I insist

Chapter 350: Testing with Poison

"Your Highness, please rest assured, this old servant will definitely handle this matter well."

After all, this matter also concerns the old eunuch's future path.

As the two were discussing how to recruit soldiers and horses in the future, Yu Huailin suddenly heard someone eavesdropping at the door.

"who is it?"

The maid was so frightened that she quickly came out from behind the door.

"Reporting to the old eunuch, it is this servant."

"Your Highness, there is no need to panic. This matter is handled by my personal maid."

Yu Huailin was skeptical. If she was a maid, why didn't she enter the room openly? Why was she acting so furtively?

"You little maid, you don't know any manners at all. Put down your tea and get out of here right now."

Although the old eunuch immediately scolded the maid out, Yu Huailin still felt that something was amiss.

"Your Highness need not worry, the little maid was just afraid we were thirsty."

Looking at the teacup handed over by the old eunuch, Yu Huailin accepted it with a hint of doubt.

"Your Highness must be thirsty. Please try the tea here and see if it suits your taste."

Seeing the old eunuch's eagerness, Yu Huailin was even more certain that the tea had been tampered with.

He calmly placed the teacup on the table.

"Put it here. I never drink random tea leaves. I don't like them."

The old eunuch stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, this is the finest tea, a tribute from the borderlands every year. Even the Empress cannot drink it often."

How could Yu Huailin be fooled by such words? "I've already said I never drink tea from outsiders. Do you think I'm someone who's never tasted good tea before?"

Unable to persuade him otherwise, the old eunuch had no choice but to give up.

"This old minister only wishes to let Your Highness have a taste."

Yu Huailin stood up. "I've finished speaking about the important matters. It's getting late, so I won't disturb you any longer. I hope you'll remember what you're supposed to do."

After saying that, he left the old eunuch's room.

This place is not a good place to stay. If it gets discovered and word gets out, it will do neither Huailin nor Song Miqiu any good.

Just as he stepped out of the old eunuch's room, he ran into Liuli at the door.

Judging from her appearance and demeanor, it seemed that she had known Yu Huailin was coming for a long time and had been waiting for him.

Before Huailin could speak, Liuli stepped forward and hugged Yu Huailin tightly.

How could she give up her love so easily?

"Let go."

Yu Huailin easily escaped Liuli's embrace.

Only then did I get a good look at her, and I noticed that the clothes Liuli was wearing looked somewhat familiar.

Not only her clothes, but even her makeup and hairstyle are very similar to Song Miqiu's; people would believe they were cut from the same mold.

"Why did you dress like this to appear before me, Your Highness?"

Seeing Liuli dressed up as Song Miqiu, Yu Huailin felt even more disgusted with her.

"Your Highness, I have endured countless torments just so that I can be with you. I am willing to do anything as long as I am with you, even my life."

Why would Yu Huailin need his life? He wouldn't even glance at him.

"Get out of here, don't show your face in front of me again, and definitely don't wear her clothes."

Liuli's love turned to hatred, and she clenched her hands tightly together.

"You hate me that much that you don't want to see me even once?"

"Yes."

After saying this, Yu Huailin left again without looking back.

Seeing Yu Huailin's heartless behavior, Liuli had no choice but to direct all her hatred towards Song Miqiu.

"Song Miqiu, you just wait. I'll make you pay the price sooner or later."

The old woman heard a noise at the door and went in to check. She then saw Liuli squatting at the door.

This was the old eunuch's only support at the moment, so he naturally felt very sorry for him.

"Silly girl, how can you sit here? Come inside."

Upon seeing the old eunuch, Liuli finally let out the tears she had been holding back.

He was helped into the house by the old eunuch.

After entering the room, the old eunuch inquired about the whole story.

"My silly child, how could you do this at a time like this?"

"Even if you dress up as Song Miqiu every day, you are still just a substitute for him. You are not yourself. Even if you are with Yu Huailin, don't you feel resentful?"

However, despite all of Liuli's schemes, Yu Huailin remained unmoved, like an unyielding rock.

Liuli was also at her wit's end.

"Stepfather, what should I do? I really don't know what to do."

The old eunuch watched helplessly as his daughter suffered terribly because of a mere grandson of the former emperor. He knew that with his position in the palace, what kind of man couldn't he find?

"Daughter, do you really intend to spend your whole life on Yu Huailin?"

Liuli had never been so resolute before. She wiped away her tears and looked at the old eunuch as he replied with utmost seriousness.

"Yes, the stepdaughter has only ever been devoted to Yu Huailin for the rest of her life."

The old eunuch sighed, remembering that he had been young before entering the palace and knew how torturous it was to have one's heart withdrawn.

“Silly daughter, your stepfather knows your feelings. From now on, your stepfather will help you. Remember, you must not do things like today again. Your stepfather will not allow you to degrade yourself like this.”

"What should the stepfather's daughter do now? He can't just keep waiting."

The old eunuch looked into the distance; he couldn't fathom Yu Huailin's thoughts either.

“Your stepfather thinks the only thing you can do now is to undermine Song Miqiu’s position in his heart, so that you can squeeze in.”

Liuli nodded. This time, she planned to follow her stepfather's advice completely and do as he said.

Sitting in the carriage, we were almost at our doorstep.

Yu Huailin muttered to himself inside the sedan chair, "I wonder if Song Miqiu is asleep now. I was planning to tell her everything today, but I've been delayed again."

Just as I was thinking this, I heard a commotion coming from the front of the carriage.

The carriage came to an instant.

"Your Highness, it was dark and I couldn't see the road. I think I bumped into someone."

The groom quickly admitted the mistake he had just made.

Fearing something might have gone wrong, Yu Huailin quickly got off the carriage to check.

An old woman was lying in front of the carriage; in the moonlight, she looked quite old.

Just as Yu Huailin was about to go up and help her up to ask what was wrong, an old man rushed out from the side and hurriedly ran to the old lady.

"Old woman, are you alright? Quickly stand up and walk a few steps."

After speaking so gently to the old lady, she turned to Yu Huailin and sternly reprimanded him.

"Young man, if there's even the slightest problem with my wife, I'll fight you to the death."

Seeing the old man's disrespect towards Yu Huailin, the guards were about to step forward to teach him a lesson when Yu Huailin stopped them.

"It was our fault to begin with, so we should apologize instead of acting recklessly."

Although the old lady was quite old, she was in very good health, and fortunately the carriage stopped in time.