Chapter 58 The Empress Dowager Is Jealous The Empress Dowager Is Jealous
Qin Qing looked at Yue Guanyi’s retreating figure with a bland expression, his eyes as deep as a bottomless pool.
“Official Qiu.”
Qiu Shuzhi raised her head, instantly meeting his unfathomable gaze.
A pair of exquisitely well-maintained hands reached out to her, fingers tucking the messy hair by her ear behind it. His voice was as gentle as a quiet stream: “Help this grieving one back to the tent.”
Qiu Shuzhi lowered her eyes and quickly supported his arm. “Yes.”
Qin Qing was still ill, his body weak and powerless as he walked, leaning almost his entire weight on her.
As they neared the tent, the cold night wind blew, scattering Qin Qing’s loose long hair. His ink-black hair was soft and lustrous, carrying a faint fragrance. Having just experienced a calamity, the surrounding voices were clamorous. Especially in the northwest direction, where many servants had gathered.
Qin Qing tightened his collar and suddenly stopped, facing northwest. He asked slowly: “Does Official Qiu know what’s happening over there?”
Hearing the constant piercing screams coming from that direction, Qiu Shuzhi made a rough guess: “It should be Noble Consort Jing being punished.”
Qin Qing said gently: “Death by a thousand cuts, each cut making one wish for death. It’s truly a pity, those without brains don’t live long in the palace.”
Qiu Shuzhi couldn’t quite grasp Qin Qing’s meaning: “Noble Consort Jing got what he deserved.”
“Got what he deserved?” A cold smile appeared at the corner of Qin Qing’s lips: “Indeed, he got what he deserved.”
He reached out, his cool fingertips caressing the scratch on her cheek left by Noble Consort Jing. That reckless scoundrel had actually left a clear bloody mark on her face. Just looking at it made his heart clench: “Does it hurt?”
Qiu Shuzhi lowered her head, taking half a step back: “It doesn’t hurt. This humble official still has the soft jade ointment bestowed by the Empress Dowager. It will heal after applying it when I return.”
Qin Qing nodded lightly. Listening to Noble Consort Jing’s heart-wrenching screams, it seemed like he was hearing the most pleasing music: “Noble Consort Jing offended the official, having such an end is indeed getting what he deserved.”
A trace of sadness appeared on her face. To be executed by a thousand cuts for scratching her face? Her face must be extremely precious then.
She knew Noble Consort Jing was innocent, that he was a scapegoat for the real mastermind behind the scenes. But for now, she couldn’t investigate clearly who the real mastermind was. The Qin clan? The forces of the King of Dian? Or some rebel organization? Regardless of which it was, what Yue Shen needed now was to quickly quell this matter, then investigate secretly.
Suddenly, Qin Qing chuckled softly. Hidden by the wide sleeves of his robe, he lightly pinched the soft flesh of her palm. Her heart jolted in surprise, only to hear him say intimately by her ear: “Come in, this grieving one has something to ask you.”
Qiu Shuzhi nodded silently. It seemed Qin Qing had also sensed something unusual about this matter.
She first helped Qin Qing into the tent, but Qin Qing spread his arms.
Qiu Shuzhi froze in place.
Qin Qing smiled, pursing his lips, and called out gently: “What are you standing there for? Come help this grieving one undress.”
Qiu Shuzhi stood dumbfounded for quite a while, not understanding his intention.
Seeing her wooden reaction, Qin Qing smiled slightly. Then suddenly remembering she was not yet married and this might be her first time undressing a man, joy welled up in his heart, and his voice became even softer: “This grieving one is still dizzy and weak. Come help remove my outer robe.”
Qiu Shuzhi then woodenly stepped forward. Standing behind him, she stiffly removed his heavy ink-black robe, revealing the snow-white inner garment beneath. The inner garment was thin, and the sash tied at the waist accentuated the contours of his figure.
Qiu Shuzhi stood holding the removed outer robe, still warm from his body heat, stiff as a board, not knowing whether to continue holding it or put it down.
“Why have you stopped?” Qin Qing slowly turned around. The thin fabric, slightly wrinkled, appeared somewhat disheveled. The collar of his robe was also loosely open, his chest rising and falling slightly with each breath. A bright red birthmark on his collarbone, like a red plum blossom in snow, bloomed shyly, particularly eye-catching.
Qiu Shuzhi’s gaze swept over calmly, taking two seconds to realize what that red mark was, then hurriedly moved her gaze away in shock.
In the Great Qi nation, males would apply cinnabar below their collarbone at the age of seven to prove their purity. It wouldn’t fade with water or heat, and would only naturally disappear after losing one’s virginity. It was called the “virgin mark”.
This was what Qiu Qiushuang had told her, but since she had never married, she had only heard of such things but never seen them in person. It took her a moment to realize what it was.
She never imagined that her first time seeing the legendary virgin mark would be on the body of the current Empress Dowager. It was truly life-threatening!
