Chapter 376

Jinling City's in-law relations are tangled and intricate.

Li Qingluo, although she had paid some attention, but since she had not been back for long, she had not yet fully sorted it out.

Just hearing a few words from Pan Li, she temporarily understood where today's targeting came from.

The Zhong family.

The Qu family.

As for how miserable the Qu family is now, she had also heard a bit about it during her free time the past two days.

The Qu family's eldest legitimate son, Qu Dao Yuan, an official of the Ministry of Justice, killed his wife and injured his brother in the street.

Moreover, he abused his power for personal gain, instigating a prison disturbance at the Jinling magistrate's office, and was on the spot apprehended and brought to justice by Minister of Justice Zhang Yi.

The scandal of Qu family's fourth son and the Qu family's legitimate wife committing adultery naked in the street had, in those days, caused an uproar throughout Jinling City.

After all, such a heaven-shaking, scandalous immorality, in the entire history of Jinling, had never been seen or heard before.

And the scandal of the Qu family's old lady He, and the two daughters-in-law of the main branch, being stripped of their clothes in prison, also spread without delay.

Not even a day passed, everyone in Jinling City was saying that those prisoners in the jail had seen all of the Qu family's female relatives naked.

Moreover, they vividly gossiped about how those two daughters-in-law still had charm, and even where on their bodies a tiny mole was, spreading the knowledge to everyone.

Where does the Qu family still have any face?

That day they were thoroughly trampled under the feet of the entire Jinling City.

Even Minister Qu was impeached for poor family management, his family corrupt, and temporarily suspended from office pending investigation, confined to his home.

And He Shi, upon returning home that day, intended to kill herself by crashing.

Although she was stopped, but for the reputation of the whole family's women, she had already sent white silk and poisoned wine to the two daughters-in-law ahead of time.

The two daughters-in-law died before her.

After He Shi was rescued, she was merely sent to a nunnery.

The Qu family's reputation was utterly ruined, and even the daughters who had married out were also implicated.

And Zhong Liu Lang's wife, the Qu family's third daughter, is precisely the legitimate second daughter born of He Shi's eldest legitimate son.

This daughter married a fine husband and was lavishly favored in her husband's household.

But her mother was suddenly forced to death, her brother imprisoned, and her younger brother had his life source severed.

Her natal family was clearly heading for decline, and she, in her husband's house, could not hold her head high; even going out she was pointed at and gossiped about.

Everyone in Jinling said her family discipline was lax, that her family corrupted morals, how could she not hate?

She hated, and Zhong Liu Lang, who loved her to the extreme, naturally also hated.

Qu's third daughter secretly went to the nunnery to ask her grandmother, and upon learning that the mastermind behind all this was actually the Li family's mistakenly exchanged miss, Li Qingluo, her hatred all fell upon Li Qingluo.

Coincidentally, Zhong Liu Lang is a minor commander of a thousand in the Imperial Guard.

Therefore, now that he knows who Li Qingluo is, he naturally regards her as a thorn in his eye and a splinter in his flesh.

Originally he was still pondering how to find an opportunity to catch Li Qingluo's fault, so as to strike back and help his wife vent her anger.

He never expected to encounter Li Qingluo so easily.

This opportunity, isn't it right before our eyes?

Hatred surged in his heart, and he opened his mouth to pin a major crime of abducting a princess on Li Qingluo.

However, Zhong Liu Lang today has picked the wrong person to provoke.

If Li Qingluo were truly as he thought, someone he Zhong Liu Lang could easily handle, then the Qu family would not have come to this point today.

After Li Qingluo learned his identity, she blinked her eyes, then aggrievedly grabbed Nanping's arm and shook it: "Really wronged, Princess, you must decide for me."

"Otherwise, this Imperial Guard commander's eyes are about to swallow us whole."

"If you really make a mistake then, I won't be able to explain it."

Pan Li beside her almost laughed out loud.

Luo'er really is a good actress.

The her who slaughtered people without mercy in the Pei family's dungeon seems like an illusion……

Nanping really buys into this act.

