roccoschili Chapter 499 Chen Wanqing's courage: Inviting Qin Mu to her room for drinks.
Chapter 499 Chen Wanqing's courage: Inviting Qin Mu to her room for drinks.
Chen Wanqing turned around, looked at the two maids, and spoke in a soft voice but with an unquestionable command.
"Go and fetch me some water; I need to bathe and change."
The two maids were taken aback for a moment, then nodded and replied in unison, "Yes, Miss."
They turned and pushed open the door, their footsteps fading into the distance.
Chen Wanqing sat in front of the bronze mirror,
She slowly raised her hand, removed her veil, and the veil slipped off her face, revealing a face with eyebrows like distant mountains and eyes like autumn water.
She gazed at her pretty face in the mirror, a mixture of tension and determination in it. Her fingers gently traced her cheeks, sliding from her brow to the bridge of her nose, and from the bridge of her nose to her lips.
Her gaze grew increasingly resolute, like two flames burning fiercely and persistently in the darkness.
This is an opportunity that could change her and the Chen family's fate; it is a chance bestowed upon her by heaven.
She had to seize this opportunity, no matter the cost.
Chen Wanqing bit her lip, leaving a faint teeth mark, and the last trace of hesitation in her heart dissipated.
Meanwhile, in Qin Mu's room.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest, his gaze fixed on Xu Fenghua's face.
"Zhao Tianci must be from the Zhao family of Jiangnan, right? What's his relationship with Zhao Wenxuan?"
Upon hearing the name "Zhao Wenxuan," Xu Fenghua's brows furrowed slightly.
She paused for a moment, a look of confusion flashing in her eyes, before she realized what was happening.
Zhao Wenxuan was her former husband, the man she had been married to for several years but had almost no memory of.
She couldn't help but chuckle to herself.
Having only been in the palace for two short months, she had almost forgotten even the name of her former husband.
Xu Fenghua raised her head, looked at Qin Mu, and said calmly, "Zhao Tianci is indeed Zhao Wenxuan's nephew. Why does Your Majesty ask this?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Mu's lips slowly curled into a smile.
"It seems the Zhao family is still quite powerful, daring to abduct a woman in broad daylight."
Xu Fenghua was taken aback, her brows furrowing slightly. "What makes Your Majesty say this?"
Yunluan stood by the door, her hand on her sword hilt, her voice cold and clear. "The group of people who attacked us in the post station just now were from the Zhao family. Their goal was to kidnap Chen Wanqing."
Xu Fenghua's pupils contracted slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
She paused for a moment, then lowered her voice. "Was it... Zhao Tianci who did it?"
Qin Mu smiled but did not answer. Instead, he asked a question in return.
"Since you are so familiar with Zhao Tianci, why don't you tell me what kind of person he is?"
Xu Fenghua did not hesitate, her voice as calm as if stating an irrefutable fact.
"A dissolute young man, ignorant and incompetent, greedy and lecherous, committing all sorts of evil deeds. He is notorious in the Jiangnan region, relying on the power of the Zhao family to bully men and women, and no one dares to provoke him."
Qin Mu nodded, his smile deepening. "That makes things easier."
Xu Fenghua was taken aback, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes. "Your Majesty, what do you intend to do?"
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the deep night outside the window. His voice was very soft, as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary.
"I believe that the Zhao family no longer has any reason to exist."
Xu Fenghua was stunned again, her fingers slowly tightening inside her sleeve.
She didn't have much affection for the Zhao family. The reason she chose to marry Zhao Wenxuan was simply because the Zhao family's influence in Jiangnan could help her younger brother Xu Longxiang's development in the North.
During her years with the Zhao family, she actually spent more time at the Chamber of Commerce, handling business, managing accounts, and dealing with various forces.
She never truly considered that so-called "home" as a home.
That being said, she did live there for such a long time after all.
She felt a pang of sadness and melancholy at the thought of it all being gone.
Qin Mu looked at her, a smile playing on his lips. "What? Reluctant to part with her?"
Xu Fenghua shook her head, her voice calm.
"Of course not. It's just that I'm worried that the Zhao family still has some influence in the Jiangnan region. If Your Majesty were to order the extermination of the Zhao family without any reason, wouldn't that incite criticism from all over the country?"
Qin Mu smiled. "How could it be without reason? He offended my woman, isn't that enough?"
Xu Fenghua was taken aback, her mind racing.
She was about to say, "How could Zhao Tianci possibly dare to offend His Majesty's woman?" when she suddenly remembered something.
The "woman" His Majesty referred to should not be referring to these people, but rather to the woman who came to the room to express her gratitude earlier, Chen Wanqing.
Xu Fenghua's heart sank slightly.
She lowered her head and remained silent.
If that's the case, then the reason is indeed quite valid.
Zhao Tianci sent men to kidnap Chen Wanqing, and Chen Wanqing became His Majesty's woman at this time.
That debt should naturally be settled with the Zhao family.