Even ordinary men would be so ashamed they’d jump into a river if strangers saw their virgin mark. And what she saw wasn’t an ordinary man, but the current Empress Dowager…
If she hadn’t reacted quickly, her career would probably end right here.
No, she should be joining Noble Consort Jing right now!
“No- nothing, I- this official- will give you-” For the first time, Qiu Shuzhi stumbled over her words, nearly biting her tongue.
“You!” Qin Qing sighed, using his finger to lift her chin.
Qiu Shuzhi’s eyes trembled as she looked up, meeting his bewitchingly gentle gaze.
“Just helping this grieving one undress makes you so nervous. Earlier, the Crown Prince cut off Noble Consort Jing’s jade hands right in front of you, yet you praised him for it. Could it be that this grieving one is more frightening than the Crown Prince, that living King of Hell covered in sin?” He looked at her with an ambiguous smile, his voice gentle yet with an indescribable sour tone.
Qiu Shuzhi shook her head repeatedly, her hair tie falling to her chest: “This humble official absolutely did not mean that.”
“Is that so?” Qin Qing’s fingers twirled around her fallen hair tie, winding it around his hand circle by circle, his eyes revealing a hint of interest.
“Yes- yes.”
“Then let this grieving one ask you.” He pulled on her hair tie and sat softly on the couch, forcing Qiu Shuzhi to kneel on one knee on the ground, her upper body leaning forward to meet his watery gaze: “Who is better, this grieving one or the Crown Prince?”
“…Naturally, the Empress Dowager is better.”
“Really?” The joy spreading in Qin Qing’s eyes was unconcealed, with less shrewd calculation and more pure innocence.
Qiu Shuzhi slowly nodded: “Of course.”
“Then…” Qin Qing’s face suddenly reddened, even his fingers curling nervously: “Then in your eyes, between this grieving one and the Crown Prince, who is more beautiful?”
A flash of surprise passed through Qiu Shuzhi’s eyes. How could a stepfather and stepson be compared?
But the Empress Dowager before her was not like Yue Guanyi, a soft and obedient little puppy she could bully. She still had to flatter him.
“Naturally, the Empress Dowager is more beautiful.”
Qin Qing’s ears heated up, his eyes bashful, exuding a bewitching charm: “How am I more beautiful than him? The common people all say he’s the number one beauty in the capital.”
To be fair, Qin Qing’s looks were on par with Yue Guanyi’s. Yue Guanyi was a cold and aloof beauty, while Qin Qing was a graceful ink lotus. It’s just that he was a bit older, and already the Empress Dowager, so he didn’t need such a title.
“The Empress Dowager’s beauty is heavenly, unattainable. The comparisons of beauty among commoners are not worth mentioning before the Empress Dowager.”
“Of course.” Qin Qing pursed his lips, unable to hide the joy in his eyes.
Even the noble and aloof Empress Dowager wanted to receive praise from the one he loved. All men were like this. If he hadn’t been born into power and status, how he would have liked to be a virtuous husband, teaching his wife and children.
He gently released the hair tie wound around his hand, lightly brushing back his ink-black hair. Inadvertently, his fingertips caught on his collar, fully exposing the red virgin mark hidden in the pale snow of his skin.
Qiu Shuzhi hurriedly averted her gaze.
Qin Qing, however, acted as if he hadn’t noticed, softly reclining on the couch, his expression slightly smug: “Although the Crown Prince is young, he has experienced much. In his youth, he encountered great misfortune and lost his purity. At least the reputation of being the capital’s number one beauty can help him find a good marriage. What do you think?”
“The Empress Dowager speaks truly.” Words that seemed like a father worrying about his son’s marriage prospects, yet subtly mocked Yue Guanyi for losing his purity, making him unmarriageable. But considering the tense relationship between the Qin clan and Yue Guanyi, it was understandable.
Qin Qing was finally satisfied. Earlier, seeing her speak up for Yue Guanyi had made his heart ache like cat scratches. He just couldn’t stand Qiu Shuzhi showing even a bit of kindness towards any man.
Especially Yue Guanyi, who was younger and more beautiful than him. Qiu Shuzhi now led the Imperial Guards and often interacted with him. He feared that scoundrel trained in brothels would bewitch Qiu Shuzhi’s soul.
Thus, he deliberately mentioned in front of her that Yue Guanyi’s body was no longer pure.
A prince could never be someone’s consort, and Qiu Shuzhi surely wouldn’t want to marry a man who had lost his virginity.
Hah, Qin Qing sneered in his heart. Forget about being a consort, Yue Guanyi wasn’t even fit to be a bedwarmer.
“Here!” Qin Qing placed a candy in her hand.
Qiu Shuzhi looked at him in surprise: “This is?”
Qin Qing lazily leaned back on the couch, his three thousand strands of dark hair falling over his shoulders, the spreading scent of deep incense seemingly softening even his bones: “This grieving one has no strength in his hands. Unwrap it for me.”
