0p0 Chapter 173 Sisterly Harmony
Chapter 173 Sisterly Harmony
After speaking, Pei Yuanling looked at Chu Qingyin again, gently stroked her cheek, and said softly, "I have other matters to attend to and cannot stay here any longer. You should take good care of yourself and I will come to see you again later."
Upon hearing this, Chu Qingyin struggled to get up and see him off.
"No need to get up." Pei Yuanling quickly pressed the person down.
"Respectfully seeing Your Majesty off." Seeing this, Chu Qingyin no longer insisted and lay on the bed watching him leave.
However, when she could no longer see his figure, Chu Qingyin's gaze gradually turned cold.
He must have had some doubts about what Xianglan had just said, but even though he knew she had been wronged in the Empress Dowager's palace, and that the other party might have even used torture, he had no intention of going against the Empress Dowager for her sake.
Ultimately, in his heart, the balance of power still outweighed his feelings for her.
A self-deprecating smile appeared on Chu Qingyin's lips. How ridiculous that she still had hope for such a man even now.
If he truly valued her, he wouldn't have let her fend for herself in the cold palace in her previous life.
"Your Majesty, why are you doing this..."
Xianglan's eyes were filled with tears. Having followed her mistress for so many days, she could naturally discern her emotions. Just now, when she saw His Majesty leave, she could clearly see some sadness in her mistress's eyes.
It was only a fleeting moment, and no one noticed it.
Chu Qingyin shook her head, buried her head in the soft pillow, and a tear slid down her cheek. She faced outsiders with only her thin back, looking haggard as if she were terminally ill.
Although news of the Empress Dowager's harsh treatment of the concubines had spread, it had little effect.
After all, the other party was the Empress Dowager, and even the most daring palace servants would not dare to speak of her casually.
Qiao Gongquan, upon learning of the great injustice his daughter had suffered in the palace, was immediately displeased and wanted to enter the palace to meet the emperor and demand an explanation.
Upon seeing this, Madam Jiang hurriedly stepped forward to stop him and earnestly advised, "My lord, it is really inappropriate for you to enter the palace to meet the emperor in such a menacing manner."
"Yinyin was bullied in the palace. How can I, as her father, stand idly by and let my daughter be bullied?" Qiao Gongquan was indignant. Recalling what the letter said, he couldn't help but become more worried.
"My lord, the truth of the letter is still unknown. If you go to the palace to question it, you may incur His Majesty's displeasure. Furthermore, the letter says that the Empress Dowager reprimanded the eldest daughter. Perhaps the eldest daughter has acted too eccentrically in the palace, which displeased the Empress Dowager?"
Jiang's words were sincere, and every word he spoke was for Qiao Gongquan's benefit.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Gongquan indeed hesitated for a moment.
After a moment of silence, he pursed his lips and said, "You're right, we need to be cautious about this matter."
"The eldest daughter is currently favored, and His Majesty will likely protect her. If you were to enter the palace, it would be inappropriate and might arouse His Majesty's suspicion."
Jiang racked his brains and said every excuse he could think of.
Qiao Gongquan looked at her with considerable surprise, "You've made quite a bit of progress since you stayed at the estate for a while."
Jiang was dressed in a dark green dress; though past her prime, she still retained her charm.
Hearing Qiao Gongquan's words, she smoothed her hair and obediently lowered her head, saying, "I was ignorant of the consequences and did wrong before. It is already a blessing that you are giving me the chance to serve you again. I dare not have any other thoughts."
Undeniably, she was quite beautiful, and her features bore a resemblance to the late Mrs. Qiao.
Seeing Jiang's attitude, Qiao Gongquan's irritation inexplicably dissipated a little.
Feeling Qiao Gongquan's gaze, Madam Jiang considerately served him a cup of hot tea, saying, "Sir, please moisten your throat and cool down."
After Qiao Gongquan took it, she stood quietly to the side. Seeing him take a couple of sips, she gently reminded him, "My lord, Qingling is also in the palace. Now that I have realized my mistake, Qingling must also want to reconcile with the eldest young lady. If the two sisters can get along well, they can look after each other in the palace."
