Qiu Yelan took a sip of tea. And she hinted with a wink that Su He herself should go out and lead others to guard the door. Then she asked cautiously, “Tell me the truth. You have been seeing Kuang Qingwu for a year. What’s the state of your relationship?”

“…” Hearing that, Qin Jinzhu lowered her head at once and said nothing.

She was dillydallying. But Qiu Yelan didn’t have time for that and was about to urge her. Xiuyan answered for her with huge embarrassment, “Sixth Commandery Princess is really young and naive…And Kuang Qingwu wheedled her into thinking that he was sincere…”

So, what should have happened and shouldn’t have happened both happened?

Just like what Qiu Yelan expected, but she still sighed, “He took everything he could and didn’t even mention about marrying her. Even so, she still wants to defend Kuang Qingwu…How did Yang teach her daughter?” even Qiu Jinzhu was just 14. But people got married at an early age in that era. 14 was the age that people should get married. She should have known better!

Qiu Yelan shook her head and then asked, “Then…one more question, are you pregnant?”

That was a straight question. Let alone that Qiu Jinzhu and Xiuyan felt too ashamed. Even Xiaran who stayed to wait on them blushed. After a moment’s deadlock, Qiu Jinzhu whispered, “I…I don’t think so!”

“Do you know what pregnancy is?” Qiu Yelan was still worried.

“Princess asked an old maidservant to feel her pulse just now,” Xiuyan was too ashamed to look up and said cautiously.

Qiu Yelan nodded, “In that case, it’s okay for you to be tired when we argue over this,” the strategy of the Empress’s party in response to the mad attacks of Empress Dowager’s party was a chain of stratagems. Exposing Kuang Qingwu and Qiu Jinzhu’s affair was just their first move.

They made their first move using that matter because it could directly lead to Empress Dowager Gu’s top concern which was the military power of the Western Army. And also because things like men’s and women’s affairs drew the most attention and were the easiest way to create a buzz. In that case, not only was there less rumour about Marquess Qin’s illness, but it could also make the Empress Dowager’s party think of Qiu Jinglan’s origin which could distract them. It could fundamentally reduce the pressure which came from other’s speculation about Marquess Qin’s illness!

As for Qiu Jinzhu who got involved involuntarily, frankly speaking, since the day she started to see Kuang Qingwu, she was destined to get dragged into this mess. Even if Jiang Yashuang didn’t trick her, Empress Dowager would kill her sooner or later to clear the way for Princess Changping! Now it became a big deal. She had a chance instead!

Besides, Qiu Yelan was sure that Kuang Qingwu seduced her cousin on purpose. His purpose was by no means pure. Not just playing with Qiu Jinzhu, she was afraid that he had a deeper purpose. However, Qiu Jinzhu indulged in a lie of having found a good husband. She hadn’t noticed it at all!

“The next move will be seeking justice for this silly girl using this as an excuse,” Qiu Yelan thought, “I hope she comes to her senses soon. Otherwise, Kuang Qingwu may coax her into changing her mind after I have tried to stand up for her. How can I keep this show going after that?”

“I’m not afraid of being tired!” Qiu Jinzhu said timidly.

“One more thing. After I teach you how to do, you must listen to me. Don’t let Kuang Qingwu coax you into changing your mind and put me in harm’s way instead!” Qiu Yelan took a look at her and put on a serious face. She said, “We have to agree on this. If you don’t listen to me, I’ll leave you to fend for yourself!”

As expected, hardly had her voice faded away, Qiu Jinzhu looked torn and hesitated to agree!

Seeing that Qiu Jinzhu was actually hesitating, Xiuyan was so frustrated, “Sixth Commandery Princess, did you forget what Princess told you before you came here? Judging by the time, Prince should have been called back by Senior Concubine Bian and Madame Ding. I’m not sure how Princess is going to explain to Prince. Do you care if Princess dies? She is your mother!”

Then she cried out loud, “What Commandery Princess Ningyi said is absolutely right! If Kuang Qingwu truly loved you, how could he not come out and give you an explanation considering it has come to this? He has been lying to you for a year. And he has ruined your life. Do you want to forsake your mother and brother for him?”

