FID – Chapter 865

Chapter 865: She Feels Guilty Toward Her Son

“Answer my questions obediently, and this bottle of potion is yours.” In the Liuyun Pavilion, Liu Yusheng sat opposite Xue Qinglian, shaking the bottle of medicine in her hand.

Xue Qinglian’s eyes were red.

The potion he wanted was right in front of him; Lucky Nannan had pinpointed his weakness perfectly and was using threats and temptations to get what she wanted.

With his heart bleeding, Xue Qinglian forced a stiff smile and said, “Lucky Nannan, that’s not very fair. I don’t know anything. Using this potion to tempt me won’t work.”

He had his pride.

“I’m not asking you anything else; just tell me what you talked about with Feng Qingbai last night. Whatever you could tell him, you can tell me too.” Liu Yusheng didn’t know what happened after he fell asleep from exhaustion last night, and Feng Qingbai wouldn’t tell her either, so she had to come here to coerce Xue Qinglian.

The bottle was immediately snatched from her hand by the man, who gripped it tightly. “You should’ve asked sooner!”

Like emptying beans from a bamboo tube, Xue Qinglian recounted every word of his conversation with Feng Qingbai last night—every pause included—down to the exact details.

That was the value of this precious potion.

After hearing his account, Liu Yusheng furrowed her brows thoughtfully.

“So it’s true. You and Feng Qingbai really are blood-related cousins.”

“That’s right.”

“Then the late emperor would be your uncle by marriage.”

“That’s right.”

“I didn’t expect that Baicao Valley was actually connected to the imperial family.”

“That’s right.”

“So is the disappearance of Baicao Valley related to the imperial family?”

“That’s right—” Xue Qinglian’s eyes suddenly widened, and it was too late to cover his mouth.

“The potion is yours now.” The woman calmly stood up, supported her belly, and walked away leisurely.

Staring at the potion that was already in his hands, Xue Qinglian’s temples throbbed with frustration.

Damn, Lucky Nannan’s little tricks are even better than Feng Qingbai’s!

After leaving the Liuyun Pavilion, Liu Yusheng’s brow remained furrowed.

More than ten years ago, the once-famous Baicao Valley suddenly vanished without a trace. Could it really be related to the royal family?

Although it was something Xue Qinglian blurted out carelessly, she believed there was much truth to it.

She didn’t know the full details, but seeing the repeated assassination attempts on Feng Qingbai by the Cangying Pavilion, she began to suspect that the events of back then might be directly connected to the late emperor.

But if the Cangying Pavilion only hated the late emperor’s sons, then there were several of them. So, why was the assassination target always locked on Feng Qingbai?

She had a feeling the reason wasn’t just because Feng Qingbai was the most powerful among the princes, nor simply because his death would throw Nanling into chaos. There must be something else behind it, something they hadn’t yet realized.

Unfortunately, Feng Qingbai had already entered the palace, otherwise she could have discussed it with him.

At this moment, Feng Qingbai was sitting in the Empress Dowager’s Yangxin Hall, but the Empress Dowager didn’t even look him in the eye.

“Empress Dowager, could you please describe in detail the scene when you went to question Dowager Consort Liu?”

“Haven’t I already told you? It was Zuo Rong who gave the order,” the Empress Dowager said, lightly flipping a page of a scripture, sounding indifferent.

“I suspect this matter behind it all is related to Baicao Valley. Since Your Majesty has tasked me with finding the murderer, you should cooperate with me.”

“Are you saying it was Baicao Valley that truly wanted to deepen the hatred between us?” The Empress Dowager finally raised her head, furrowing her brows as she looked at Feng Qingbai. Seeing that he wasn’t joking, she then said, “That day when I rushed to Qingning Palace to question Consort Liu, she finally told the truth. Back then, your power was immense. Other princes were either dead or in hiding; no one could stop your momentum. Only by uniting together could they resist you. Consort Liu and Zuo Rong were related by marriage and belonged to one faction, but just the two of them were not enough. So initially, Consort Liu sought me out, but I refused her.”

The Empress Dowager paused briefly, hesitating before continuing, “Zuo Rong knew that I was an old acquaintance of General Qin. The reason he tried to win me over was to gain Qin Xiao’s support. They probably didn’t expect me to refuse. At that time, Qin Xiao was maintaining a neutral stance. To make Qin Xiao side with them, Prime Minister Zuo ultimately ordered someone to harm my grandson!”

She hadn’t intended to mention her relationship with Qin Xiao, but knowing Feng Qingbai’s nature, even if she hadn’t said it, he probably would have guessed by now.

Since this matter also involved her Yun’er, there was nothing left to hide.

Feng Qingbai listened calmly; the reason given by Consort Liu was without doubt.

Killing Feng Moyun dealt a devastating blow to the Empress Dowager, leaving her heartbroken and despondent. Seeing her suffer like that, Qin Xiao would never have stood idly by.

So it made perfect sense that Qin Xiao eventually joined the iron triangle.

Seeing the man fall into deep thought, the Empress Dowager asked, “Why do you think this matter is related to Baicao Valley?”

“It’s just a gut feeling. It’s a pity Father is no longer here, otherwise I might have gotten some clues from him.”

“If you want clues, it’s not necessarily to find the late Emperor. Wasn’t there a personal eunuch who served closely by the late Emperor? He was the Emperor’s confidant and would know quite a lot.”

Feng Qingbai suddenly raised his eyes, slightly surprised. “That old eunuch? He’s been missing for more than ten years. Trying to find his trail isn’t any easier than investigating Baicao Valley directly.”

The Empress Dowager lifted her chin. “I know where he is.”

Only she knew.

Before leaving the palace, the old eunuch had specially come to bid her farewell.

The old lady’s implicit complacency and pride made Feng Qingbai’s mouth twitch. She was this happy just because she surprised him?

After Feng Qingbai left holding the address, the Empress Dowager noticed the wide-eyed stare of the old maid beside her and suddenly realized her earlier loss of composure.

Her face immediately darkened as she rose and walked toward the inner chambers. “I will rest now. If anyone else comes, don’t let them in!”

Feng Qingbai was her enemy; why should she show him any kindness?

She has failed her son!

The old maid whispered her assent from behind, her expression full of helplessness.

Every time the Empress Dowager sulks, she retreats to the inner chambers to sleep.

That day, someone from the King’s Manor received orders and quietly hurried to a small southern town.

Only Liu Yusheng noticed something unusual, because when the man returned to the manor, there was a certain brightness in his eyes.

She knew him very well and could tell that he must have found some clues in his investigation.

So when the man arrived at the warm chamber, he saw the woman sitting on the couch, looking at him with a half-smile, half-teasing expression.

This was her usual look when waiting for an explanation. Feng Qingbai sighed softly; he knew her deeply.

She didn’t ask him anything directly now, just looked at him expectantly like this, and he couldn’t resist and confessed first.

“I got some clues from the Empress Dowager. Maybe I can find out some old matters about Baicao Valley, but how much I can find out, I’ll only know when someone returns.”

“I didn’t ask anything, okay?” The woman blinked, distancing herself from the conversation to avoid him nagging her about being restless with her big belly.

Feng Qingbai was helpless. “I wanted to say it myself.”

Two maids nearby stifled their giggles.

Only the Princess Consort could make the Prince show this kind of expression; normally, he never showed it.

Time quietly passed, and suddenly it was the mid-first month of the lunar year.

News came from Dongyue that Yan Rongjin had officially ascended the throne as emperor, and along with this news came a diplomatic document about an official visit.