Chapter 71 The Empress Dowager Searches High and Low

The old Gu Zheng’s wrinkled face was covered in fake tears: “This old minister knows that the Empress Dowager thinks Qiu Shuzhi is a talented person and favors her, wanting to cultivate her well to contribute to the Qin family in the future. But you don’t know that she’s ungrateful and actually had an illicit affair with the Crown Prince, shamelessly.”

“Nonsense!” Qin Qing kicked her away and shouted angrily.

“Empress Dowager, what this old minister said is absolutely true!” She crawled back to Qin Qing’s feet, clutching the hem of Qin Qing’s clothes and crying with tears streaming down her face.

Her words just now were already restrained, not mentioning the Empress Dowager’s fondness for Qiu Shuzhi, but the description of the relationship between Qiu Shuzhi and Yue Guanyi struck straight at Qin Qing’s heart.

Gu Zheng had married into the Qin family for over thirty years, and had heard of his temperament since before Qin Qing entered the palace as empress. The proud son of a noble family would never allow other men by his beloved’s pillow. Now that he was the esteemed Empress Dowager, he was even less able to tolerate the woman he fancied going to sleep with other men.

And that man was Yue Guanyi, the rival of the Qin family and nominally his good son. If these two were to marry in the future, Qiu Shuzhi would become his daughter-in-law. How could he endure that?

“You old fool, spouting such nonsense! Qiu Shuzhi is my person, I know her character better than you do. Get out!” Qin Qing gripped the tea table tightly, his eyes never having looked so dangerous.

“This old minister knows that no matter what I say now, the Empress Dowager won’t believe it.” Gu Zheng looked at Qin Qing, with the air of someone ready to risk everything: “An Dai, come in!”

Yu Ye brought in a timid woman from outside. As soon as An Dai saw the Empress Dowager’s angry face, she knelt down in panic, unable to even straighten her back.

“Empress Dowager, Qiu Shuzhi had already been intimate with His Highness the Crown Prince back in Yanshun County. An Dai was Qiu Shuzhi’s guard at the time, she is the eyewitness.” Gu Zheng’s cold, deep eyes looked at An Dai: “Hurry and tell the Empress Dowager truthfully what you saw that day.”

“Yes.” An Dai knelt trembling before Qin Qing.

“This humble servant was following Official Qiu to Yanshun County at the time. Not long after, His Highness the Crown Prince also came with people. That night they drank together at the magistrate’s residence in Yanshun County. The official drank quite a lot, became unconscious from drunkenness, and then entered the Crown Prince’s carriage. The two were intimate in the carriage for most of an hour.”

“This servant found it strange and kept an eye out. Unexpectedly, in the latter half of the night, this servant saw His Highness the Crown Prince personally go to the kitchen to brew hangover soup. This servant thought, how could such a noble person as His Highness the Crown Prince personally do the task of cooking?”

“To my great surprise, after His Highness finished brewing the hangover soup, he personally delivered it to Official Qiu’s room. The two stayed intimately in the room until dawn. When they came out, this servant noticed that His Highness’s face was flushed red, his thin lips were swollen, his clothes were disheveled, and his expression was flustered and concealing, just like…”

“Impudent!” Qin Qing suddenly exploded in anger: “How dare a lowly person like you make wild speculations about His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“Empress Dowager, An Dai is absolutely not lying. That day at the hunting grounds, Qiu Shuzhi and His Highness the Crown Prince exchanged tokens. Haven’t you noticed that since the assassin incident, the jade pendant Qiu Shuzhi wears around her waist has changed? That is the love token His Highness the Crown Prince gave to Qiu Shuzhi.”

“Shut up!” Qin Qing stood up angrily, grabbing a nearby vase and smashing it on the ground.

Gu Zheng had never seen Qin Qing reveal such an angry expression before. His eyes were cold and dark, reflecting a venomous chill that made one’s hair stand on end. Gu Zheng immediately fell silent. Although she wanted to drive a wedge between Qiu Shuzhi and the Empress Dowager, she didn’t have the guts to provoke the Empress Dowager’s wrath.

“Get out, all of you get out!” Qin Qing’s eyes were full of viciousness, his usually gentle brows and eyes now dangerously chilling.

“This old minister takes her leave.” Gu Zheng sighed, wiped away her tears, and left with An Dai. Her old, bent figure looked like that of some loyal minister.

“My lord, will what we’ve done really be effective?” Only after leaving Qingning Palace did An Dai dare to speak.

Gu Zheng laughed coldly: “How could it not be effective?”

Even if they couldn’t bring down Qiu Shuzhi, they could create a rift between them, so that she could no longer gain Qin Qing’s trust.

And Qin Qing would be even more hostile towards Yue Guanyi. With the two factions in conflict, she would benefit no matter what. Gu Zheng looked back at the solemn and majestic Qingning Palace, her eyes sharp and gleaming.

“Empress Dowager…” Yu Ye carefully knelt at Qin Qing’s feet, looking at Qin Qing’s form that seemed about to collapse, the brokenness in his eyes almost tearing him apart.

The atmosphere in the room was stagnant, with shattered porcelain all over the floor.

“She actually had an affair with Yue Guanyi. Yanshun County, Yanshun County, I personally delivered that slut to her bed.”

Qin Qing stepped on the fragments in a daze, producing sharp, grating sounds. The porcelain shards pierced through the thin, soft soles of his shoes, and fresh blood flowed out thick and beautiful.