Qiu Jinzhu had been seeing Kuang Qingwu in private for a year. And he was her first love. Even she knew that he lied to her, she still couldn’t break up with him immediately. After all, it was hard for girls to cut the knots when it came to relationships. She was panic due to all the tears and confrontation coming from Xiuyan. But she was numb and didn’t promise not to see Kuang Qingwu in the future.

Seeing that, Xiuyan felt like slapping her to make her regain her senses!

However, before she who was grinding her teeth could continue to push Qiu Jinzhu, Su He who was outside the door reported loudly, “Someone from the Summer Palace is here. He said that Empress Dowager summoned Commandery Princess Ningtai to go to the palace!”

“Commandery Princess Ningyi, sixth Commandery Princess is not herself right now. You have to save her! I’m begging you!” Hearing that, Xiuyan was greatly frightened. She didn’t know what to do. She only could keep kowtowing to Qiu Yelan desperately. She was Princess Yang’s trusted maid. They rose and fell together. If Princess Yang was harmed because of Qin Jinzhu, she would suffer too!

So, she was very sincere when she kowtowed. After a few times, blood ran from her smooth forehead!

“I’ll be on her side!” Qiu Yelan stood up and asked Xiaran to stop Xiuyan. She sneered, “Now I have a chance to mess with Kuang Qingwu. How could I let it go? So, there is no need for you to beg me. You’d better save your strength and follow sixth Commandery Princess closely later. When she is going to say something that she shouldn’t say, you’d better force her to shut up!”

After saying all that, Qiu Yelan instructed Su He, “Tell him that we will be there after changing!”

Then she shouted, “Where is Yashuang? Go and find him. Ask him to go and ask aunt for help!”

Hearing that Qiu Yelan was going to ask Empress for help, Xiuyan finally believed that she was really going to stand up for Qiu Jinzhu. Considering how powerful Jiang Family was, even there were rumors saying Marquess Qin was dying, but since he was still alive, he should be able to hang in there until the big trouble of Prince’s Mansion of Xihe was solved, right?

Qiu Yelan asked Xiaran to call the maids in to wait on Qiu Jinzhu and Xiuyan. She went into the inner chamber and changed into the Commandery Princess’s formal dress. After them all tidying up, she walked out with her cousin.

The eunuch who was sent there by Empress Dowager waited anxiously in the Flower Hall. When he finally saw them, his tone surly was not nice, “Two Commandery Princess of Qiu, you guys are finally here! I thought you guys went away through the back door. I was wondering how to reply to Empress Dowager!”

He was obviously satirizing Qiu Jinzhu for doing something shameful. Besides, he called them “two Commandery Princess of Qiu” which also insinuated Qiu Yelan.

Hearing that, Qiu Yelan looked at Su He. Su He figured out what she meant immediately. She replied immediately with a sarcastic and cold tone, “Oh! You have quite a temper! However, what an important person Empress Dowager is! Madame Yelan and Commandery Princess Ningtai tidied themselves up before going to see her which shows their respect for her. Do you mean that we don’t need to respect Empress Dowager so much?”

The eunuch didn’t expect that not only did Qiu Yelan not take his anger seriously, she even hinted a maid to talk back to him. He was stunned for a moment. Then a murderous look flashed through his fair face. He said insidiously, “Commandery Princess Ningyi, do you agree with her? Although I wasn’t lucky enough to see you all the time, I knew that you didn’t dress so formal meeting with the Empress when you stayed in the Summer Palace a few days ago. Do you respect Empress Dowager but not Empress? In that case, I’ll definitely tell Empress Dowager about it. I won’t let your efforts go in vain!”

Hearing that, Su He was astonished. She focused on picking on the eunuch. But she didn’t realize that there was a huge loophole in her words! She was trying to figure out what to do. She heard Qiu Yelan saying flatly, “How can today be the same as usual? My cousin is fooled by that immoral bastard Kuang Qingwu. Even if Empress Dowager doesn’t summon us, I’m going to take my cousin to the palace to ask Empress to uphold justice! How could I wear casual clothes on such an occasion?”

The eunuch didn’t have better things to say, “Empress Dowager is dealing with this matter now. You can let me lead Commandery Princess Ningtai to Empress Dowager. And you can go to Empress yourself!”

