Early the next morning, a carriage stopped outside the side gate of the Marquis's residence. The gatekeeper opened the door and glanced out, surprised to find that it was actually Miss Qin Shuang who had returned.
The servants of the Marquis's residence were in a state of panic, but the gatekeeper felt a warmth in his heart upon seeing Qin Shuang and hurriedly welcomed her in respectfully.
Qin Guan was just about to enter the palace when she received the news. Hearing that Qin Shuang had returned, she quickly made her way to the front courtyard.
In the front courtyard, Hu Shi sat with Qin Shuang, looking haggard. When she saw Qin Guan arrive, Hu Shi stood up and said, "You two sisters should talk."
Hu Shi had dark circles under her eyes, clearly indicating she hadn't rested well the previous night. Qin Guan and Qin Shuang nodded quickly.
After Hu Shi left, Qin Shuang stepped forward and grabbed Qin Guan's hand, saying, "Come on, let's go to your courtyard to talk."
With so many events happening recently, Qin Shuang hadn't returned to the Marquis's residence for a long time. Qin Guan hadn't expected her to come back today. "Why did you return today?" she asked.
As they walked, Qin Shuang looked around, noticing that the servants in the residence had lost their usual vigor. She sighed softly and said, "I heard news that something might have happened at the Marquis's residence. A few days ago, I accompanied my mother-in-law to the countryside to offer incense and only returned a few days ago. Yesterday, as soon as Qingshan came back, he told me that things didn't seem right here at the Marquis's residence. Moreover, Fourth Brother hasn't been going to the Garrison Battalion. I got worried as soon as I heard."
Compared to Hu Shi's haggard appearance, Qin Shuang now had a rosy complexion and seemed to have gained a little weight since her marriage, making her even more radiant. Though she wore plain clothes today, she still resembled a blooming crabapple flower in April, a clear sign that she had been living happily in the Xue residence.
Xue Qingshan had been promoted in the Garrison Battalion two months ago. Moreover, since the Garrison Battalion was the main force for patrols in the capital, Xue Qingshan naturally had access to some inside information.
Qin Guan sighed upon hearing this. "Things are a bit rough, but it's not something I can explain in detail. It's enough that you came back to check on us."
Qin Shuang had been skeptical at first, but upon hearing Qin Guan's words, she realized that Xue Qingshan's information was accurate. She immediately grew tense.
The two entered Pine Breeze Courtyard, where Fuling and the others hurried to greet Qin Shuang upon seeing her return. After exchanging a few cheerful words with everyone, Qin Shuang and Qin Guan went into the Warm Chamber. "What exactly is going on? Why can't you explain in detail?" Qin Shuang asked.
Qin Guan sighed again. The Empress and Crown Prince leaving the palace was a major event, and telling Qin Shuang would only make her worry. Qin Guan had no choice but to reassure her, saying, "In short, it's a matter of court affairs. The capital hasn't been peaceful these past few days. It's enough for you to be aware of it."
Qin Shuang sensed the gravity of the situation and then her eyes lit up. "But your wedding is in ten days. Surely this won't affect it, right?"
Qin Guan nodded. "I don't think it will."
Only then did Qin Shuang breathe a sigh of relief. "Alright, alright. I don't understand court matters anyway, but your wedding is the most important thing right now. Time flies so fast—in the blink of an eye, you're getting married too. Once you marry into Prince Rui's royal residence, I'll visit you there often!"
After a moment's thought, Qin Shuang's expression shifted. "On second thought, never mind. His Highness Prince Rui is far too intimidating."
Qin Guan smiled and studied her for a while. "You look like you're in excellent health. Have you been indulging in tonics lately?"At these words, Qin Shuang couldn't help but sigh. "It's all because of my mother-in-law. She says I've been married for nearly half a year now, yet there's still no sign of pregnancy, and she thinks I'm too thin..." At this point, Qin Shuang stuck out her tongue. "I don't know what she's thinking. The other day, she went out of the city to offer incense just to pray for a child..."
Qin Guan frowned. "Why go to pray for a child? It's only been half a year. Are they giving you a hard time?"