After saying that, she tentatively looked at the other person's expression. Seeing that the other person was not averse to it, she continued, "Since the eldest young lady is ill and unable to serve His Majesty, why not take this opportunity to have the eldest young lady introduce Qingling to serve him for a while?"
Qiao Gongquan then remembered that his second daughter was also in the palace, but had not yet served the emperor.
Although he loved his eldest daughter the most, Qiao Qingling was also his flesh and blood, and she had always been considered well-behaved and filial at home...
If the two sisters could help each other, that would be the best outcome.
I just don't know if Yinyin would be willing.
Seeing that he seemed to be interested, Jiang hurriedly stepped forward to massage his shoulders and back, and then reasoned with him, saying a lot of things about being close relatives.
Qiao Gongquan was a soft-hearted man after all, and finally nodded, "Alright, they are all daughters of the Qiao family after all. Yinyin is much more mature now, and I think she can consider the big picture and think more about the Qiao family."
Having said that, he immediately got up and wrote a letter, which he then had sent to the imperial palace.
Seeing that her goal had been achieved, Jiang smiled and her eyes narrowed, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes furrowing. She then hurriedly returned to her room and sent a message to Qiao Qingling.
***
The next morning, Qiao Qingling received the news and dressed herself up in her finest attire, then went to Xingyue Palace with her maid, Ya'er.
She wore a lilac-colored dress today, with delicate butterflies embroidered on the hem, making her appear as if she were dancing as a butterfly as she moved.
As she stepped into Xingyue Palace, her gaze swept across the room and she saw Chu Qingyin reclining on the couch, wearing a lotus-colored dress, her black hair tied up at an angle, and her face bare.
On the table beside her were several plates of cakes. She looked pale, tired, and sickly.
There were also many gifts displayed inside the room; judging from the boxes containing them, they must have been sent by the Empress.
"Sister." Qiao Qingling smiled broadly, her voice so sweet it seemed to drip with honey, "It's been so many days, I've really missed you."
Chu Qingyin looked up and saw her attire. A barely perceptible dark glint flashed in her eyes, and she said in a cold tone, "What brings you here today?"
Xianglan also stood aside, watching Qiao Qingling warily, feeling that she had come with ill intentions.
Qiao Qingling seemed oblivious, sitting down next to Chu Qingyin and reaching out to take her hand. "I heard you caught a cold, so I came to visit you."
Chu Qingyin frowned and withdrew at the opportune moment.
"Unsolicited kindness is always suspicious," she said coldly. "I'm already grateful for your kindness, sister. Now that you've seen it, you can leave."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Qingling immediately felt wronged, "Is your sister still angry with you, sister?"
Chu Qingyin glanced at her but remained silent.
“In the past, Qingling was ignorant and made her sister unhappy, but now that Father and Aunt have reconciled, I don’t want to have any more grudges with my sister.”
Qiao Qingling's tears fell instantly, and she raised her sleeve sadly, saying, "No matter what, we are all members of the Qiao family. We are all of the same root, why are we so eager to harm each other?"
Chu Qingyin looked at her feigned innocence and sneered inwardly, but her face remained indifferent: "Sister, you flatter me. It's just that I haven't been feeling well lately and I'm afraid I can't properly entertain you. Please leave."
Hearing her mention that Aunt Jiang made Chu Qingyin angry.
No one knows what methods Jiang used, but instead of being sent to the estate, she was brought to the imperial palace by Qiao Gongquan.
Judging from her interactions with that court official's wife these days, going on outings and enjoying nature, she is clearly acting as if she were the wife of a high-ranking official.
How could she not know what Jiang was planning? Now that she was ill, if Qiao Qingling came to visit her often, it could divert some of His Majesty's favor, which wouldn't be a bad thing.
As for Qiao Gongquan, with two daughters who were favored by the emperor, his official career was also able to flourish as a result, so of course he wouldn't stand in his way.
"Does the older sister truly refuse to forgive her younger sister?"
Qiao Qingling then revealed a wronged expression and said softly, "Father cares a lot about my sister at home. If he knew that you and I get along well, he would be pleased."