“Ridiculous! Who do you think you are? You are not qualified to speak on Empress Dowager’s behalf!” Su He finally found a chance to make up for her mistake. She rebuked loudly, “Besides, how honorable Empress is! You think you can send Her Grace to see the Empress just by saying so. I wonder if you could see Empress anytime you want! What? Do you dare to command the Empress?”

“Carriage is outside. Please follow me!” the eunuch’s look changed a few times. He was indeed Empress Dowager’s trusted servant. He knew that he wouldn’t necessarily lose a quarrel to Su He. But he was outnumbered at that moment. If he kept quarreling with her, he would only be humiliated more. There was no point in doing that. He pretended not to hear what Su He said at that moment. But he thought viciously, “Wait until we meet the Empress Dowager. I’ll make you b*tch pay!”

The eunuch waved his horsetail whisk with a poker face and walked out of the door before them!

Seeing that, Su He looked at Qiu Yelan with gloat. Qiu Yelan also gave her an approving look. After praising her trusted maid, Qiu Yelan’s smile fainted, “Qiu Jinzhu is such a silly girl. She is wavering in her attitude. I need to prevent her from changing her side later. Also, Empress Dowager must have summoned Kuang Qingwu to the palace to question him about the matter. Now she is summoning Qiu Jinzhu. I’m afraid that she already has a solution. I can’t let them have what they want!”

She was wrong about that. Of course, Empress Dowager’s party discussed what to do right after hearing the news. However, the solution…

They were still arguing up to that moment!

In Empress Dowager Gu’s perspective, a Commandery Princess of a declining Prince Family wanted to steal the future husband of my granddaughter who I raised myself? She could have died sooner! So, Empress Dowager suggested, “I remember Commandery Princess Ningtai. You guys also know how her two cousins who were the two girls of the Yang Family died and how Yang Tao got implicated and relegated by those unfilial juniors. It’s said that birds of a feather flock together. Her cousins were lacking in virtue. It’s normal that she learns from them. She seduces others at such a young age. How will Prince’s Mansion of Xihe face others if she doesn’t die?”

She meant that they needed to blame Prince’s Mansion of Xihe for not being strict with her and blame her for being a slut.

But Qiu Dian who arrived in a hurry disagreed, “Your Majesty, although Prince’s Mansion of Xihe is not like what it used to be, its ancestry has a deep connection with the Western Army! Two generations of the Western Army all know that Kuang Shihan owes General Ruan a debt. If Kuang Qingwu is seeing girls from other families, it will be okay. Since it’s Commandery Princess Ningyi, it’s better to pacify to avoid disappointing those people in the Western Army who still remember their old commander!”

Of course, those people had already been disappointed when Qiu Zhongyan died and General Ruan got condemned. Qiu Dian thought like that at that moment mostly because, “After all, Jiang Family still doesn’t let others see that one in Green Villa. How could we be sure it’s not about this?”

The old-timers of the Western Army already remembered that Kuang Shihan requited General Ruan’s kindness with enmity. Now Kuang Qingwu wanted to forsake Commandery Princess Ningtai after having dallied with. If Qiu Jinglan came forward after all that with his true identity and played the victim… Although there were people who held the candle for the devil, most of the people had the right moral standards, okay?

It would not only shake the morale of the army, but also make Empress Dowager’s party unpopular!

Empress Dowager Gu and Qiu Dian argued for a while but couldn’t agree with each other. They both looked at Tang Zimo who arrived before Qiu Dian and kept silent, “Prime Minister Tang?”

“Kuang Qingwu is much older than Commandery Princess Ningtai. If words get out, people will spurn Commandery Princess Ningtai for sure, but they will more likely to believe that Kuang Qingwu seduced Commandery Princess Ningtai… Besides, Qiu Jinglan is definitely behind this!” Tang Zimo was a key member who Empress Dowager Gu was willing to mend fences with even she needed to arrange a marriage between two people of different generations. His suggestion was better, “Why don’t we beat them at their own game? First, we ask Kuang Qingwu to admit that he has been seeing Commandery Princess Ningtai in private. Then, we expose that Commandery Princess Ningtai is under Qiu Jinglan’s command. She is willing to seduce Kuang Qingwu in order to usurp the Western Army’s military power through him. Or even plot to murder important officials!”