Chapter 272

She apologized and thanked him in a serious manner, making Ming Ze feel uncomfortable all over. He took a step back when she saluted. His body retreated, but the large ink-colored umbrella in his hand was always held over Qingfeng's head, while he himself stood in the rain for the most part. Clearing his throat to hide his embarrassment, Ming Ze replied faintly: "Forget it."

Qingfeng didn't notice Ming Ze's actions and insisted on explaining: "I really thank you for telling me the news that my sister left safely today. Her safety is more important to me than anything else." The sincere and firm light in those bright eyes that had made him lose his focus many times made Ming Ze's heart palpitate. He envied her for having a relative worth cherishing so much, and he also envied Qing Ling for being missed like this. This was something he could never hope for.

This man was really strange. His narrowed eyes seemed to be looking at her, and yet they seemed to be wandering. Was he listening to her at all? Qingfeng frowned and continued: "Besides tonight, I want to thank you even more for helping me many times before??"

"I didn't help you with anything before, no need to thank me."

Ming Ze seemed unwilling to mention the past, and Qingfeng didn't say anything more. The rain was heavier, and the dense rain threads wove into a large net. Lightning struck straight down from the sky, and the muffled thunder from before had now turned into deafening thunder. In the white light of the lightning, Qingfeng finally realized that Ming Ze held the umbrella over her head, while he himself stood in the wind and rain. He wasn't burly, but he was very upright. The night wind was very cold, but her heart was inexplicably warm. Qingfeng smiled and said loudly: "I?? am called Qingfeng." He could say her sister's name, so he must know her name too, but Qingfeng just wanted to tell him her name herself.

A flash of lightning flashed, and the smile on her face was dazzling. Ming Ze's heart shook violently, his eyes darkened, and he replied coldly: "Madam, return to the palace early. This subordinate takes his leave."

Leaving these words, Ming Ze stuffed the large umbrella in his hand into Qingfeng's hand and strode away in the direction behind Qingfeng.

"Hey!" Qingfeng watched him leave in such a hurry, feeling as if she had been slapped in the face. She had been ignored like this for the first time. Even Yan Hongtian had never looked away from her. He was just a guard, yet he ignored her again and again. What right did he have to be so arrogant! Qingfeng was annoyed, frustrated, and carried a bit of confusion and disappointment. The mixed feelings fixed her in place, her eyes staring straight at the cold back that gradually disappeared into the rainy night, forgetting that she had to leave.

"Master." Fuling ran over with an umbrella and saw Qingfeng standing alone in the rain with a large ink-colored umbrella in her hand, her eyes staring in one direction, full of resentment but also carrying a trace of?? grievance? Fuling followed her gaze, but on the long palace path, except for the hazy rain, there was nothing.

The rain was getting heavier, and the umbrella could no longer cover the scattered rain, let alone the wanton night wind. Fuling called out loudly: "Master, you are all soaked, hurry back to the palace."

Gripping the large umbrella in her hand tightly until her fingertips turned white, Qingfeng finally withdrew her gaze, turned around, and left.

The rain was pouring, with lightning and thunder. In such bad weather, every household had long since closed their doors, and few people walked on the street. Only a slightly plump figure shuttled through the rain curtain, wearing a straw raincoat and hat, covered tightly. After turning through a few narrow alleys, the person stopped at the back door of a house and knocked on the door hard twice, and the back door opened immediately.

The person familiar with the way bypassed into the backyard, stopped outside a small room, knocked on the door, and immediately pushed the door open and flashed into the room. Entering the room, the person took off the straw hat, and it was only then that one could see that the person was an old man in his early sixties. Even with the straw raincoat protecting him, the dark gray long gown on his body was still more than half wet. Regardless of his embarrassment, the old man bowed and saluted: "My Lord."

This was a narrow room with an oil lamp lit on a low table, the light dim. A man stood tall and upright alone in the room. His figure and appearance looked much younger than the old man. But seeing the old man always bowing and his attitude being humble, the man's identity and position were clearly not low.

The man nodded slightly to the old man and asked coldly: "What does Dan Yulan want to do?"

The old man didn't dare to delay, stepped forward a few steps, and whispered in the man's ear: "Replying to my Lord, half a month ago, a bounty hunter killed someone. The deceased was actually Yang Lu. I don't know how, but Magistrate Dan found out about the Gold Case from that year. In the past few days, he has reviewed all the files on the Gold Case from three years ago. It looks like he wants to overturn the case and retry it."

Outside the house, the thunder roared and the rain poured. The old man's voice was almost covered by the thunder. The young man's sword brows tightened, and he snorted: "I didn't expect the case from three years ago to be overturned by him." Fortunately, he was away on business three years ago and was not in the capital, otherwise, that gold would not have been able to leave the capital.

The old man asked fawningly: "This old Gold Case has been brought up again, and it seems to involve the Prime Minister's Mansion and the General's Mansion. Should this subordinate??"

"Don't be meddlesome!" The man scolded in a low voice and said sternly: "This matter has nothing to do with you; naturally, someone will clean up the mess. While Dan Yulan's energy is focused on the Gold Case, close the case of stealing military rations quickly, and don't cause any more trouble!"

