Chapter 85

Upon hearing that something had happened at Qingju Pavilion, Qin Yuan quickly put down the memorial in his hand, looked up at Eunuch Gao, and asked urgently, "What happened at Lin Guniang's place?"

Eunuch Gao paused, thinking that once this was said, it would surely make Qin Yuan furious, but he had to bite the bullet and say it: "Xiaofangzi said that Qin Liuye, for some reason, snuck into Qingju Pavilion tonight—"

"He is bold!" Qin Yuan felt his scalp tingle instantly and was so angry he threw the teacup in his hand to the ground!

He walked directly out from behind the desk and strode toward the door, "Someone! Quickly prepare the imperial carriage for Qingju Pavilion!"

"Yes!" Xiao Zhuozi, who was guarding the door of Yangxin Hall, responded and ran to call people to prepare the imperial carriage.

"How dare he—!" While waiting for the imperial carriage, Qin Yuan paced back and forth in front of Yangxin Hall, his fists clenched, his knuckles white.

If Qin Liuye were in front of him, he would definitely swing his fist and give that fat man a vicious beating!

Soon the imperial carriage arrived. Qin Yuan got on and ordered the carriage bearers to speed up.

The bearers accelerated until their feet were almost flying, and Eunuch Gao followed behind, walking at a fast pace, barely able to keep up with them.

Even so, Qin Yuan still felt they were too slow; if he arrived late and Lin Jiaojiao had been humiliated by that lecherous Qin Liuye, what would he do!

Thinking of Qin Liuye, Qin Yuan was filled with anger. He was an idle prince with no real power, but this gluttonous, lazy person spent his days doing nothing but teasing cats or dogs!

Now, any woman in the palace who saw him would detour, fearing to get involved with him!

Who didn't know that after he married a noble daughter of the Jiang family, he took eighteen concubines into the Prince Jin Mansion.

But not long after, those concubines all contracted terrible diseases, were rolled up in straw mats, and thrown into the mass grave outside!

The concubines were often replaced, wave after wave, and in the end, even the noble daughter of the Jiang family became sickly and was taken back to her maiden home by the Duke to recover. Outsiders all said that the Jiang noble daughter had been infected with a dirty disease by Qin Liuye, and no one dared to serve her.

If Qin Liuye really had a dirty disease and had defiled Lin Guniang...

Qin Yuan sat on the sedan chair, holding his forehead, not daring to think any further!

"Hurry up! Faster!" he urged, making the bearers cover the eight-hundred-step journey at the pace of a hundred-meter sprint!

In less than half a stick of incense, he arrived at Qingju Pavilion.

The eunuch guarding the door of Qingju Pavilion hurriedly announced, "The Emperor has arrived—"

In an instant, the concubines, palace maids, Lin Jiaojiao, and the wet nurse Guo Shi, who was holding the sleeping Zhu Geer, all walked out and knelt at the door to welcome the Emperor!

"Long live the Emperor, long live, long live!"

It was the first time the wet nurse Guo Shi had seen the Emperor, and she didn't even dare to lift her head!

But she was considered bold, not trembling to the point of fainting!

Compared to fear, she was more excited!

My God! Having the chance to see the current Emperor was enough for her to brag about in the village for a lifetime!

For her, this was a supreme honor!

Qin Yuan got off the sedan chair, his gaze landing immediately on Lin Jiaojiao.

Seeing her kneeling calmly, looking as if she hadn't been humiliated by Qin Liuye, Qin Yuan finally felt a little relieved.

He noticed that among the kneeling crowd, a fat body was whimpering in pain.

And beside him, a short man was tied up tightly, cowering like him, not daring to make a sound.

The fat man arched and twisted toward him on the ground. Eunuch Gao, fearing the Emperor would be startled, gave Xiao Zhuozi a look, and Xiao Zhuozi, without a word, kicked the fat man away!

Xiao Zhuozi kicked the man directly to the base of the wall. The fat man groaned in pain a few times, and finally stammered, "You rootless thing, how dare you kick this Master! Ouch, it hurts me to death!"

"Imperial brother, imperial brother, you've come just in time, quickly uphold justice for me!"

At first, Qin Yuan thought the man was calling for the Emperor, but looking closely, he realized the swollen face looked very familiar—wasn't that Qin Liuye!?

But Qin Liuye was still tied with hemp rope, kneeling on the ground and twisting his body; without help, it was hard for him to stand up.

"Imperial brother! Imperial brother!" Qin Liuye struggled to crawl and call him, but tilted and fell back to the ground!

Qin Yuan understood immediately: Qin Liuye had tried to steal a chicken and lost the rice! He narrowed his eyes, as if he could see the process of Qin Liuye being beaten and tied up!

He had truly worried too much; Lin Jiaojiao was so clever, how could she let Qin Liuye succeed?

Qin Yuan's heart calmed down, and he even felt a bit like laughing. In the eyes he looked at Lin Jiaojiao with, the dancing candlelight was reflected.

He raised his hand and said, "Rise. Imperial Concubine Ning, what is going on here?"

"Yes," Imperial Concubine Ning stood up and reported to the Emperor, "Emperor, this concubine heard Imperial Yu Fei report that someone was defiling the inner palace, and she told this concubine to come quickly to catch the adulterers and punish them severely—"

When Qin Yuan heard this, he couldn't help but glance at Imperial Yu Fei.

Imperial Yu Fei lowered her head, not daring to meet Qin Yuan's scrutinizing gaze, her voice small, "This concubine also heard it from a palace maid and didn't think much of it, so I called Imperial Concubine Ning to come and investigate."

Imperial Concubine Ning stood with dignity and righteousness, "When this concubine and Imperial Yu Fei came to investigate, Lin Guniang and Qingdai of Qingju Pavilion were 【catching a thief】."

Qin Liuye would never admit he was a thief; he shouted that he was wronged, but Qin Yuan ignored him.

"Catching a thief?" Qin Yuan heard this and looked at Lin Jiaojiao with interest.

Seeing her standing straight, without a hint of fear.

Lin Jiaojiao met Qin Yuan's gaze, bowed, and said sternly, "Emperor, I was preparing to sleep with the child when I suddenly heard movement outside the room, so I thought a thief had attacked, and I fought back."

After finishing, she scolded Qin Liuye, who was shouting that he was wronged, righteously: "You snuck into Qingju Pavilion in the middle of the night; if you aren't a thief, then what are you?"

"I'm wronged!" The bruised and swollen Qin Liuye cried to Qin Yuan, then pointed at the burn on Lin Jiaojiao's face, furious, "I am the dignified Prince Jin; how could I possibly come to your Qingju Pavilion, where there is nothing, to steal things?"

"Look at the scar on your face," Qin Liuye said, spitting a mouthful of thick phlegm on the ground viciously, "Bah! Ugly women really make trouble, thinking they have the beauty of a heavenly being!"

Once these words were out, everyone present had different expressions.

Imperial Concubine Ning showed a faint look of disgust at Qin Liuye, while Imperial Yu Fei looked high and mighty, but there was a trace of complacency in her eyes as she looked at Lin Jiaojiao.

Lin Jiaojiao, however, remained calm, a sly smile appearing on her face as she asked Qin Liuye, "You talk about me like this—I'm afraid you don't want me to treat your illness anymore?"