usatvline Chapter 226 Cooperating with her wholeheartedly
Chapter 226 Cooperating with her wholeheartedly
Qinglan was taken aback upon hearing this.
She raised her face and answered cautiously, afraid of touching the other party's sore spot, "Consort Lu was sent to the family temple because His Majesty disliked her. According to the rules, she cannot bring any servants from the palace. Therefore, I was transferred from the Shanggong Bureau to the Shangfu Bureau by the aunt. Now I am working under Granny Liu in the Shangfu Bureau."
"The affairs of the Imperial Clothing Bureau are complicated; you must be working very hard."
The two walked slowly, and Chu Qingyin softened her tone, speaking with apparent concern.
"It is my honor to serve the ladies in the palace; it is not hard work at all."
Qinglan lowered her head and spoke respectfully, but the tightly clenched hem of her clothes betrayed her inner nervousness.
Chu Qingyin walked casually, her gaze wandering around aimlessly, but she kept asking questions: "Now that you're working in the Imperial Clothing Bureau, you must have to go out of the palace to make purchases, right?"
"Yes."
Qinglan lowered her head and followed closely behind her. "If the nanny is not free on weekdays, she will take me out of the palace."
"That's great, you still have a chance to leave the palace and have a look around."
Chu Qingyin's tone was filled with longing. She looked at the high wall, as if talking to herself, or as if saying to Qinglan, "I am now trapped inside these palace walls. I don't know when I will be able to see the scenery outside the palace again."
Upon hearing this, Qinglan's heart stirred slightly, but she dared not speak easily.
"The autumn scenery outside the palace must be quite different from that inside."
Chu Qingyin turned her head, her eyes sparkling with endless anticipation.
Qinglan was slightly taken aback, and hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, things have changed drastically outside the palace. His Majesty is wise and powerful, and he is implementing benevolent policies. The curfew has been lifted, and the streets are much more lively now."
As she spoke, she was wondering why this Consort Liang was suddenly so interested in things outside the palace.
Moreover, she just caught me releasing a carrier pigeon, so why would she say these things to her? Is she testing me?
Chu Qingyin pretended not to see Qinglan's nervousness, sighed softly, and looked distressed: "Since entering the palace, I have been like a caged bird, trapped within these square palace walls, unable to be free."
Hearing this, Qinglan felt even more uneasy.
She glanced up at Chu Qingyin's expression and murmured, "Your Majesty is of noble birth and now enjoys His Majesty's favor. Nothing outside the palace can compare to the luxurious life and pampered existence within."
A faint smile appeared on Chu Qingyin's lips as she gently waved her hand: "What good is fine clothes and delicacies? They still lack the warmth of everyday life."
At this point, she glanced sideways at Qinglan: "As for you, being able to leave the palace so often is truly enviable. I wonder if you've seen any new and interesting things lately when you go out of the palace?"
Qinglan's heart pounded with alarm. After a moment's thought, she replied in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I left the palace in a hurry and was only focused on buying things. I didn't pay attention to anything else."
"I see..."
Chu Qingyin nodded and didn't make things difficult for her anymore.
Before they knew it, the two of them had arrived at the entrance of Feixue Palace.
Chu Qingyin said seemingly casually, "You should go back to the Bureau of Clothing and Apparel. I don't need to follow you here anymore."
As she spoke, she glanced at Qinglan again: "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about you sending out carrier pigeons."
Qinglan immediately breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Your Majesty..."
She pursed her lips tightly and bent her knees as she retreated.
Xianglan was already waiting at the palace gate. When she saw her mistress return, she hurriedly came out to greet her.
She looked somewhat anxious, and after bowing, she hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, you've finally returned! His Majesty is already waiting in the palace."
Why did he arrive at this hour?
Chu Qingyin frowned slightly, but quickly composed herself and stepped inside.
Upon entering the inner hall, one could see Pei Yuanling sitting on a soft couch by the window, looking somewhat impatient.
