That matter - of - fact tone.
It was as if if Lan Miao didn't agree, Mrs. Qin would immediately brand her as unfilial and slap her across the face.
Lan Miao lowered her eyes.
She kept silent all the while.
A dull ache throbbed in her head.
Seeing that Lan Miao didn't say a word, Mrs. Qin felt a chill in her heart. Assuming that Lan Miao was reluctant to help, a rare tinge of anger crept into her tone.
"Xin'er is the youngest sister in the mansion. Now her life is hanging by a thread in the palace. How can you remain indifferent? After being a widow for so many years, how could you turn into such a cold - hearted and heartless person?"
Lan Miao's breath caught in her throat. She thought they were really ridiculous. When asking for help, they should know their place. She wasn't their servant.
"I only want to ask Mother one thing. Was it my fault that she was imprisoned?"
Lan Miao raised her eyes, her gaze as calm as still water.
Mrs. Qin was momentarily stunned.
Under Lan Miao's unwavering gaze, she slowly shook her head.
"Since it wasn't, why should I be obliged to help? Has Mother ever thought about how I can help? Do you think His Majesty will just obediently listen to me?"
She casually picked up the jade - carving tools at hand and then placed them on the table with a crisp sound.
It seemed to convey her inner anger.
Although Lan Miao didn't know why His Majesty had imprisoned Lan Xin, her intuition told her that Lan Xin must have done or said something she shouldn't have due to a misunderstanding, thus offending His Majesty.
If so, it was her own doing.
Lan Miao played with the jade in her hand and gradually regained her composure.
"A lot of things have happened in the palace these days. Maybe His Majesty is in a foul mood. Whoever goes to him at this moment will only add fuel to the fire. Mother should wait a few days until His Majesty calms down and then ask Father to plead for mercy."
Lan Miao advised calmly.
What she said was all true.
She had witnessed His Majesty's methods yesterday. Although the imperial concubine seemed to have got away unscathed, the punishment His Majesty had given her would surely be unforgettable for life.
It was said that in the middle of the night yesterday, the imperial concubine had fallen into a high fever due to excessive fear. The imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital had waited half the night before daring to go and treat her.
No one knew what was going on in the imperial concubine's palace now.
Lan Miao's advice was not without reason.
Hearing this, Mrs. Qin's face suddenly turned pale.
What she was thinking was that Lan Miao was indeed useless. She had thought the emperor liked her so much, but the Lovesickness Pavilion where she lived was so far away. It turned out that the emperor didn't think much of Lan Miao either.
What could she do now?
Mrs. Qin twisted her fingers nervously.
Suddenly, Mrs. Qin thought of something else.
She asked tentatively, "Didn't you win first place at the Rare Stone Banquet that day and His Majesty rewarded you with a promise?"
"..."
In a split - second, Lan Miao understood what Mrs. Qin meant.
"Do you want me to use this promise to ask His Majesty to release Lan Xin?"
"Exactly. His Majesty's words are as good as gold. I'm sure he won't break his promise."
A hint of excitement crept into Mrs. Qin's tone.
She was usually a virtuous and kind - hearted mistress when managing the household. Only Lan Miao knew that she was cold - hearted and sharp - tongued. Even though she was extremely anxious when coming to ask for help today, there was still that icy and caustic edge in her tone.
Lan Miao slowly closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, all the sorrow in her heart sank to the bottom, and her expression returned to calm. "Does Father think so too? When something happens to Lan Xin, it should be Father who asks His Majesty for mercy, right?"
"Your father... knows that I'm coming to the palace to find you. This is also his intention. He also wants you to help Lan Xin. We're all family. Now that you've returned to the Lan Mansion after the divorce, don't you still need the support of the Lan Mansion?"
Mrs. Qin thought that Lan Miao was gradually being persuaded.
A proper smile that was usually seen on her face bloomed. She even tried to hold Lan Miao's hand to show affection.
Lan Cengui just asked her to come and ask Lan Miao for advice and try to calm His Majesty down. He didn't ask Lan Miao to use the promise to help Lan Xin.
