Even though anger raged within Chu Qing like a tempest, a faint smile still played on her face as she patiently waited for Xu Xin to finish speaking.
Only the little meatball, who knew her inner thoughts well, curled up in the corner of her consciousness, shivering.
Heaven only knew that this great system of hers was actually suffocated by the overwhelming killing intent of its host! Sure enough, beneath the calm surface, there was always a hidden undercurrent capable of snuffing out lives without a trace!
Chu Qing thought that in her previous life in the harem, she had seen all kinds of women. There were those who feigned weakness, those who were arrogant and domineering, those with deep - seated scheming, and even those who were two - faced. But a woman as disgustingly blatant as Xu Xin was truly rare!
...
Seeing that Chu Qing didn't say a word, Xu Xin thought she was scared. So, with an air of righteousness, she continued, "Empress Dowager, since this gift was given by Xin'er, please don't blame elder sister anymore. Xin'er is willing to bear the consequences alone." As she spoke, a few more tears trickled down her cheeks.
The Empress Dowager had never liked Chu Qing. So when Xu Xin mentioned Chu Qing just now, she even thought that at last, she had found a good excuse to get a hold of her!
However... as things went on, she began to feel a bit disgusted with Xu Xin too.
Logically speaking, the enemy of one's enemy is a friend, but this Xu Xin exuded an odor that made her nauseous.
She was actually looking forward to Chu Qing's response.
Watching the two people she disliked fight against each other, the Empress Dowager suddenly felt in a good mood.
Chu Qing gave Xu Xin a disdainful glance and suddenly let out a soft chuckle. "You said I didn't tell you where this red coral came from?"
Seeing Chu Qing so calm, Xu Xin suddenly felt a twinge of unease. But upon careful thought, only she, Chu Qing, and one of Chu Qing's maids were present at that time. What the maid said was surely nothing to be afraid of.
So, Xu Xin said firmly, "Elder sister really didn't tell Xin'er!"
"Oh?" Chu Qing's voice trailed up slightly. Then she said unhurriedly, "Then how about swearing an oath?"
Xu Xin bit her lower lip and thought to herself that swearing an oath usually meant something like being struck by lightning. She didn't believe that lightning would really strike on a clear day.
"Then Xin'er swears that if what I said is false, may I be struck by lightning!" Xu Xin straightened her back, her face showing determination.
Those who had been a bit wavering now saw that Xu Xin had sworn an oath, so they began to believe that what she said was true.
Meanwhile, Wei Ying, who had been standing aside without saying a word for a long time, was looking at Chu Qing thoughtfully.
He wanted to see how Chu Qing would handle this.
Although he thought swearing oaths was quite boring, the people of Yan really believed in such things.
Seeing that Xu Xin had sworn an oath, Chu Qing curled her lips. "Struck by lightning? Sister is really brave. But... such an oath seems a bit illusory. How about we swear by something else?"
Humph, being struck by lightning was nothing serious!
Xu Xin's breath hitched, and she pretended to be calm. "Elder sister can decide. Xin'er has a clear conscience, so I can swear by anything."
"Fine then." Seeing that Xu Xin had agreed, Chu Qing pursed her lips and said playfully, "Then, if either of us lies, then..."
Chu Qing looked up at the curious crowd around her, smiled, and continued, "No matter what we eat, we'll gain weight, and our faces will break out in all kinds of rashes that will never go away. Oh, and if anyone lies even a bit, they'll never be able to have children in their lifetime, and they'll never win the favor of the Prince of Ning. How about it, sister? Do you dare?" Saying this, Chu Qing even raised her eyebrows and glanced at Wei Ying.
Hearing this, everyone gasped.
In the past, most oaths were about being struck by lightning, or dying a bad death, or living a lonely life.
Like what Chu Qing had proposed, although it seemed not too serious on the surface, in fact, no woman would dare to swear such an oath easily.
Unless she really had a clear conscience.
Otherwise, any one of the things Chu Qing mentioned would be more painful than death for a woman.
Especially for someone like Xu Xin, who was eager to win Wei Ying's favor. Already feeling guilty, she was rendered speechless by this oath and just stood there like a log.
At this moment, Xu Xin was so shocked by what Chu Qing said that she was almost out of her wits.
After Chu Qing finished speaking, the hall fell into complete silence.
Xu Xin originally wanted to hold out until the end, but she didn't dare to swear an oath about losing Wei Ying's favor. After all, she was the one who had lied!
Seeing that Xu Xin didn't respond for a long time, everyone already knew who was lying. So, when they looked at Xu Xin, their eyes were filled with contempt and disdain.
Xu Xin was almost in tears this time. She never thought that Chu Qing could so easily use her Achilles' heel to make an oath.
The Empress Dowager watched all this coldly. Although she already knew who was telling the truth and who was lying, she still didn't lessen her dislike for Chu Qing. Sure enough, a vulgar person would use such shallow and vulgar oaths.
When Wei Ying heard Chu Qing use him in the oath, he didn't feel annoyed. Instead, a strange feeling gradually welled up in his heart. Did Chu Qing's words mean that she had feelings for him?
Thinking of this, Wei Ying lowered his head to hide the smile on his lips.
Seeing that Xu Xin didn't dare to respond, Chu Qing was just about to press on when a slightly hoarse voice suddenly sounded:
"My daughter was used by someone with ill intentions. It was an unintentional mistake. Please forgive her, Empress Dowager."
Hearing how the person addressed Xu Xin, Chu Qing knew that the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue could no longer hold back and had come out to speak.
"Minister Xu, I don't want to be unreasonable, but I'm very curious. Why did your daughter still offer the red coral, which is from Dongyi, a place the Empress Dowager dislikes, as a birthday gift to the Empress Dowager even though she knew about it?"
Since Xu Xin had treated her like this, how could she, Chu Qing, not return the favor?
The Minister of the Ministry of Revenue's face darkened under Chu Qing's retort. After a long while, he said, "My daughter must have thought the red coral was extremely rare and just wanted to please the Empress Dowager. But I don't understand. Your Highness, knowing everything, still gave this coral to my innocent daughter. Did you have an ulterior motive?"
Innocent? Chu Qing almost blurted out a curse.
"I saw that your daughter liked the coral very much, so I gave it to her. Do I need an ulterior motive to give someone a gift? Minister Xu, don't assume that everyone is... dirty." Chu Qing's voice was now completely devoid of warmth.
When the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue met Chu Qing's gaze, his body suddenly trembled.
It was because the look in Chu Qing's eyes was like a suffocating darkness that could devour people.
He never thought he would see such a look in a younger person's eyes.
The last time he had such a feeling was when he was just a junior official and caught a glimpse of the current Grand Empress Dowager from afar.
Some people seemed to be born with an imposing aura.
Seeing Chu Qing like this, Wei Ying suddenly regretted standing by idly. So, he stepped forward and took Chu Qing's cold hand. Then, he said to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager on their seats, "Your servant has sent his blessings. I'm feeling a bit tired, so I won't bother you all anymore. I'll take my beloved wife back to the mansion first."
After saying that, without waiting for the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to respond, he turned around and led Chu Qing away.