The old man's face turned pale, and he looked embarrassed. After a long time, he answered timidly: "My Lord?? Magistrate Dan has handed this case over to the Criminal Tixing Mansion for review, and the files and prisoners have all been taken into the Criminal Tixing Mansion. This subordinate is really?? powerless."

"Trash!" The man glared at the old man, lowered his voice, and said: "Without new doubts, and without other witnesses or evidence, what else can he try?"

The Lord means?? Dead men tell no tales?! The old man suddenly realized, nodded repeatedly, and complimented: "My Lord is wise, my Lord is wise!"

The peony flowering period was about to pass, the delicate flowers withered, and the lingering floral fragrance that had surrounded Qingfeng Palace for two months gradually faded. Fuling brought the freshly boiled medicine to Qingfeng's room and knocked on the door lightly. There was no response for a long time. Fuling pushed the door open lightly, only to see the thin figure sitting alone at the round table in a daze.

After getting soaked in the rain that night, the master indeed caught a cold, but fortunately, it was nothing serious. The Emperor didn't come to Qingfeng Palace again, didn't ask about the master, and the Empress Dowager didn't issue a decree to summon her. The master almost didn't step out of the room. Most of the time, she was like this now, sitting alone at the round table looking out the window. The large umbrella that didn't know where it came from on the rainy night stood quietly under the window sill. Sometimes the master would also look at the umbrella in a daze.

Fuling gently handed the medicine bowl to Qingfeng and said: "Master, drink the medicine while it's hot and rest early." Qingfeng slowly raised her head, picked up the medicine bowl lazily, drank the medicine unwillingly, and then rested her chin on her hands and started to daze again, not knowing what she was thinking. Since that night, the master had often been absent-minded and listless. Could it be because of?? that umbrella? Fuling tentatively said: "Master, which palace is this umbrella from? Do you want this servant to send it back?"

Qingfeng glanced sideways at the large ink-colored umbrella under the window sill and remembered Ming Ze's cold expression before leaving. She snorted coldly: "No need, just leave it there." A person as inexplicable and fickle as him wouldn't care about a broken umbrella at all, right? Feeling a burst of irritability, Qingfeng waved her hand at Fuling and said: "Alright, it's getting late, you don't need to serve me here, go to sleep."

"Yes." It was just a mention of that umbrella, yet the master got angry and was no longer in that lazy state. Fuling didn't dare to ask again, but she also knew that there must be some connection between the owner of this umbrella and the master. Packing up the medicine bowl, Fuling retreated quietly.

The night was deep, and the room was so quiet that only the sound of the candle flame crackling could be heard. Qingfeng lay lazily on the table, her eyes falling on the large ink-colored umbrella again involuntarily. She thought for a long time, but still didn't understand. She just told him her name, so why did he change his face? She wanted to thank him, wanted to get to know someone like him in this cold palace, and that was enough to make him angry? Since he didn't want to provoke her, why did he often appear by her side? Who did she offend? Ming Ze, what a strange man.

A noisy sound suddenly came from outside the hall. Qingfeng looked at the bright moon slanting outside the window. It was almost the Hour of the Zi (11 PM-1 AM), right? Usually at this time, every palace and hall would have long since rested. Qingfeng pushed the door open and looked out. The noisy sound was even louder. The eunuchs and palace maids in Qingfeng Palace were all gathered at the palace gate, stretching their necks to look out. Qingfeng walked into the courtyard and asked loudly: "Why is it so noisy outside?"

Fuling shook her head and replied: "The sound seems to be coming from the east. I don't know what happened. Lan'er has already gone out to find out."

The east? Most concubines lived in the west and south. Something happened in the east?? Could it be the Empress Dowager? Qingfeng speculated secretly. Lan'er just happened to come back. Seeing that Qingfeng was also in the courtyard, Lan'er's face turned even paler. Qingfeng asked: "What happened?"

Lan'er bit her lip lightly and whispered after a long time: "Princess Zhaoyun?? hanged herself."

Hanged?? Committed suicide?! How was this possible? Princess Zhaoyun, the Empress Dowager's apple of her eye, the Emperor's own sister! Everyone in the hall broke into a cold sweat, and Qingfeng's heart also shook. She urged: "How is the Princess now?"

"Fortunately, the palace maids discovered it in time. The Princess has already been saved. The Emperor summoned seven or eight imperial physicians to Qingxuan Hall for a consultation. It is currently unknown if the Princess is out of danger." Lan'er only dared to inquire outside Qingxuan Hall, and she was almost scared silly when she found out it was the Princess who committed suicide.

Princess Zhaoyun?? Was this a bitter trick, or was she really in despair and had no desire to live? Qingfeng thought for a while and whispered in Fuling's ear: "Fuling, you go to Qingxuan Hall to see the situation, and report back immediately if there is any news."

"Yes." Fuling nodded and hurriedly went out of the hall.

Qingfeng was more and more afraid. No matter what reason the Princess committed suicide, if she really had any accidents, the Empress Dowager would definitely count this account on their sisters. She must not have any accidents, otherwise?? She didn't dare to think about it.

The night grew thicker, and the noise outside slowly faded away.

(End of chapter)