When has her Luo'er sister ever been so soft and delicate?

She immediately put her hands on her hips and glared angrily at Zhong Liu Lang.

"Zhong Liu Lang, what are you?"

"Don't randomly pin crimes on the Princess's Luo'er sister; today the Princess herself insisted on coming here!"

"If you have the ability, go sue me to the Princess's maternal grandfather; the Princess will first punish your great crime!"

"Since you know the Princess is here, yet you dare to sit on horseback and make noise—what crime should you be charged with!"

"Someone, go seize him for me!"

The Princess waved her hand, and Zhong Liu Lang's face changed dramatically.

This Princess had long been heard to be willful and unreasonable, and indeed she truly is.

He hurriedly turned his horse's head to flee, and Nanping quickly took down her slingshot and shot a pellet fast and accurately at Zhong Liu Lang's horse's buttocks.

The horse was startled, neighed, gave a jump, and Zhong Liu Lang almost fell off his horse.

In the end he hung on the horse's back, and the horse went mad and ran off.

Zhong Liu Lang let out a miserable cry, being dragged as he charged into the woods.

Princess Nanping laughed until her stomach hurt.

Li Qingluo and Pan Li exchanged a glance, and both let out a "puchi" laugh.

This Zhong Liu Lang, is nothing more than that.

Only then did the three of them leave hand in hand.

But not long after they left, two people rode out from deep in the forest.

These two were none other than the Crown Prince Duan Rongyin and his guard Jiang Ruiqi.

"She is the Li family's true young miss, Li Qingluo?"

"The Qu family was ruined by her?"

Jiang Ruiqi's eyes flashed with a hint of ruthlessness: "Yes, Your Highness."

"Moreover, the evidence suddenly produced by the Grand Princess makes me suspect…… that this woman is the cause of the turmoil."

The Crown Prince stared in the direction Li Qingluo had gone, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"This woman is truly a beauty that could topple a city. No wonder she has Xiao Wu so bewildered he's lost his wits."

The Crown Prince gave a cold laugh.

That day, when Duan Rongshi produced that empty imperial edict sealed for seventeen years, he and his mother consort panicked, nearly losing their composure.

Because they thought Duan Rongshi would use that edict, hidden for seventeen years, for a greater purpose.

The emperor father is gravely ill; isn't this the perfect opportunity for him?

They even resent why they didn't strike hard these past few days—if the emperor had simply died, wouldn't Duan Rongyin have already ascended the throne?

Yet he had to play the dutiful son, thus letting the opportunity slip away.

If Duan Rongshi were to intercept him just like that, Duan Rongyin would truly go mad.

He had schemed for five years before finally finding a chance to return to the position of Crown Prince.

How could he bear to see his plans collapse halfway and watch others snatch it away?

What the empress and the crown prince never expected was that Duan Rongshi would actually use that terrifying edict, capable of commanding mountains and rivers, just to pursue a single woman!

Duan Rongyin found it both unbelievable and utterly ridiculous.

Does Xiao Wu truly have no desire for the throne?

Could anyone in this world be so foolish?

Would he rather have a beauty than the empire?

Just what kind of woman is it that Duan Rongshi has taken a liking to?

Upon seeing Li Qingluo today, the Crown Prince recalled what Zongzheng Yuer had said.

"Elder brother Crown Prince, Li Qingluo must not be kept!"

"This woman is deeply scheming; she has caused Yuer to suffer great losses."

"If the opportunity arises, I implore Elder Brother Crown Prince to eliminate this woman swiftly!"

This time, Princess Xia Miaoqinyu, still unhealed from her serious wounds, feigned illness and did not come.

The Crown Prince secretly went to see her in private.

Over these years, I have truly never seen her in such a sorry state.

Deep down, the Crown Prince couldn't help but feel pity and heartache for her.

In Zongzheng Yuer's suspicion, the massacre of her princess manor at night leaves Li Qingluo heavily suspected.

But having just seen her, the Crown Prince observed that the delicate lady, clinging to Nanping and acting coquettish, bore no resemblance whatsoever to what Zongzheng Yuer had described.

