Ch 143: Secret
Qinglan quietly and carefully delivered the secret letter to North Garden, respectfully presenting it to Li Jiao’yu before hurriedly returning to Listening to the Rain Pavilion to report.
She bowed slightly, respectfully saying, “Reporting to Her Highness the Crown Princess, the letter has been safely delivered to Miss Li, and Miss Li specially instructed this servant girl to express her sincere gratitude to Her Highness the Crown Princess.”
Meng Tingyue, upon hearing this, her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she nodded slightly, “From tonight onwards, you need to arrange personnel to secretly monitor the movements in West Garden and North Garden, especially paying close attention to the whereabouts of Meng Dongliang and Qiao Lige.”
“Once you discover Meng Dongliang has signs of going out, act immediately, and be sure to capture Qiao Lige silently after he leaves to see me.”
……
The morning light dawned, and the second day arrived quietly.
Qinglan brought Qiao Lige, who had been captured the previous night.
“Let go! Meng Tingyue, by what right do you detain me? Even as Crown Princess, you should not abuse your power like this!” Qiao Lige struggled in the strong arms of the guards, her words full of resentment and indignation.
Meng Tingyue’s voice was calm and gentle, “Let her go.”
Upon hearing this, the guards immediately released their grip, freeing Qiao Lige. She quickly rubbed her wrists, which had been bound for a long time, her gaze fixed on Meng Tingyue, burning with anger.
“Meng Tingyue, why do you relentlessly press me? I have long since had no intention of competing with you for the Crown Prince’s position, why do you still force me into a desperate situation?”
Meng Tingyue gently parted her lips, taking a sip of the delicate Lotus Seed Soup, her brows calm and serene, undisturbed.
“Miss Qiao’s words are somewhat biased,” her tone was calm, without any anger, “This Palace has no intention of exterminating you. It’s merely out of curiosity, wanting to find out what kind of woman Uncle is truly fond of.”
Upon hearing this, the indignation in Qiao Lige’s eyes gradually faded, “Meng gege has deep affection for me, and in the future, I will be your Aunt.”
“Your words and actions today are truly disrespectful to your Aunt. If this matter reaches His Highness the Crown Prince’s ears, and he learns of your lack of manners, he will surely punish you according to palace rules.”
A smug gleam flickered in Qiao Lige’s eyes, her chin slightly raised, in a superior manner, “If you are willing to kneel and apologize to me, I might consider forgiving you for your disrespect and discourtesy yesterday.”
Upon hearing this, an inexplicable fire arose in Meng Tingyue’s heart, and she almost laughed.
Looking at Qiao Lige’s self-righteous face, she secretly pondered: What is Meng Dongliang? Does Qiao Lige really think that by hooking up with Meng Dongliang, she can rise above herself?
It’s utterly absurd.
Meng Tingyue gently shook her head, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes: “I’m afraid you have a misunderstanding. Someone who secretly engages in illicit affairs has no right to become my Aunt?”
A flash of undisguised panic crossed Qiao Lige’s eyes, and she hurriedly defended, “What do you mean by that? When have I ever had any improper conduct with anyone? Don’t believe those unfounded rumors.”
Seeing her reaction, Meng Tingyue curled her lips into a subtle arc, slightly tilted her head, and said meaningfully, “In the world, if you don’t want others to know, you must not do it yourself. Now, my Grandparents have safely arrived in the capital, and if they find out about this, according to their unwavering old-fashioned views, they certainly won’t agree to it.”
Qiao Lige’s expression became increasingly panicked and nervous, her eyes flickering uncertainly, clearly flustered.
Seeing this, Meng Tingyue decided to press her advantage, “This Palace has rarely seen Uncle so fond of someone, and I really hate to see him heartbroken because of you. If you can honestly tell me when your relationship with that person began, considering Uncle’s feelings, I might give you a break and keep your secret.”
Upon hearing this, Qiao Lige felt a mix of emotions. After a fierce internal struggle, she finally made up her mind, her gaze fixed on Meng Tingyue: “You must swear that you are truly helping me, not setting a trap to lure me into revealing my feelings.”
Upon hearing this, Meng Tingyue did not hesitate, and immediately made an oath, her words sincere: “If this Palace intentionally tries to break up your relationship with Uncle, may the entire Meng family perish.”
Hearing this, the boulder in Qiao Lige’s heart finally landed. She softly spoke, “Having just arrived, I was unfamiliar with every plant and tree in the Crown Prince’s Mansion, and I was inadvertently deceived by Zheng Steward’s sweet words, so I foolishly committed such a ridiculous act. In fact, it was all forced upon me; my heart has never been willingly involved.”
After speaking, she looked up at Meng Tingyue, her eyes full of sincerity, afraid that the Crown Princess would not believe her heartfelt words, she reiterated several times, her words full of urgency.
Meng Tingyue gently lowered her eyelids, already understanding a bit, thinking: As expected.
“Based on your words alone, how can this Palace easily believe you?” Her words contained consideration and scrutiny.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Lige hurriedly defended, “I have evidence to prove that he forced me. My voice trembled slightly, but it revealed firmness, “I have evidence that he forced me, and I also know that many girls in North Garden have been victimized by him.”
Meng Tingyue gently lowered her eyes, concealing the surprise that flashed in them. She hadn’t expected this investigation to yield such unexpected joy.
“If you can truly and undeniably prove Zheng Steward’s actions, this Palace will naturally believe you. However, Zheng Steward has always been cunning and ruthless, and vengeful. Aren’t you afraid that once this matter is exposed, you will incur his furious retaliation?”
Qiao Lige naturally understood the stakes. She swallowed hard, and looked at Meng Tingyue with firm eyes, “I am indeed afraid, but in comparison, I yearn even more to spend my life with Meng gege, to grow old together.”
“Meng gege is the Crown Princess’s close relative, Uncle. I firmly believe that the Crown Princess will definitely help me, settle this matter for me, and protect Meng gege.”
Qiao Lige’s face was full of certainty, clearly believing that Meng Tingyue cared deeply about her uncle, Meng Dongliang.
“This Palace never expected that Uncle would develop feelings for someone as scheming as you.” Meng Tingyue’s face suddenly turned cold, and a chill filled the air.
Seeing this, Qiao Lige felt even more confident, “As long as you are willing to help me get through this, after Meng gege and I achieve a happy marriage, I will definitely speak well of you.”
Meng Tingyue smiled faintly, “Helping you is not difficult, but this Palace needs concrete evidence to prove Zheng Steward’s actions.”
Upon hearing this, Qiao Lige quickly nodded in agreement, “I will immediately return, organize the evidence carefully, and send it to you as soon as possible.”
After Qiao Lige’s figure disappeared behind the door, the deliberately created displeasure on Meng Tingyue’s face dissipated like morning mist.
She gently rubbed her cheeks, a wry smile on her lips, “Sigh, this pretense and deception is truly tiring.”
Seeing this, Qingdian had a gentle smile on her lips, and softly said, “But in the end, all this is what the Crown Princess desires.”
Upon hearing this, Meng Tingyue nodded slightly, the smile on her face becoming even brighter, “Yes, it was worth all the effort this Palace spent acting with her.”
After speaking, she turned her gaze to Qingdian, her expression serious, “Qingdian, send someone to secretly follow Qiao Lige, and be sure to ensure her safety; don’t let her suffer any mishap.”
Qingdian was curious, but didn’t ask any more questions, only replying, “The Crown Princess is worried…”
Meng Tingyue nodded gently.
