Chapter 203: Miss, you ought to mourn!

The eunuch palace maids nearby who were eavesdropping:!!!

This Li family maiden really was raised in the mountains; she truly doesn't understand romance.

Look at that Zhuang Sanlang, his face deathly pale, his whole body stiff as if frozen.

He must be extremely sad right now, right?

Li Qingluo huffed: "Zhuang Sanlang, whether you become a top scholar, a farmer warrior, or a high official noble, or a commoner, what does it have to do with me, Li Qingluo?"

"Our two families have long been clear; please, Zhuang Sanlang, conduct yourself properly!"

Heh, despicable man!

Even if all the men in the world died, she would absolutely not go back to her old lover!

Li Qingluo briskly took Que'er and Zhang Mama, without further hesitation, hurried into the Hall of Bright Splendor.

Zhuang Wei, however, stood there like a block of wood, foolishly.

She actually gave him another scolding!

Every time he's with her, he seems to come out badly.

Zhuang Wei's face showed a bitter smile.

But thinking back, because of Zhu'er, he had also innocently involved himself in resenting her; now seeing Zhu'er's true face, he also feels ashamed and unable to bear it.

After being greatly hurt by Zhu'er, he shut himself in his room all day, refusing to go out, and even came to hate all women in the world, thinking they were all deceitful demonesses.

Those few days, whenever he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with images of Liu Qiongzhu and Prince Yun having an affair.

And only then did he realize that her earlier act of feigning death by self-immolation was merely to escape their engagement.

Laughable, truly laughable.

He, Zhuang Wei, had thought that he and Liu Qiongzhu had been childhood sweethearts, mutually affectionate, and that they would remain sincerely devoted to each other for life.

But in the end, he was merely a joke despised by Lady Zhu!

She would rather be a concubine of a prince than deign to be the principal wife of the third son of the Zhongyi Hou Fu!

How could Zhuang Wei's heart not be bitter?

But he also did not feel his heart torn apart as Zhu'er did when she first feigned death.

Until one day he woke up, suddenly enlightened and roused himself, picking up books to read, neglecting sleep and food, and picking up a pen to write fervently.

Only today did he finally catch his breath thanks to this opportunity.

He thought that perhaps today, upon entering the palace, he might see her.

The true daughter of the Jiangjun Fu, the fiancée he had truly been betrothed to since childhood.

When Zhuang Sanlang was young, he once heard his grandmother mention that, as a child, he himself had pointed to the General's lady Qu Shi's prominently raised belly and said, if the belly held a girl, she would later become his wife.

The adults burst out laughing.

Thus the two families really betrothed them to each other while still in the womb.

He had always thought that was Zhu'er.

So from childhood he greatly cherished, pampered, and doted on her.

Even when the truth was first revealed, although he felt somewhat dazed and surprised, he felt even more that Zhu'er was innocent and steadfastly held to his intentions.

Until that day in the Bright Tower…

Afterward, Zhuang Sanlang felt as if he had just had a great dream!

He even kept wondering how much better it would have been if the Jiangjun Fu's daughter had not been swapped.

Back then, the baby in Qu Shi's belly would have grown up alongside him, and he would not have fallen deeply in love with Zhu'er and been hurt again.

If the person who grew up alongside him were her, Li Qingluo…

It's just a pity that he made so many mistakes; in her heart he is surely a brainless fool.

Zhuang Wei clenched his fists and whispered: "I will surely prove myself; there will surely be a day when you look at me anew!"

Li Qingluo felt as nauseous as if she had swallowed a fly.

After she returned and sat down, before she could comfort Pei Lao Furen, she herself drank a cup of fruit wine.

Seeing her return, the three Qus nearby originally wanted to say a few caring words, but Li Kechuan cut in first: "Grandmother sent people to look for you; did you run into something while running around?"

Li Qingluo ignored him and then drank another cup.

Li Chao Jing saw her state, frowned and said coldly: "If you want to seek death, you shouldn't wait until you leave the palace to court disaster? This is the palace; anyone doing things with even a bit of sense shouldn't implicate the whole family!"

Li Qingluo: "Shut up!"

She fiercely slammed her wine cup down on the table, drawing the gazes of everyone around.

Even Pei Lao Furen was stunned.

"Luo'er?"

Voices of discussion arose from all around.

"This Li family eldest maiden truly behaves outrageously……"

"Their family's daughters are not well educated……"

"Who would dare marry such a bride? One must stay far away."

Just as someone scoffed, before Pei Lao Furen could flare up, another voice shouted from the side: "You gossip about others' right and wrong—what good people are you?"

The one speaking up for Li Qingluo was none other than the Qu family's fourth son, Qu Dao xun, who had been secretly watching the Li household from nearby all night.

Just now Li Qingluo had not returned for a long time; he almost wished he could go out and look for her herself.

If his grandmother hadn't held him back, he would surely have already spoken a few words to that Li maiden.

Li Chao Jing gave Xun'er a friendly glance, while Qu Shi was secretly excited.

When Li Kechuan slightly frowned, Xun'er had already taken a wine cup, sneaking around from behind, kneeling on the ground, and said: "Cousin brother, I have not been able to visit the mansion to see you; younger brother is here……"

Before his words even finished, Li Qingluo had already flung herself into Pei Lao Furen's arms and fallen into a deep sleep.

Madam Pei:...