Xu Fenghua stopped speaking, but sighed silently in her heart, feeling a pang of sorrow for the Zhao family.
Since Zhao Tianci caused this trouble, he deserves this hardship.
You can't blame anyone else.
........
As night fell completely, the noise at the post station gradually subsided.
Chen Wanqing had finished bathing, changed into a clean dress, and sat in front of the bronze mirror to carefully do her makeup.
Her long hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, with a few stray strands falling across her forehead, making her fair face even more delicate.
Her face was lightly made up, her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes were like autumn water, her nose was high and straight, her lips were light in color, and her cheeks were flushed with a light blush, like the morning glow falling on the snow.
She looked at herself in the mirror, feeling somewhat satisfied and more confident.
Although her appearance was still somewhat inferior to that of the five women around His Majesty.
But she possessed a quality that they lacked—a gentleness and grace inherent in the very bones of women from Jiangnan.
She still believed that His Majesty would like her type.
Next, what reasonable excuse should we come up with to call His Majesty out of his room?
Chen Wanqing frowned slightly.
She couldn't do what she wanted in His Majesty's room; it would be too conspicuous, and she couldn't bring herself to do it.
After all, there are five women in His Majesty's room.
Chen Wanqing thought it over and over, came up with several reasons, but rejected them one by one; none of them were suitable.
In the end, she decided to use the reason of gratitude.
After all, His Majesty saved her life twice, and no amount of gratitude is too much.
This reason, though old-fashioned, is the safest and least likely to arouse suspicion.
Chen Wanqing stood up, straightened her clothes, turned around, looked at the two maids, and said softly:
"Wait outside for a while, and do not come in no matter what noises come from inside."
The two maids exchanged glances, a hint of doubt and curiosity flashing in their eyes, but they both lowered their heads at the same time and replied in unison, "Yes, Miss."
Chen Wanqing took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and walked out.
The corridor was dark, with only a few oil lamps hanging on the pillars. The flames flickered gently in the night breeze, casting her long shadow on the wall.
She walked to Qin Mu's room, stopped, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest, and her breathing became rapid.
She raised her hand, hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and then gently knocked on the door.
"Tap, tap, tap."
Three sounds, neither too loud nor too soft, were exceptionally clear in the quiet corridor.
The door opened.
It wasn't Qin Mu who opened the door, but a young girl.
Han Xin'er stood at the door, her back straight, her gaze calm as still water, and paused for a moment on Chen Wanqing's face.
"You've come here to..."
Her voice was soft, tinged with a hint of doubt.
Chen Wanqing was slightly taken aback, then forced a smile and spoke softly.
"Young lady, where is your young master?"
Han Xin'er shook her head. "Our young master isn't here; he's gone out."
Chen Wanqing was stunned again, her fingers clenching slightly inside her sleeve, a hint of disappointment flashing through her mind.
She hadn't expected that even after she had mustered up her courage, the other person wouldn't be there.
She pursed her lips, a hint of urgency in her voice. "Then... when will your young master return?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than a voice came from behind her, tinged with a hint of laughter.
"What's wrong? Is there something you need?"
Chen Wanqing's body jolted violently.
She quickly turned around and saw Qin Mu standing three steps behind her, his hands behind his back, a half-smile playing on his lips.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the eaves, illuminating him and clearly outlining his pale figure.
The moment Chen Wanqing saw Qin Mu's face, she trembled all over.
This was an instinctive reaction; after all, it was hard not to be nervous once she learned the other person's identity.
He was the Emperor of Qin, the ruler of the world, and a figure revered by countless people.
She was just the daughter of a small merchant, standing before him like an ant gazing up at the sky.
Chen Wanqing felt her face burning hot, her hands trembling, and her legs going weak.
But she gritted her teeth and suppressed the surging tension little by little, forcibly stabilizing her mindset.
She looked up at Qin Mu, a slight smile playing on her lips.
"Young master, after returning home, Wanqing thought long and hard and felt that she could not repay your great kindness. A few jars of wine are not enough to express my gratitude, so I prepared some dishes and would like to invite you to my room to have a few drinks to express my feelings."
Her voice was soft and melodious, carrying a hint of shyness and anticipation, making it irresistible and hard to refuse.
After speaking, Chen Wanqing lowered her gaze, not daring to look into Qin Mu's eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly, like two startled butterflies.
Qin Mu looked at her, his smile deepening, and said, "Okay."
Chen Wanqing's heart skipped a beat; the weight that had been hanging over her for so long finally lifted.
She quickly stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter, her voice brimming with barely suppressed joy. "Young master, please."
Qin Mu strode towards her room.
His moon-white robe trailed on the ground, making a soft rustling sound, and the night breeze seeped in through the gaps in the eaves, stirring his garments.
Chen Wanqing followed behind him, head down, watching his back, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.
She didn't know what awaited her, or what she would face after tonight.
All she knew was that she had no way out.