Yue Guanyi’s cold face kept appearing in his mind. It was this face that had taken away the person he loved. He liked Qiu Shuzhi so much that he didn’t even dare to touch her too much, fearing she would distance herself and avoid him. Yet she was easily taken away by Yue Guanyi, that cheap person raised in a brothel.

“Slut! Slut!” Qin Qing’s anger raged like a wildfire, jealousy surging in his eyes.

His eyes were bloodshot, vases, jade objects, famous paintings and calligraphy were all torn to pieces by him, but he still felt it wasn’t enough. The anger poured oil on the fire, raging waves roaring in his heart, he wanted to kill someone.

“Empress Dowager-” Yu Ye couldn’t bear to see him like this and tried to persuade: “Empress Dowager, don’t believe Minister Gu’s one-sided words. Perhaps, perhaps Official Qiu is innocent?”

“Right… right!” Qin Qing’s pupils suddenly contracted, as if grasping at a lifeline, seeing a faint glimmer of hope.

“An Dai said Qiu Niang was drunk that night, she was unconscious from drinking. It must have been that slut who took off her clothes and seduced her, waiting until the rice was cooked to threaten her with his status, forcing her to accept his dirty, ruined body. Yes! It must be like that!” Qin Qing was deeply entangled in the fantasy he had woven for himself, unable to extricate himself.

“Go find Qiu Niang now, immediately! I want to see her right now, ask her face to face!” He grabbed Yu Ye, his expression bordering on manic.

Yu Ye had served Qin Qing for so many years and had never seen Qin Qing like this before. He was almost scared to death by the madness and venom in Qin Qing’s eyes, and hurriedly ran out holding up his skirts.

“The Empress Dowager wants to see me? Why so urgent?” Qiu Shuzhi looked at Yu Ye who appeared before her out of breath, and had a vague sense of foreboding.

“There’s no time to explain, please come with me quickly, my lady.”

In his fury, Qin Qing was about to burn down the palace. Yu Ye had no time to say anything, only wanting to bring Qiu Shuzhi to Qin Qing as soon as possible. Right now, Qin Qing was like a crazed beast, and only Qiu Shuzhi could soothe him.

Qiu Shuzhi followed Yu Ye and finally arrived at the entrance of Qingning Palace. Yu Ye himself waited outside the door, letting her go in alone.

As soon as she entered, Qiu Shuzhi sensed something was wrong. The mess all over the floor showed that the Empress Dowager had flown into a great rage.

Qin Qing sat dejectedly on the ground, his long hair in disarray spread all over the floor. Some of the shattered vase pieces scattered on the ground still bore traces of blood, and there were also bloodstains on his body and hands.

“This official greets the Empress Dowager.” She gently knelt beside Qin Qing: “Does the Empress Dowager have urgent business to suddenly summon me?”

Qin Qing slowly raised his head, his deep gentle eyes bloodshot, his gaze falling first on her waist. Indeed, it was not the jade pendant she used to wear. Before, he had only thought she had changed to a better jade after being promoted, but now…

He laughed self-mockingly, his voice as hoarse as if he had been screaming: “Qiu Niang, come closer, come nearer to me.”

Qiu Shuzhi moved a few steps.

Qin Qing shifted his body, resting his forehead on her shoulder. The cuts on his palm from the porcelain shards tore open a bit more. He took the jade from her waist, his voice gentle and soft yet devoid of any emotion.

“Qiu Niang, I really like this jade on your waist. Will you give it to me?”

Whether the affair Gu Zheng spoke of was true or false, even if this jade pendant was really a love token between her and Yue Guanyi, as long as she was willing to give it to him, it meant she didn’t have much true feelings for Yue Guanyi, and he wouldn’t blame her.

“……” Qiu Shuzhi did not answer.

Seeing Qiu Shuzhi not answer, Qin Qing’s heart inexplicably panicked a bit. Even if it was held tightly by a pair of dark claws, with even its beating bringing painful palpitations, he wasn’t afraid of anything, except that Qiu Shuzhi truly had feelings for Yue Guanyi.

If that was really the case, then what was he? What did his long-hidden fondness, his wholehearted treatment of her amount to? Was he just a pawn in her heart?

“Will you?” Qin Qing’s voice softened almost to a plea, his hands firmly imprisoning her waist, his body pressed tightly against hers, his hot breath on her neck, his slender arms anxiously embracing her from behind: “It’s just a jade pendant, give it to me, and I’ll give you more and better ones. I’ll promote you, I’ll give you the position of Commander of the Five Armies, alright?”

Qin Qing, who had been invincible and proud all his life, with bones that had been hard for a lifetime, was completely flustered at this moment.

He was afraid of being treated as a pawn by Qiu Shuzhi, yet longed to be a pawn, exchanging power and lust for her submission.

He held Qiu Shuzhi tightly, no longer caring about male virtue and morals. He buried his face in the soft crook of her neck, his fingertips brushing aside her stray hairs, his hot lips kissing the nape of her neck finely and densely, his thin lips trembling uncontrollably from nervousness.

“Qiu Niang, Qiu Niang, agree to me,” his voice murmured, seeming both panting and bewitching, thicker than dark red blood.

“Mmm-” Qiu Shuzhi hadn’t expected Qin Qing to disregard his status as Empress Dowager and make such a shocking move. Caught off guard, she let out an ambiguous low moan.

Her already sensitive skin became limp all over under his light kisses and licks, almost losing the strength to push him away.

“No.” She pushed him away.

Unexpectedly, Qin Qing leaned his entire body towards her, pressing her to the ground. Their bodies were tightly intertwined, fingers interlocked.