FID – Chapter 1065

Chapter 1065: Discriminating Against Singles?

The woman, who had been sitting with her gaze lowered, slowly lifted her head.

“Go on.”

“After the banquet ended, the members of the tribe left the prince’s residence, and immediately afterward the prince entered the palace to petition the emperor, requesting that the Saintess Tribe elders stay a little longer. The emperor agreed, saying that the tribe members should remain until after the July grand ceremony for the gods.”

“Why would he do that?”

“The prince showed considerable interest in one of the Saintess Tribe’s maids.”

Shan Lai’s eyes flickered. “Who?”

“She is the maid brought by the clan elder, named Qian Mei.”

The main hall fell into a deathly silence.

After the scouts had left, Shan Lai returned to her room to change into formal attire and then stepped out of Yun Palace. “To Prince Shunyang’s Manor.”

At the same time, the atmosphere in the Palace of Longevity was extremely heavy.

The emperor’s decree had already reached everyone.

Except for Qian Lan, who didn’t see anything wrong with staying in the palace for a little longer, everyone else’s expression was solemn.

“I heard that this matter was proposed by Prince Shunyang to the emperor. First he invited us to a banquet at his residence, then he petitioned the emperor for this kind of decree. What exactly is he trying to do?” Elder Qian Fang frowned deeply.

Having them stay to attend the grand ceremony for the gods was a reasonable excuse, but if Prince Shunyang truly wanted to invite them, he could have said so directly. Why, then, did he not even notify them and instead go straight to the emperor to make the request?

“In previous years, when the elders sent the Saintesses into the palace, neither the emperor nor the prince ever extended such a gracious invitation. Yet this year they broke tradition. I can’t help but feel it’s strange,” Qian Xue bit her lip. 

Each year, the timing of the Saintesses’ entry into the palace was roughly the same. If they truly valued the Saintess Tribe so highly, why had they never before considered letting the elders stay for the grand ceremony?

Qian Lan leaned in, unconcerned. “I don’t think it’s strange at all. This year is different from previous years. This year, the Saintess Tribe sent six Saintesses into the palace. Perhaps the emperor and the prince felt a sense of guilt and decided to let us stay. The Deity Festival is the biggest festival in Xiliang. Being invited to attend by the royal family is a tremendous honor. Maybe from this year onward, the status of our Saintess Tribe will rise even further.”

Seeing that Elder Qian Fang and Qian Xue were not particularly receptive to her words, Qian Lan frowned in slight frustration and turned to the always-silent Liu Yusheng. “Sister Qian Mei, do you think what I said makes sense? Otherwise, why would the emperor and the prince keep us here?”

Upon hearing her question, Qian Fang and Qian Xue both turned to look at Liu Yusheng.

It was only after that evening’s welcome banquet that they realized Qian Mei was entirely different from what they had assumed. She remained calm in the face of events and thought with remarkable precision.

Liu Yusheng did not offer an opinion, merely smiling faintly. “The imperial decree has already been issued. Speculating here does no good. It’s better to observe and see how things unfold. Given the relationship between the royal family and the Saintess Tribe, they could never truly harm us.”

Her words had a calming effect; the expressions of Qian Fang and the others softened.

After returning to her room, Liu Yusheng’s eyes darkened to their deepest shade.

Prince Shunyang was targeting her.

She hadn’t expected that, on a mere whim, he would make such a move—even disregarding the fact that she was already a married woman.

Moreover, she had a premonition that this matter would not conclude so simply.

How was she to report what had happened to Feng Qingbai?

At dinner that evening, Liu Yusheng feigned casual curiosity and asked about the old eunuch’s peculiar ailment, causing the others to exchange glances.

Ever since entering the palace and moving into the Palace of Longevity, they had had no dealings with the old eunuch. Who would bother paying attention to him?

The only thing they knew was that every imperial physician in the palace had been summoned, yet the results were far from encouraging. None of it helped the old eunuch’s illness.

“Eunuch Wei is one of the emperor’s most trusted aides. Every year, the Saintesses of the Saintess Tribe are personally selected by him. Now that he has become like this, if the Saintess Tribe shows no concern, it would be disheartening. Next time he selects a Saintess, who knows if he might hold a grudge over today’s events…”

Before Liu Yusheng could finish, those present already felt the chill behind her words.

Qian Fang’s expression turned stern. “It’s my oversight. After the meal, I will go to the Imperial Household Department to check on him.”

“Let’s go with you, too. On the way, Eunuch Wei attended to us, so we should at least thank him,” Qian Xue and Qian Llan both nodded in agreement.

“You’re very considerate, Sister Qian Mei. Otherwise, with Eunuch Wei’s temper, he would surely…” hold a grudge against them.

Liu Yusheng smiled lightly. The plan was set.

After the meal, the group made their way to the Imperial Household Department.

They felt the oppressive atmosphere just as they stepped through the gates.

Yet it was easy to understand. Eunuch Wei was suffering from an incurable illness; how good-tempered could he be?

Those attending him were, of course, cautious and trembling, careful not to make a single mistake that might cost them their lives.

On the way back from the Saintess Tribe, they had seen firsthand how he berated and punished those around him.

Guided by the palace attendants, Qian Fang and the others arrived at the main hall of the Imperial Household Department, where the attendants went to deliver the notice.

Liu Yusheng quietly followed alongside, showing no sign of anything unusual.

After the notification, only Qian Fang was invited into the room. After expressing their condolences, the group returned to the Palace of Longevity, not lingering long at all.

Once they had left the hall, a shadow flickered through like a ghost. In its hand was a piece of paper that had been pressed under a teapot, previously left by a young woman.

“Lucky Nannan is audacious to leave such an obvious note out in the open. Does she really think we’d see it?” Xue Qinglian was perched on the ridge beam of the eaves, legs crossed, in a space barely large enough to fit half an adult’s body, yet somehow managing to lie with the comfort of a dragon bed.

No response came. Xue Qinglian, annoyed, glared in a direction, his mouth unmoving, yet his voice—like a ghostly echo—floated into the other person’s ear. “I’m talking to you! Can you stop ignoring me? If she came and we didn’t notice, that note would have fallen into someone else’s hands and become evidence. How can she be so reckless?”

“Great minds think alike,” the man finally replied with four simple words.

Hmph—discriminating against a single dog?

Even as a single dog, he would be a dog who never sought out his own misery.

Xue Qinglian closed his eyes and went to sleep.

What was he worrying about anyway? The young couple were exchanging secret messages in such a dangerous place as if danger didn’t exist. Their affection could move heaven itself—why was he the one fretting like a fool?

“Xue Qinglian?”

“What?” he replied weakly.

“Go poison Prince Shunyang.”

“…” The corner of Xue Qinglian’s mouth twitched.

Poison my ass! Why don’t you go?

When it came to poison versus Gu poison, there was no clear winner. But one thing was certain. He wasn’t about to gamble with his own life to find out.

Then Xue Qinglian’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Did he provoke you? How? Tell me!”

He could learn a few tricks from the man, then annoy Feng Qingbai whenever he got bored, drive him crazy, liven up life a bit.

“He has his eye on the King of Nanling’s Consort.”

That was definitely not something to imitate. Xue Qinglian immediately sat up. “I’ll kill him right now.”

A moment later—“To hell with you! I’m heading to kill your love rival, and you seal my acupoint?!”

What kind of pig‑teammate is this?!

“You can’t. Go to sleep and let Xue Honglian come out.”

“…” Your son of a b*tch.