NCCnovel Chapter 121 I will protect her safety
Chapter 121 I will protect her safety
Why should I know?
Chu Qingyin finally spared a glance, but her tone was indifferent: "It's a good thing that someone is adding clothes and pouring water for Father."
The last time Aunt Jiang was punished was because she instigated her to elope with Lin Yue. Now that she has entered the harem and is doing well, as time goes by, Qiao Gongquan will probably lose his initial anger.
Moreover, Aunt Jiang had managed the household for many years; even if she hadn't made any great contributions, she had certainly worked hard.
Chu Qingyin had long guessed that if someone like Aunt Jiang didn't die, she would eventually find a way to rise again, but she didn't expect it to happen so quickly...
Could it be that Qiao Qingling used some method behind the scenes to make this happen?
"Don't you really resent it, sister? You went through so much trouble to pull Aunt down from her position as head of the household, and now she's taken it back so easily. All the suffering you endured has been for nothing."
Seeing that she wasn't falling for the trap, Qiao Qingling moved even closer: "Sister, do you think that since Auntie was able to take over the household this time, she'll be able to become the wife of a high-ranking official next time?"
"Dream on." Chu Qingyin scoffed, a hint of coldness in her eyes.
Qiao Qingling is indeed different today, as if she is trying every means to anger me. What is she up to?
“Sister, the late Madam has been gone for many years. It’s time for the Minister’s mansion to have a new mistress. I believe Father will not refuse.”
The two spoke in hushed tones, and all that was noticed by onlookers was that Chu Qingyin's face suddenly darkened.
The reason why Qiao Qingling dared to blatantly provoke her was simply because a few days ago, the Empress found her and said that as long as she was willing to work for her, Jiang's status in the Minister's Mansion would become higher and higher in the future.
The fact that Aunt Jiang is here today to attend the hunting banquet is just the beginning!
Seeing Qiao Qingling's smug and provocative look, Chu Qingyin felt like there was a mosquito buzzing in her ear. She simply got up and lazily said, "Then I will wait for good news from my sister and aunt."
After saying that, she found a relatively secluded empty seat and sat down.
This move immediately attracted the attention of everyone present. The concubines in the harem had different expressions, all looking on with anticipation of a good show.
Seeing her behavior, Qiao Qingling felt indignant, but she wiped away her tears and said miserably, "Does sister despise her so much? What did I do wrong?"
Her crying and sobbing attracted the attention of Empress Wang and Pei Yuanling, even though it was originally a trivial matter.
Pei Yuanling had been paying close attention to Chu Qingyin's movements, and when he saw Qiao Qingling suddenly crying, his handsome face darkened slightly.
"How is this going?"
The man's voice wasn't loud, but it was full of imperial authority, and the atmosphere around him instantly became heavy.
Qiao Qingling seemed to have suffered a great injustice, tears streaming down her face, her body trembling slightly, as she said intermittently, "This concubine doesn't know where she offended her sister, causing her to despise this concubine so much..."
Pei Yuanling turned to look at Chu Qingyin, his eyes filled with inquiry.
Chu Qingyin curtsied, her expression unchanged, but her tone carried a hint of coldness: "She sat beside me, chattering incessantly, it was really noisy. I just wanted to find a quiet place to sit for a while, I don't know how I made you so sad."
"Your Majesty, I haven't seen my sister for so long, so I talked a bit too much. I didn't expect..."
Qiao Qingling bit her lip lightly, her behavior and mannerisms being extremely similar to those of Consort Chu from her previous life.
"Since your sister doesn't want to talk to you, then you should sit further away."
My good mood was completely ruined by her crying.
Then look at her outfit, which is seven parts similar to Consort Qiao's. Anyone with eyes can tell what she's up to. It's just a pity that she's so different from Consort Qiao in appearance.
Pei Yuanling looked at it and, instead of being pleased, felt disgusted. He added coldly, "I find your clothes an eyesore. Go and change!"
"Your Majesty..." Qiao Qingling's eyes widened involuntarily, and a feeling of grievance welled up inside her. She subconsciously glanced in the direction of the Empress.
"Alright, everyone, calm down a bit, don't spoil everyone's fun."
Empress Wang raised her sleeve to rub the tip of her nose, revealing a helpless expression, and turned to the emperor beside her, "Your Majesty, how can you expect someone to change clothes after leaving the house? Besides, Consort Qiao has dressed up carefully, so let's let it go this time."
As he spoke, he gave Qiao Qingling a wink, "Beautiful Qiao, don't go looking for trouble. Just sit and enjoy the scenery."
As the empress, she inevitably had to appease everyone in such situations in order to maintain a good reputation for virtue and gentleness.
"Since the Empress has pleaded for you, this time we'll let it go, but this will not happen again."
Pei Yuanling's voice was extremely cold, but when he turned to look at Chu Qingyin below, his tone softened, "Yinyin, would you like to go down and play for a while?"
This stark contrast in attitude caused everyone present to have different thoughts, and even the Empress almost lost her composure.
On the training ground, many young masters from noble families were competing in archery and horsemanship, and congratulatory shouts could be heard from time to time, making it quite lively.
"Your Majesty, Consort Qiao is the daughter of a civil official, and I'm afraid she is not skilled in riding and archery."
Empress Wang lowered the darkness in her eyes and chuckled, "Besides, the sun is blazing, and it would be a pity for Sister Qiao's delicate skin to get tanned. It would be better for her to stay in the tent and watch the competition."
"It's alright, I will protect her safety."
Pei Yuanling interrupted her directly, and led Chu Qingyin out of the shed where they were cooling off.
The crowd was shocked to see this; His Majesty had publicly humiliated the Empress!
Looking at Empress Wang on the stage, her hands were clenched tightly under her sleeves, and her face turned pale and then red, clearly indicating that she was very angry.
But there was nothing they could do.
"Miss."
The chief eunuch, Lin Qing, reminded Empress Wang at just the right moment, "A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan."
Empress Wang finally came to her senses, and after watching Pei Yuanling lead Chu Qingyin away, she let out a long sigh.
Fine, let her be arrogant for a few more days.
Once that face is ruined, let's see how she can still bewitch the emperor.
"Consort Qiao enjoys unparalleled favor, which truly makes us envious."
The concubine who spoke was named Li Die, the daughter of the Vice Minister of Rites. She was granted the title of Beauty and had only seen His Majesty once since entering the palace.
She was quiet by nature, and being of low status, she rarely got involved in trouble. For some reason, she started talking today.
"That's right. Ever since this Consort Qiao entered the palace, His Majesty has favored her alone. Judging from this trend, she's even going to surpass the late Consort Qiao."
Consort Qin Rong'er took a plate of candied fruit handed to her by her maid Yun Shan, put one in her mouth, and chuckled, "Back then, only Consort Chu had the honor of riding with His Majesty."
After these words were spoken, the expressions of the concubines became even more subtle.
If this Consort Qiao is the second Consort Chu, wouldn't we be back to the situation where one person holds absolute power?
Unable to contain her curiosity, Consort Li tentatively inquired, "Since I entered the palace, I have often heard people mention Consort Chu. Is Consort Qiao really so similar to her?"
Upon hearing this, the concubines who had seen the beautiful and elegant imperial concubine in person all changed their expressions, but they all remained silent and entered the palace without saying a word.