Yet the report presented below claims that it was this woman who dragged the Qu family into the present hell.

Could there be some misunderstanding in all this?

Even Jiang Ruiqi suspects that the loss of the Jiang family's letters is due to this woman.

Could she really possess such means?

Yet Duan Rongyin would rather believe that Duan Rongshi is controlling everything behind her back.

Duan Rongyin's curiosity about Li Qingluo grew stronger and stronger.

"Interesting."

"Tomorrow's hunt, you will lure this woman before me."

"I want to see just how many faces she has, and what talent she possesses that can bewilder Xiao Wu to such a degree."

Jiang Ruiqi: "Yes, Your Highness."

Li Qingluo and her two companions had just returned to the camp outside the lumber yard when Sha Wu came up and whispered in her ear: "Miss, just now the Crown Prince was also prowling around the lumber yard, and he saw you."

Li Qingluo gave a slight nod.

After Sha Wu withdrew, Li Qingluo summoned Que'er.

After a brief whisper, Que'er turned and slipped away quietly.

After Li Qingluo, Nanping, and Pan Li parted ways, she prepared to return to her own courtyard under the accompaniment of Zheng Mama and Sha Wu.

Midway, however, she was again blocked by Pei Liuniang.

"Li Qingluo, Lady Jing Guiren requests an audience with you—come with me!"

Li Qingluo: "I won't go."

She stepped around Pei Liuniang, who turned green with rage: "Are you crazy?"

"Do you not know what status Lady Jing Guiren holds? You dare to defy an edict and show disrespect!"

Li Qingluo snorted coldly: "An edict? Where is this edict?"

"If Lady Jing Guiren truly wishes to see me, why not send someone from her palace? Having you, her cousin, act as messenger, how can I know if it's genuine or not?"

"What if you are deliberately using Lady Jing Guiren's name as a pretense to harm me?"

"I'm not an idiot."

Li Qingluo certainly knew that Lady Jing Guiren's request to see her was most likely genuine.

But she didn't want to go, so she deliberately seized upon any fault in the matter as an excuse.

Pei Liuniang's face darkened: "Fine, you wait! I'll have Fifth Sister's people come personally to give you a show!"

Pei Liuniang turned, furious, about to leave, but she bumped headfirst into an old granny.

The old granny cried "Aiyo!" and fell to the ground.

Li Qingluo hurried forward: "Are you alright?"

She helped the old granny up, but Pei Liuniang snapped, "You damned old thing, don't you have eyes?"

"You bumped into me, I'll——"

Li Qingluo reached out and pinched Pei Liuniang's mouth.

"Shut up!"

"Who exactly doesn't have eyes? Still not apologizing to the granny!"

Pei Liuniang was so furious she lost her mind; seeing the granny in palace robes, she didn't care at all.

The Pei family have always been repressed for too long.

So now everyone looks down on them with dog eyes, despising them!

Even if it's just an old granny in the palace, what of it?

She is actually the cousin of the favored Noble Consort Jing!

"Get lost! Don't meddle!"

Pei Liuniang, ashamed and angry, shoved Li Qingluo aside, gave the granny a fierce glare, then turned and led her people away in anger.

Li Qingluo shook her head helplessly.

The old granny also comforted her: "Miss, you are truly kind-hearted."

"However, I'm fine; you don't need to speak up for me."

Li Qingluo: "As long as you're alright. Shall I see you home?"

"Which palace are you from?"

The old granny said: "I am a servant beside the Empress Dowager, having received her order, I am here to fetch the granddaughter of the venerable old general to the Empress Dowager to meet General Pei."

"General Pei drank two cups of wine, muttering that he wants to see his obedient granddaughter."

"Miss, do you know where the Li family maiden is right now?"

Li Qingluo also looked surprised, slowly bowed: "How coincidental. I am Li Qingluo."

As she lowered her head, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly.

She certainly knew this granny was a servant of the Empress Dowager.

Today, while sneaking a look at the Empress Dowager downstairs, Li Qingluo also saw the palace people kneeling behind her.

Isn't this the granny right before us?