But she thought that since Lan Miao was a member of the Lan Mansion, she should do her best to repay the mansion.
Lan Miao owed everything she had today to the Lan Mansion.
How could she be ungrateful?
Looking at Mrs. Qin's expectant eyes and the hand reaching out to her, Lan Miao couldn't help but sneer.
The Marquis Mansion and the Lan Mansion were all of the same kind.
When she was useful, she was a member of the Lan Mansion;
When she was useless, she was like water spilled out.
"No."
Lan Miao refused calmly.
Mrs. Qin's virtuous appearance shattered like a mask.
Mrs. Qin, who had just felt a glimmer of hope, suddenly straightened her body and leaned back. If it weren't for this desperate situation, how could she have come to beg Lan Miao?
However, none of the relationships she had carefully maintained over the years could save Lan Xin now. To find someone who could speak to His Majesty, after much thought, she could only think of Lan Miao.
If not for this, how could she have come to beg a concubine daughter she had always looked down on?
Mrs. Qin completely lost her composure.
"You're so cold - hearted and ungrateful. Lan Xin is your younger sister, but you just watch her die. It's all the trouble you've brought. As soon as you returned to the mansion, so many things have happened. You're just a bad omen. You've killed your mother, your husband, and now you're going to kill us..."
"Shut up."
Lan Miao suddenly stood up, her face turning terrifyingly dark.
Mrs. Qin trembled in fear, and the arrogance she had when scolding Lan Miao faded.
Her lips quivered slightly, and she knew she had said something out of line.
But then Lan Miao calmly raised her head, a smile curving her lips. She reached out and grabbed Mrs. Qin's arm, roughly pulling her off the couch.
"Let's go. Don't you want to save Lan Xin? Let's go find His Majesty. You can plead with him. Plead with your life in front of him. Aren't you willing to sacrifice everything for the Lan Mansion? Then sacrifice your life. How about that?"
Hearing this, Mrs. Qin was a bit dazed.
What did she mean?
Plead with her life.
This was just ridiculous.
"No. Even if I go to plead, His Majesty will only get angrier. You have to go." Mrs. Qin tried to pull her arm out of Lan Miao's grasp, but Lan Miao, who looked so delicate and weak, had surprisingly great strength.
"How do you know if you haven't tried?"
Lan Miao sneered.
"Come on. I'll take you to see His Majesty. Go and plead. Aren't you Lan Xin's mother? Maybe His Majesty will spare you out of pity for the mother - daughter bond."
As she spoke, Lan Miao grabbed Mrs. Qin and walked towards the door.
Han Bi and Yan Hong, who were guarding outside, had already faintly heard the argument inside, but they didn't dare to go in or eavesdrop.
The next scene left them dumbfounded.
The usually calm and gentle Lan Miao was actually dragging Mrs. Qin out by the hand.
When Mrs. Qin saw the maids outside, her face flushed red with embarrassment. How disgraceful this was.
She had never been so humiliated.
"Stop. Let go of me. I'm not going. You have to go..."
Lan Miao still didn't let go. She said nothing, and her face even looked quite relaxed.
Han Bi and Yan Hong could only watch helplessly and didn't dare to intervene.
In a hurry, Mrs. Qin desperately grabbed the doorframe, as if competing with Lan Miao in strength. The two were locked in a stalemate like children.
Lan Miao looked at her coldly and suddenly yanked Mrs. Qin's arm, directly prying her fingers off the doorframe.
"You... Let go. I'm not going. How can I go like this? Only you can go."
Mrs. Qin was still trying to pull her arm back from Lan Miao's grasp, but Lan Miao suddenly let go.
Mrs. Qin fell to the ground with a thud, lying on her back.
She looked like a ridiculous green toad.
Han Bi couldn't help but laugh. It was Yan Hong who quickly grabbed her and stopped her from laughing out loud.
"Since Mother knows that only I can go, please adjust your attitude. Otherwise, even if we go in front of His Majesty, I'll tell him every word you've just said. How do you like that?"