Chapter 74 Cousin Starts Causing Trouble Cousin Starts Causing Trouble…

Tonight was not her shift, she spent some intimate time with Yue Guanyi in Fengyang Pavilion, then went to the military camp, and only returned to the Qiu residence late at night.

The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was approaching, and the Empress had already arranged for palace servants to deliver invitations to the homes of various officials, inviting them to attend along with their family members.

Qiu Shuzhi’s parents passed away early, and her relatives were scattered. Only her cousin Qiu Qiushuang remained in the family, so it was natural to bring him to this Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.

But Qiu Qiushuang held the invitation with anxiety.

“I won’t go, I… I have some things I can’t get away from.” Qiu Qiushuang placed the invitation in her hand, his pale eyebrows slightly furrowed, gesturing with some disappointment.

His muteness had always been a hidden pain of his insecurity. At the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, there would be so many officials’ family members, naturally all dressed beautifully, speaking polite official talk. But he could not speak, and would only be secretly mocked if he went.

He had seen such mockery many times. Qiu Qiushuang didn’t feel embarrassed, but he worried that he would bring shame to her and hinder her prospects.

How could Qiu Shuzhi not understand what Qiu Qiushuang was thinking? She took his hand compassionately: “Cousin, you really don’t need to care what others say about you. We live our lives together. The Empress’s invitation has been delivered to you, so why shouldn’t we go?”

With that, she forcefully stuffed the invitation into his hand, then softened her tone and pleaded: “Cousin, please come with me. You’re my only relative now. Everyone else will be in pairs, surely I can’t be all alone and miserable? Besides, there’s a big event at the banquet that you must attend.”

Qiu Qiushuang’s thin shoulders trembled slightly. Looking at her bright eyes, he vaguely had a bad premonition.

“What good news is it?” he gestured nervously to ask.

Qiu Shuzhi placed the jade pendant from her waist in his hand. Her soft gaze fell on the treasured jade pendant, and her smile gradually deepened: “Her Majesty and the Empress Dowager will bestow marriage upon me and His Highness.”

Qiu Qiushuang’s hand holding the jade pendant trembled heavily, his lips quivering, his pupils shaking.

How could this be?

His Shuzhi was actually going to marry someone else?

“Why… why so fast?” Qiu Qiushuang’s fingers trembled so much they could barely form gestures.

“Is it fast?” She didn’t think so. Her relationship with Yue Guanyi was more of a natural progression.

But she was more worried about Qiu Qiushuang’s prejudice against Yue Guanyi. Last time when she unintentionally mentioned Yue Guanyi to him, he had a very big reaction, extremely displeased, like a mean mother-in-law looking at a daughter-in-law, finding fault no matter how she looked.

“Cousin, you won’t be unhappy about me marrying His Highness, will you?” she probed.

Qiu Qiushuang pressed his lips tightly, his full lips turning pale from lack of blood. He gritted his teeth, and after a long while, shook his head: “How could I be? I’m so happy you’re getting married I can hardly contain myself.”

Qiu Shuzhi was somewhat surprised: “Didn’t you dislike His Highness?”

Qiu Qiushuang’s heart felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, his eyes gradually filling with misty fog. Of course he didn’t like men like Yue Guanyi, especially now that he was going to steal away his Shuzhi, the only warmth left in his life, the only meaning that kept him living.

“Perhaps I disliked him before, but no matter who you choose, I will accept him.” He closed his eyes painfully as he gestured.

“That’s great, then cousin, you must come with me to the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, okay?” Qiu Shuzhi pleaded.

Qiu Qiushuang nodded bitterly, the misty fog that had welled up in his eyes gradually dissipating, returning to normal.

At the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, hundreds of officials brought their family members to enter the palace together, gathering outside the Imperial Garden. Heavenly woven brocade and soft gauze, vermilion hairpins entwined, admiring flowers and brocade carp with smiling faces, it was quite a lively scene.

At this time, the royal family had not yet arrived. Only a group of officials were chatting idly in the garden. The usually tense atmosphere was temporarily eased at this family reunion banquet of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

There was no need to wear heavy and serious official robes at the family banquet. Qiu Shuzhi wore a misty blue soft smoke gauze dress, the thin gauze like mist wrapping around her as if scattered snow in the human world. Her ink-black long hair was loosely pinned up with two white jade misty water hairpins, the cascading strands of hair making her skin appear even more smooth and creamy, like white plum blossoms frozen in snow, elegant and radiant.

Beside her, Qiu Qiushuang wore a soft silver light gauze white robe, with subtle white lotus patterns embroidered on the corners and cuffs. His long hair was tied up with a white jade cold jade hairband, the restrained hair color and flying ribbons hanging behind him. His face was as fair as jade, delicate and elegant, and his clear eyes were free of any worldly impurities. Just standing there cleanly made people feel otherworldly like snow.

Qiu Shuzhi’s reputation for beauty was already well-known. As soon as the Qiu siblings entered, although they were not dressed as luxuriously as other officials, their outstanding appearance and temperament drew the attention of the officials’ family members. Especially some unmarried sons of officials, upon seeing Qiu Shuzhi, all blushed, shyly hiding behind their fans while secretly stealing glances.

“I suppose this must be Secretary Qiu’s cousin. What a delicate person!” Some perceptive officials’ husbands had already started chatting warmly with Qiu Qiushuang.

Qiu Shuzhi now commanded twenty thousand of the Imperial Guards and was determined to reorganize them. The Imperial Guards were already very different from before, and the officials could all see this. Knowing that Qiu Shuzhi was different from the former incompetent commander, they definitely wanted to build good relations, so a group of officials pulled her aside to discuss court affairs.

But this seemingly ordinary scene was being maliciously observed by someone in the shadows.

Li Liang, hiding behind a fake mountain, watched Qiu Qiushuang surrounded by a group of officials’ husbands with vicious eyes. So this was the mute cousin of Qiu Shuzhi that Li Mian had mentioned, kept hidden away?

Indeed, quite a beautiful appearance!

Qiu Shuzhi had killed her people and stolen her power. Li Liang remembered it all, just waiting for the day she could take revenge, to repay the humiliation she had suffered and avenge Li Mian’s death.

“Go lure him over here.” Li Liang gave a signal to the person beside her.