Qin Shuang quickly waved her hand. "It's not like that. They don't think I can't have children and are praying for one. They just want everything to go smoothly and peacefully. They don't make things difficult for me. His father and mother are very sincere people, never putting on airs or acting pretentious. His mother dotes on me a lot—she doesn't even require me to pay morning and evening respects. I just live my own little life with Qingshan."
Qin Guan felt relieved. "That's good then. As for the matter of children, there's no need for you to worry."
Qin Guan was, after all, the Little Medicine Immortal of the capital. With her reassurance, what reason did Qin Shuang have to doubt? Her face flushed slightly as she said, "I'm not worried. I don't even want to have children right now. It's just the elders, you know..." Her eyes shifted, and she changed the subject. "The Marquis Manor has been through some changes lately. What about Eighth Sister?"
Qin Chaoyu was the Crown Princess, and in terms of status, she was higher than Qin Guan. With the Crown Prince and Qin Chaoyu around, what could possibly happen to the Marquis Manor?
Qin Guan gave a bitter smile, not daring to reveal that it was Qin Chaoyu who had implicated the Marquis Manor in this mess. She only said, "Her position is awkward. This matter is mainly because of the Empress and the Crown Prince."
Qin Shuang clicked her tongue in surprise. Although the Loyal Marquis Manor was a prominent and powerful family, the imperial family still felt distant to Qin Shuang. Hearing this, she didn't press further and instead asked about Qin Guan's wedding preparations. After chatting for a while, she went with Qin Guan to see the dowry prepared for her. They roughly counted the items before Qin Shuang was satisfied. Knowing that Qin Guan needed to visit the Empress Dowager in the palace, Qin Shuang didn't linger and left before noon.
Qin Shu was nowhere to be seen all day, and only Hu Shi came out to see them off for a few steps. Learning that Qin Guan was heading to the palace, Hu Shi seemed to hesitate, but in the end, she said nothing more.
Now that Qin Chaoyu was no longer someone to rely on, only Qin Guan remained. If Qin Guan truly became the only person in the world who could save the Empress Dowager's life, the Marquis Manor would surely benefit from her favor.
Qin Guan knew that Qin Shu and Hu Shi had been deeply shaken by recent events and didn't say much before leaving the Marquis Manor for the palace.
As soon as the carriage turned onto the main street outside the Marquis Manor, Qin Guan saw two teams of Garrison Battalion soldiers riding past on horseback. Although the weather had cleared that day, the accumulated snow had not yet melted. The Garrison Battalion soldiers galloped by, their horses' hooves splashing mud and snow along the way. Qin Guan lifted the carriage curtain and looked out, only to see the two teams quickly disappear around the street corner. Letting the curtain fall, she furrowed her brows.
It was difficult for the Empress to leave the palace, and the Emperor had reacted swiftly. The city gates were now heavily guarded. With the Empress, the Crown Prince, and Qin Chaoyu, even if they had countless guards, how could they possibly leave without the Garrison Battalion noticing? What was the Empress planning?
There were three of them, and the longer they stayed in the capital, the more unfavorable it would be for them.
The carriage arrived at the palace gates, and Qin Guan entered, heading straight for the Longevity and Health Palace.
As soon as she stepped into the Longevity and Health Palace, Qin Guan overheard a few young palace maids gossiping.
"Why would Changxin Palace suddenly be haunted?"
"Who knows? Otherwise, why would the Consort be possessed? Even the Imperial Observatory's mystics have gone there."
"Don't talk nonsense about such things. The Empress Dowager detests it the most..."Though it was just a few brief words, they still made Qin Guan's heart skip a beat. How could the imperial consort possibly be possessed by evil spirits for no reason?!
Qin Guan didn't believe in any superstitious nonsense about ghosts and gods. However, her relationship with Feng Lingsu was too distant, so this thought merely slipped through her mind.
