crown Prince would be like a tiger with wings.
Mrs. Yang rolled her eyes and suddenly clapped her hands and laughed, "My lord, I have an idea..."
...
Cheng Simian passed the news to the Crown Prince.
The Eastern Palace was calm.
One day, Xiao Anzi came to deliver something again.
"Crown Princess, these are fresh big cherries just picked from the tree. The Imperial Household Department selected the biggest and reddest ones and sent them to you."
Xiao Anzi had already generously addressed Cheng Simian as the Crown Princess.
Cheng Simian liked cherries very much.
She divided the cherries into three parts.
"Send one part to Wanchu, one part to Yuhe. Wash the rest, and we'll all share them."
The washed cherries were red and crystal - clear.
Cheng Simian first took a plate and presented it to Mrs. Rong.
Mrs. Rong picked two and ate them, "The fresh ones really taste different. They're sweeter than the ones sent last time. Mianmian, you eat too."
Just as Cheng Simian picked up a cherry, Mrs. Rong suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.