ebookland Chapter 102 The Crown Prince
Chapter 102 The Crown Prince
She tilted her head back and asked.
Why don't you go in?
Xiao Zhijie gestured with his lips and pointed to her eyes.
"Your eyes are so red, you should wait a bit before going in."
Qiao Qingshu then touched her face. She had been crying so much that her eyes must be red and swollen. If she went in like this, people would definitely become suspicious.
She took a deep breath, stood still, looked up at the distant sky, and felt a pang of heartache.
Qiao Anlan is now relatively safe in the Xiao family; at least she won't be beaten anymore. She recalled the face she had just seen.
Although he was thin, his expression was calm and composed, which at least showed that the Xiao family had not mistreated him.
Qiao Qingshu gazed at the blue sky and white clouds in the distance, her thoughts turning back to her brother.
Xiao Zhijie stood behind her, watching her back.
The two stood there in silence, but they both seemed to enjoy the silence.
By the time she entered the room and took her seat, Qiao Qingshu had already regained her natural expression.
During the meal, the other three wives of the Xiao family teased Qiao Qingshu and Xiao Zhijie quite a bit, but Qiao Qingshu's mind was not on arguing with them at all; she was lost in thought.
Throughout the meal, Xiao Zhijie and Su Yunzhen shielded her from both open and covert attacks and sarcastic remarks.
After the banquet ended, Madam Xiao specially called Qiao Qingshu into the room to talk.
Old Madam Xiao looked at Qiao Qingshu and said slowly,
"The Imperial Concubine asked me to pass on a message to you, saying that she has already taken care of the matter you entrusted to her."
Qiao Qingshu smiled and nodded upon hearing this.
Madam Xiao frowned and said,
"Shu'er, I didn't expect you to be so bold as to send someone to the palace to ask the Imperial Concubine to do something for you. The Imperial Concubine originally wanted to send a eunuch to your residence to deliver the message, but she was afraid of attracting attention, so she used me to inform you."
Qiao Qingshu just smiled and didn't say anything.
Madam Xiao asked again,
"What did you ask the Imperial Concubine to do for you?"
Madam Xiao never expected that Qiao Qingshu would be so good at leveraging power. She had just been made the adopted daughter of the Imperial Concubine, and she didn't feel embarrassed at all. She immediately asked the Imperial Concubine to help her with some things.
Madam Xiao did not know what Qiao Qingshu was asking for, but she became somewhat wary of the girl.
At such a young age, he is already so good at assessing situations and leveraging resources; I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
Seeing that Qiao Qingshu pursed her lips and lowered her head, not intending to speak, Old Madam Qiao sighed and did not press the matter further.
He simply told her to prepare well for the wedding in the spring.
Qiao Qingshu left the Xiao family with a smile, feeling that she had gained a lot from this trip.
He handed over all the paintings and calligraphy he had obtained from An'er to Gui Mama, asking her to deliver them to Bai Shi as soon as possible.
As soon as Qiao Qingshu's carriage arrived at the Qiao family's gate, she saw a large number of soldiers guarding the entrance.
As soon as she stepped out of the sedan chair, the soldiers immediately pointed their longswords at her.
The servant guarding the door rushed forward to stop them.
"Oh dear, Your Excellency, this is my young lady, not an outsider."
"My young lady just got back from attending a birthday banquet."
The soldiers then put their swords away.
Qiao Qingshu slowly entered the house. As soon as she reached the main hall, she saw Liu Wan'er standing there waiting for her.
"Cousin, you're finally back! The young master has been waiting for you for ages."
Qiao Qingshu was taken aback, thinking to herself, "They really came."
She slowly walked into the main hall and saw Qiao Jizhou bowing and scraping obsequiously as he poured tea and served water to the Crown Prince.
Because her legs were paralyzed, Madam Qiao was unable to come out to receive guests, but she still sent Granny Zou and Granny Li to stand by and keep an eye on things.
Yan Xiu, dressed in a dark purple brocade robe with auspicious patterns, sat at the head of the table, holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, squinting as he sized up Qiao Qingshu.
His eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of amazement; he hadn't expected such a beauty to be hidden in the capital.
Qiao Qingshu stepped forward and bowed slowly, while Yan Xiu curled his lips into a disdainful smile.
"You're the eldest daughter of the Qiao family?"
Qiao Qingshu nodded.
Yan Xiu shifted his sitting position, tilted his head back, and got straight to the point.
"You sold those three estates you owned?"
Qiao Qingshu nodded.
Yan Xiu waved his hand and said...
"No matter who you sold it to, take it back for me, the Crown Prince. I've got my eye on that land!"
Liu Wan'er stood behind the Crown Prince with a smug smile. No matter who Qiao Qingshu sold this land to, she would have to give it back!
If she can't have it, Qiao Qingshu shouldn't have it either.
Qiao Qingshu smiled and looked up, meeting Yan Xiu's eyes.
"Your Highness, no!"
Upon hearing this, Qiao Jizhou was so frightened that cold sweat broke out on his back.
How could his daughter be so bold as to disobey even the Crown Prince's orders?
He rushed forward and knelt at the prince's feet, saying...
"Your Highness, she's joking. If you want that land, it's just a matter of a word. We'll gladly offer it to you."
He nudged Qiao Qingshu's arm and whispered,
"Hurry up and kneel down to apologize to the Crown Prince!"
Qiao Qingshu coldly replied,
"Your Highness, I really can't give it to you."
The crown prince angrily swept the teacup beside him to the ground, baring his teeth and shouting.
"Do you want to die?! If you don't hand it over, you can just wait to die!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Wan'er couldn't help but smile; she wished Qiao Qingshu were dead.
She could accept not handing over the estate, as long as Qiao Qingshu died in front of her!
She stared at her with wide eyes, looking on with an expression of amusement.
Thinking to herself, Qiao Qingshu is going against the Crown Prince; she really doesn't want to live anymore.
Qiao Qingshu also saw Liu Wan'er's expression, and how could she let this bitch succeed?
She spoke slowly to the Crown Prince.
"It's not that I don't want to give it to you, but the buyers of these three plots of land are not easy to offend."
Crown Prince Yan Xiu chuckled. Under heaven, besides his father, who was above him, was there anyone else he needed to be wary of?
He couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"If you can't tell me, then I'll see who I can't afford to offend!"
Qiao Qingshu said slowly,
"Consort Xiande".
Liu Wan'er was stunned upon hearing this, and stared at her with her mouth agape in disbelief.
Qiao Qingshu smiled slightly at her.
Yan Xiu was also stunned. His smile froze on his lips, and his face quickly darkened.
Consort Xiande is currently the most favored concubine, and although he dislikes her, he dares not offend her.
After all, she was the emperor's favorite concubine.
The Empress had complained about Consort Xiande to Yan Xiu on several occasions, which is why Yan Xiu also disliked her.
Although they disliked him, they dared not offend him.
To oppose her is tantamount to opposing the Emperor.
Yan Xiu gritted his teeth and roared at Liu Wan'er in annoyance.
"This is what you meant by getting it so easily!"
"Snapped!"
A resounding slap landed on Liu Wan'er's face, so powerful that she fell off the couch and rolled several times.
She felt a buzzing in her ears, her whole body spinning, and her head spinning terribly.
Yan Xiu kicked Liu Wan'er again, angrily rebuking her.
"You vile woman! You're wasting my time!"
After saying that, he turned around and rushed out.
Qiao Jizhou stood there, stunned, staring at the scene in disbelief.
Why are so many people eyeing these three estates? They're just abandoned fields!