Upon reaching the main hall, she found the Empress Dowager reclining on the bed with her eyes slightly closed, taking a nap. Mammy Chen, who had greeted Qin Guan at the door, sighed and lamented, "Her Majesty has been like this for the past two days—either staring blankly out the window or dozing off randomly. Last night, when she suddenly fell asleep, it gave me quite a fright."
Previously, after recovering from a serious illness, the Empress Dowager had actually become more spirited and energetic, even able to join the grand procession for the spring hunt at Mount Wei Hunting Grounds. But now, she truly resembled a dim lamp about to burn out its last drop of oil, having lost all her former vigor and vitality. Qin Guan frowned. "In that case, let's not disturb the Empress Dowager for now. Where is the Ninth Prince?"
As she spoke, Momma Su led Yan Sui over. When Yan Sui saw Qin Guan, his expression brightened slightly. Momma Su smiled and said, "His Highness has been wanting to play in the snow, but it's so cold outside—winter has truly set in. I had to persuade him for a long time to hold him back."
Yan Sui pursed his lips, looking somewhat aggrieved, but his eyes gazed at Qin Guan with anticipation. Understanding his meaning, Qin Guan smiled and said, "We do need to be careful..."
At these words, the light in Yan Sui's eyes dimmed slightly, clearly disappointed.
Qin Guan added, "Since the Empress Dowager is still asleep, I'll take His Highness to play for a while."
Neither Momma Su nor Mammy Chen objected; on the contrary, they felt completely at ease whenever Yan Sui was with Qin Guan.
Qin Guan dismissed the others and took Yan Sui to the side courtyard. Originally a place for leisure and amusement, the side courtyard was now rarely visited as the harsh winter had arrived. The snow in the flowerbeds covered the plants beneath, thick and solid like a piece of white sugar cake. Qin Guan took a chestnut candy wrapped in oiled paper from her sleeve and gave it to Yan Sui, then pointed at a snowdrift not far away. "Don't get your clothes wet. If Momma Su finds out, I'll be blamed."
Yan Sui was already overjoyed upon receiving the candy, and when he heard Qin Guan's words, his eyes shone even brighter.
So, Qin Guan's earlier remarks were just to bring him here to play in the snow!
Yan Sui popped the chestnut candy into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out like a little squirrel's. Qin Guan couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Meanwhile, Yan Sui had already run to the edge of the flowerbed to play with the snow. Qin Guan watched as he gathered the snow, trying to mold a little snowman. His hands were turning red from the cold, but his face was filled with childish excitement and delight. A softness welled up in Qin Guan's eyes—how much longer would Yan Sui have to enjoy such carefree play?
Soon, Yan Sui shaped a round, chubby little snowman. Holding it carefully in his hands, he ran over to Qin Guan. "Does it look nice?"
Qin Guan smiled and nodded. "Very nice. It looks like you."
Yan Sui tugged at his lips, and his gaze drifted to a maidservant in the distance. After a moment's thought, he turned and placed the little snowman in a corner of the wall. Then, brushing the snow off his sleeves, he walked back to Qin Guan. Surprised, Qin Guan asked, "What's wrong? Not playing anymore?"
Yan Sui hummed in agreement. "Playing for a little while is enough."
Qin Guan felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. Yan Sui was a child of heaven's favor, yet at such a young age, he was already so sensible.Qin Guan held Yan Sui's hand to warm it, then led him to the nearby covered corridor. As they walked, Yan Sui murmured, "They say the Imperial Consort has been possessed by evil spirits."
Yan Sui's voice was very low. Qin Guan turned to look at him, and Yan Sui continued, "They say Changxin Palace is haunted... and that it's my mother's ghost who has returned... that my mother went to find the Imperial Consort..."
Qin Guan crouched down and gently patted Yan Sui's head. "Who said these things?"
Yan Sui lowered his gaze, unwilling to answer—clearly, he had overheard the palace servants gossiping.
Qin Guan's heart softened. "These are all baseless rumors. Don't believe them."
Yan Sui lifted his head and looked straight at Qin Guan. "My mother wasn't killed by the Imperial Consort, right?" After a pause, he added, "You already know who killed my mother, don't you?"
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