Madam Pei quickly grabbed a cloak and covered Li Qingluo in her arms, so that no one could catch even a glimpse of her sleeping face.

Seeing this, Que'er couldn't help but let out a soft 'puchi' laugh and whispered, "Madam, the young lady is always like this when she drinks—her tolerance is low, and once she falls asleep, even thunder won't wake her."

"But this only happens when she has drunk alcohol."

Madam Pei sighed: "This child. Wait until she wakes up tomorrow, then I'll settle the score with her!"

Xiong'er, however, couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.

He hadn't even managed to say a single word to his cousin...

After the banquet ended, the General's Manor, carrying a drunk young lady and a cripple who could not walk, found it no easy task to be the first to leave the palace.

The Qu family had wanted to lend a hand, but Madam Pei shoved away Qu Daoxin's outstretched palm: "Please step aside, Young Master Qu! Our manor's staff don't need your interference."

Having said that, Granny Zhang stepped forward, bent over, and hoisted Li Qingluo onto her back.

Que'er and the others quickly wrapped her tightly in a cloak.

Many people were drunk today, but few of them were young ladies.

Fortunately, the night's biggest spectacle was the Pan family maiden's return from death and Princess Qin'yu's punishment, so few paid attention to this side.

Old Lady He of the Qu family, not far away, saw this scene and fiercely flung down the carriage curtain she had been holding.

"Go, summon Qu Saniang for me!"

Li Qingluo was placed onto the carriage by Granny Zhang, while Lady Qu, anxious and hurried, tried to follow to check on her and offer help, but a maid from Lady He's side quickly stepped forward to block her.

"Miss, Madam Pei is looking for you; she says she has a couple of words she wants to say to you."

Fortunately, this side finally managed to exit the palace in an orderly fashion.

On the way back, snow began to fall from the sky again.

Madam Pei ordered the carriage curtains to be sealed tight, lest the wind blow in and chill Li Qingluo.

"Do you young ladies know that drinking turns her into this state?"

She sleeps like a corpse; truly, no sound or movement can wake her.

Que'er shook her head: "The only time this happened before was when she thought she was drinking tea with Miss Pei the Twelfth, fell asleep, and woke up in Pei's Si Garden."

Madam Pei snorted: "This foolish girl—if anyone ever sets a trap for her, exploiting this weakness would be easy. Now that she's awake, I'll give her a good scolding!"

Que'er couldn't help defending Li Qingluo a bit: "The young lady was entangled by Young Master Zhuang the Third, and Young Master Pei the Third said some baffling things—perhaps it left her dazed."

Madam Pei's eyes twitched sharply: "Both families have called off the engagement—why does this person still insist on pestering Luoluo? Could he be regretting it?"

Just as they reached the gate of the General's Manor, the snowflakes drifting down had turned into heavy goose-feather snow.

Seeing the master's several carriages return, the gatekeeper hurried forward to open the door and led a group of servants out to greet them.

Granny Deng rushed to Madam Pei's carriage, her voice trembling as she said: "Madam, Miss, something serious has happened!"

Li Qingluo was shaken awake by Que'er.

"Miss, miss? Miss—"

Li Qingluo, trapped in darkness and unable to free herself, faintly heard Que'er's voice in a daze.

She gathered her breath, struggled, and suddenly opened her eyes.

Li Qingluo gasped, clutching her chest as she sat up, realizing the problem: "Que'er, what's happened to me?"

Que'er, eyes red, lunged forward: "Miss, please don't drink again. You were like last time at the tavern with the princess... you wouldn't wake up no matter how we called."

Again, she wouldn't wake up?

Li Qingluo lifted her hand to her tiger's den spot and realized Granny Deng had personally given her an injection; otherwise she would still be unconscious.

I drank alcohol, and it caused me to lose consciousness—how could this be?

In her previous life she had secretly drunk alcohol before, but never experienced this; this life, however, shows a clear change.

The last time she drank with Nan Jia and the others at the tavern, Li Qingluo thought she had just been overly tired, which explained her deep sleep—but now it happened again.

Could it be... because she is reborn?

Li Qingluo felt an inexplicable bad premonition, yet she saw Granny Deng and Que'er both with red eyes.

They looked at her with mournful expressions, and Li Qingluo's heart gave a sudden jolt.

"But what has happened?"

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so urgent in waking me!

Granny Deng spoke mournfully in a low voice: "Miss, you must grieve... it is... the Twelfth Miss of the Pei family... she is gone!"

Li Qingluo: "What's missing? Nan Jia is still fine at the Pei residence, isn't she?"

At tonight's banquet, Princess Nanping only just told me that the poison afflicting Nan Jia can be cured. She had summoned the renowned physician from Prince Su's mansion to personally examine Nan Jia—how could Prince Su's people be mistaken?

Que'er silently shed tears, turning her head away.

Seeing her cry, Li Qingluo spoke up for the first time, scolding, "Don't cry!"

She then turned to Deng Mamu, her breath quickening: "Besides, even if there's suddenly no cure for this poison, she still has three months to wait for that poison doctor to be caught, doesn't she? Once we catch him, we'll surely find a way to force that woman to give her the antidote."

Deng Mama: "Miss. Tonight at the third watch of the You hour... the twelfth miss was discovered by the servants of the Pei family... discovered head and body separated, she died in a ruined, deserted courtyard!"