Chu Qing's eyes instantly darkened.
It was Zhong Yi again!
She hadn't even settled the score for Zhong Yi's previous help in framing her with Xu Xin, and now she came to cause trouble again?
A murderous smile curled up on Chu Qing's lips. This time, she would settle both the old and new scores together.
Gu Lian happened to catch a glimpse of Chu Qing's expression at this moment. She couldn't help but shiver and took a few steps back.
The Princess of Ning looked so dangerous at this moment!
"Princess...?" Gu Lian was afraid of getting into trouble and carefully spoke up to inquire about Chu Qing's thoughts.
Chu Qing narrowed her beautiful eyes and slowly said, "This little girl sent me such a big gift. Naturally, I can't just accept it for free, right? It's impolite not to return the favor. I need to go back and figure out how to return the gift without losing my dignity."
Gu Lian nervously lowered her eyes, feeling fortunate that it wasn't herself who had offended this powerful person.
"Lady Gu, do you have any ideas?" Chu Qing casually glanced at Gu Lian with a hint of coldness in her eyes.
She hoped that this intelligent Lady Gu would always stay smart.
Sure enough, Lady Gu looked up at Chu Qing and then said, "Since this Miss Zhong has done such a thing, she should naturally bear the consequences. But... there are some things that I'm really not convenient to do..."
Hearing Gu Lian's words, Chu Qing couldn't help but chuckle softly without saying a word.
Seeing this, Gu Lian was afraid of angering the other party, so she continued, "Although I can't do much, Princess, please rest assured. If you want to expose this matter directly, I will surely tell everything frankly. If you... choose to bide your time and return her a favor, I will surely not say a single word more."
Saying this, Gu Lian looked up at Chu Qing's expression. Unfortunately, she couldn't read anything from it, so she could only brace herself and continue, "In short, I will do my best to cooperate with the Princess."
Chu Qing gave a faint smile and then said coolly, "She involved Lady Gu in this. Can Lady Gu really swallow this anger?"
With this sentence, Chu Qing made her intention clear without any disguise.
She just wanted to see if this Lady Gu had the guts to go against the Duke's Mansion. She needed to fan this fire to make it burn more vigorously.
Although the Gu family had a relatively high status, it was obviously no match for the Duke's Mansion.
Gu Lian tightly pursed her lips and lowered her eyes without saying a word.
She was also thinking about what to do to gain the most benefits for herself.
Chu Qing didn't seem to be in a hurry. She just waited with a smile for the reply.
Time seemed to slow down at this moment. Chu Qing didn't know how long she had been waiting. Finally, Gu Lian slowly raised her head and said firmly, "I don't know what I can do to help the Princess?"
This... meant she had chosen her side.
Chu Qing smiled in satisfaction and then hooked her finger, signaling the other to come closer.
Seeing this, Gu Lian suppressed her inner uneasiness and leaned over.
Chu Qing whispered something in her ear and then waited with a smile for her reply.
At this moment, there was no trace of the previous nervousness on Gu Lian's face. She replied, "Thank you, Princess, for your consideration. I will surely not disappoint you."
Chu Qing smiled in satisfaction. After chatting with Gu Lian about some other things, she left.
After Chu Qing left, Gu Lian's maid asked, "My Lady, aren't you afraid of getting into trouble?"
Gu Lian changed her previous demeanor and expressionlessly picked up a pastry on the table. Then she casually said, "Although the Princess of Ning forced me to choose a side, at least... she didn't force me too hard."
The little maid didn't know what the two ladies had just said. Although she was curious, she also knew that there were some things she shouldn't know, so she didn't ask any more questions.
...
When Chu Qing returned to the tent and found that neither Wei Ying nor Green Vine was there, she asked Liu Xin, who was waiting for her.
Liu Xin nervously tugged at her clothes and said, "My Lord... took Sister Green Vine to receive punishment. I originally wanted to go too, but my Lord ordered me to stay here and wait for you."
Receive punishment? Chu Qing frowned slightly.
Just as she was about to lift the curtain to go and have a look, Liu Xin quickly said, "My Lady, my Lord said that you should wait here for him to come back."
Chu Qing said coolly, "Did my Lord leave any other words?"
Liu Xin replied, "My Lord said that Green Vine is just a little maid. He naturally knows how to punish her. He asked you to trust him and not to worry too much."
The cold look on Chu Qing's face finally softened. Sure enough, concern could make one lose their composure.
When she heard that Green Vine was going to be punished, her protective instinct flared up.
But she almost forgot that the person was Wei Ying.
Wei Ying would naturally handle different people in different ways.
She should trust him.
...
"Is the Princess of Ning in?" Suddenly, a voice came from outside. Chu Qing signaled Liu Xin to go out and see what was going on.
After a while, Liu Xin came back and reported to Chu Qing, "It's a message from the Emperor. He said that he won't go to the other palace tonight for the time being."
Chu Qing raised her eyebrows and asked, "Then what's the next arrangement?"
"It's said that it's a free - arrangement. Those who are willing to stay here can live in the tents, and those who want to go back can return to their mansions. The Emperor wants to spend the night here, and almost everyone has stayed. I heard that some ladies and young misses who can't bear the hardship have already left for their mansions on the pretext of being ill." Liu Xin continued to reply.
Chu Qing curled her lips. The Emperor was really unique.
He wanted to stay in the wild, which forced those who wanted to curry favor with him to do the same.
Seeing that Chu Qing didn't show her attitude, Liu Xin continued to ask, "My Lady, then what about us?"
"Just stay here. We have bedding. It's summer now, and it's very cool here at night. It's just that there are more mosquitoes. Later, go and ask Lady Gu for some proper sachets. The feeling of being in harmony with nature is also a unique experience."
Liu Xin nodded, but she seemed a little absent - minded.
Seeing this, Chu Qing naturally understood that she was still worried about Green Vine. So she said, "Go and prepare some wine and food for me. After you bring them here, you can go and rest first."
Seeing that Chu Qing's tone was unassailable, Liu Xin took the order and went to prepare.
...
When Wei Ying returned, the sky was already covered with darkness. Some tents even had their lights out.
Only the tent belonging to him was still brightly lit in the distance. Wei Ying couldn't help but quicken his pace.
He originally thought that when he lifted the curtain, Chu Qing would pounce on him and ask about Green Vine.
But the reality was...
Chu Qing did pounce on him, and she threw herself into his arms.
But there was a strong smell of alcohol on her, which made Wei Ying wrinkle his nose.
How much had she drunk...?
Chu Qing only felt dizzy. She always got drunk when drinking alone.
Especially today, when she was upset, she got drunk even faster.
By the time Wei Ying came in, Chu Qing was so drunk that she almost forgot who she was.
However, although everything was blurry to her, when she saw Wei Ying, her eyes suddenly lit up.
This young man was really good - looking!
He was so adorable!!!
Thinking of this, Chu Qing giggled stupidly and then kissed the soft area under his nose.