"Why did Your Majesty come so suddenly without giving anyone prior notice?"
Chu Qingyin moved gracefully, bowed slightly, and wore a gentle smile on her face.
The emperor put down his teacup, rose, and helped her up, his eyes filled with doting affection: "I missed you, so I came to see you. What, you don't welcome me?"
"Your Majesty is too kind. It is my honor that Your Majesty has come."
Chu Qingyin shook her head gently, a faint smile on her lips: "I just went to the Imperial Garden and I'm all sweaty. I hope Your Majesty won't take offense."
As she spoke, she raised her hand to tidy up the stray hairs at her temples, her forehead still damp with a few beads of sweat.
Pei Yuanling pulled her to sit down on the couch, his gaze falling on her face as if scrutinizing her: "Yinyin, would you like to go out of the palace for a trip?"
Chu Qingyin's heart tightened; why did he suddenly bring this up?
She remained calm on the surface and said softly, "What, does Your Majesty wish to take me on a trip?"
Pei Yuanling said, "I heard that you have been having a poor appetite lately and often staring out the window in a daze, so I thought that you might be feeling a bit stifled in the palace."
He knew that his Yinyin had always been a playful person.
Before she married him in her previous life, she would often dress in red, invite her friends, and go riding horses in the countryside.
But after she married him and entered the palace with him, she unknowingly gave up her playful nature.
Seeing his considerate inquiry, Chu Qingyin's tense mood gradually relaxed.
But while feeling relaxed, a complex and indescribable feeling welled up inside.
His kindness towards her was undoubtedly genuine.
But his cold-heartedness is also true.
Suppressing her emotions, she forced a gentle smile. "Perhaps it's because autumn has arrived, and the scenery evokes feelings of nostalgia. I feel that time has passed so quickly, and I feel a bit melancholy about the passing of spring and autumn."
Upon hearing this, Pei Yuanling seemingly casually played with Chu Qingyin's loose hair and said softly, "Since Yinyin wants to go out of the palace for a trip, then I will accompany you. However, the court is unstable right now, so let's wait two more months, and then I will take you to Baohua Temple to see the plum blossoms, shall we?"
"Okay."
As if she had received a great blessing, Chu Qingyin smiled and reached out to wrap her arms around Pei Yuanling's neck, giving him a light kiss on the cheek. She said sweetly, "Your Majesty is so considerate to me. I am so happy."
Pei Yuanling smiled and pinched her nose, his eyes full of tenderness.
***
As for Qinglan, she didn't dare to delay even for a moment after leaving Feixue Palace. After finding the secret guard who was supposed to meet her, she hurriedly told him about how she had been discovered by Consort Liang.
This matter quickly reached Lu Zhiheng's ears.
He sat upright at his desk, which was covered with memorials from recent days, most of which impeached Lady Wang.
Upon hearing Ling Xiao's report, Lu Zhiheng's lips curled into a slight smile.
He has already investigated the matter of Consort Liang's secret meeting with Chu Tianheng that day, and now he can confirm that Consort Liang is the deceased Consort Chu.
However, for some reason, she was reborn into the body of Qiao Qingyin, the daughter of Minister Qiao.
However, this also explains why she was so hostile towards me when we first met.
Although the idea of possession and reincarnation is too incredible, all the signs over the past year have proven that Chu Qingyin and Qiao Qingyin are the same person.
However, Chu Qingyin's recent behavior has been quite interesting.
Could it be that because General Chu has been released from prison and the Duke's Mansion has been exonerated, she no longer wants to stay by Pei Yuanling's side?
Does this also mean that she is now just going through the motions with Pei Yuanling and no longer has any feelings for him?
Thinking of this, Lu Zhiheng's thin lips curled up slightly, without him even realizing it.
After a long while, he stood up from his desk, walked to the window, and said in a low voice, "Lingxiao, tell Qinglan that whatever Consort Liang wants to do, she should cooperate fully."
"Yes!"