“Yes.” Qiu Shuzhi chuckled silently, lowering her head to quietly unwrap the candy.
Qin Qing rested his head on his hand, unabashedly gazing at her with deep affection. His fingertips lightly caressed the virgin mark on his collarbone, his face slightly flushed.
He wondered if she had noticed his virgin mark earlier?
He was much purer than Yue Guanyi.
She must not have expected the current Empress Dowager to still be a virgin.
For the first time, Qin Qing felt grateful to the late Emperor, grateful that her nearly decrepit body hadn’t defiled his purity, allowing him to preserve the most important thing for a man.
Qiu Shuzhi was still focused on unwrapping the candy, her rosy fingertips stained with a bit of reddish syrup, the sweet scent of the candy spreading.
He involuntarily swallowed, wishing he could become the candy in her hands right now, carefully cradled by her, no longer having to agonize every day, scheming various ways for brief moments together.
He wished that at this moment, he could give himself completely to her.
What propriety, what shame, what court politics – he didn’t want to care about any of it anymore. He just wanted to lie in her arms and indulge himself once, to receive her love.
“Empress Dowager, it’s unwrapped.” The calm voice broke his fantasy.
The candy wrapper quietly bloomed open, the red candy crystalline and transparent in her hand. The remnants of crimson syrup on her fingertips made her hand appear even more flawless.
Qin Qing picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. The sweet taste swirled on his tongue, yet somehow tasted bitter. It seemed there was always a void in his heart that could never be filled.
He wanted to be closer to her, pressed tighter against her, until they fit together seamlessly, until no one could come between them. He wanted to belong to her completely.
This feeling grew stronger and stronger, becoming increasingly difficult to control.
“Official Qiu.” His voice was warm and husky as he unwrapped the last remaining candy. He held the alluringly red candy to her lips: “You eat too.”
“This humble official wouldn’t dare.” Qiu Shuzhi felt only trepidation. How could she be worthy of the Empress Dowager personally unwrapping candy for her to eat? Moreover, hadn’t Qin Qing just said he had no strength in his hands?
“There’s no need for daring or not daring. This is this grieving one’s order.” He said, seeming determined to feed her personally.
Qiu Shuzhi’s thin lips pressed tightly together, but she helplessly opened her mouth. The light, sweet fragrance spread in her mouth.
She bit down on the candy and asked solemnly: “Earlier, the Empress Dowager said he had something to ask this humble official. May I inquire what it is?”
Qin Qing pulled her to sit side by side on the edge of the soft couch. The charm revealed in his demeanor was intoxicating. He seemed completely satisfied just watching her eat the candy. Though it was a normal question, his voice was as alluring as a siren’s.
“Do you think Noble Consort Jing is really the one behind the assassin?”
Qiu Shuzhi was silent for a moment, then said frankly: “This humble official thinks Noble Consort Jing is just a scapegoat.”
“Official Qiu is indeed clever. This grieving one hasn’t misjudged you. Then who do you suspect is the mastermind?” Qin Qing’s body lazily leaned against her, the scent of high-quality agarwood quietly lingering and dispersing around them.
“Without evidence, this humble official dares not make reckless conjectures,” Qiu Shuzhi said.
The court’s conspiracies were intricate and unpredictable. She couldn’t fully trust even the Empress Dowager.
But what could be certain was that not only was Noble Consort Jing a scapegoat, but even that assassin was a scapegoat.
Qiu Shuzhi clearly remembered that she had wounded the assassin’s back, but the wound on the assassin’s back in the Cool Spring Pool had moved down two inches. This meant that someone could imitate her sword wound.
Not only that, but that assassin had been intent on throwing himself onto her sword, determined to seek death.
From this, it could be deduced that not only was Noble Consort Jing a scapegoat, but that assassin was also a scapegoat.
However, she had searched the entire hunting grounds and found nothing unusual. All investigations had come up empty.
Besides these, Qiu Shuzhi felt that the young Emperor’s reaction was also very strange.
Based on the young Emperor’s usual personality, she would certainly have ordered a thorough investigation. Yet tonight, she had directly concluded that Noble Consort Jing was the culprit, which was uncharacteristically arbitrary for her.
At first, she had thought this incident was related to the Qin clan, and that the young Emperor had chosen to let the matter rest under pressure.
But seeing Qin Qing’s reaction, it seemed this matter was unrelated to the Qin clan. But if not the Qin clan, who could it be?
Qin Qing was silent for a moment, grasping her sleeve, and whispered in her ear, “This grieving one feels there’s something odd about this matter. Although the situation has calmed for now, you need to investigate more in secret, especially regarding Jiang Si. You must not overlook any clues.”
Lady Jiang? Qiu Shuzhi recalled the scene of Lady Jiang calmly facing her undressing earlier.
