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墨書 Inktalez
Times have changed.
Qing Wu's identity is now vastly different. When they meet again, they must adhere to proper etiquette. Even if the visitor is her closest relative, there can be no carelessness. Strictly speaking, as the National Father-in-law and Uncle-in-law, her status has risen sharply, and she must conduct herself with even greater propriety.
Supported by Azalea, Qing Wu entered the hall. She sat at the main seat while Master Wen and the others stepped forward to pay their respects. Once Qing Wu allowed them to take their seats, she returned to her previous position.
After not seeing each other for many days, the family was most concerned about Qing Wu's safety. As soon as she settled down, they could no longer worry about etiquette and immediately looked up to examine Qing Wu.
At first glance, they were taken aback.
The girl before them, dressed elegantly and luxuriously, seemed like Qing Wu but was not quite the same as they remembered her.
Though there was undeniable fatigue in her eyes, they sparkled with an unmistakable luster. Her cheeks were flushed, and she appeared to be in good health. Overall, while she sat very properly, there was an inexplicable laziness about her that made her look quite well.
Once they confirmed that she was unharmed, their hearts felt somewhat relieved.
In truth, Qing Wu was also very worried about her family. She took the initiative to ask, "How is everything at home?"
The conspiracy of Bian Wang had been planned for many years. The Zheng Family and Zhu Family were both implicated.
These two families had deep roots in Capital City; if Bian Wang made a move, they would undoubtedly lend their full support. The palace had already seen conflict, and it was likely that a bloody battle awaited within the capital as well.
Seeing Qing Wu's worried expression, Liu Fangyi quickly said, "Your Highness need not worry. The Marquis has arranged everything; we have secured the gates and have not encountered any danger." He then cupped his hands toward Zhaoyuan Palace and sighed, "The Emperor is wise."
In fact, his earlier words were meant to present the situation in the best light.
Fortunately, they were all within the Marquisate at that time. However, even so, they had faced several waves of trouble. It was just that those around the Marquis were quite capable and could withstand a lot. Moreover, there seemed to be a hidden force; whenever someone attacked the Marquisate, men dressed in tight black clothing would appear and eliminate those threats completely.
The skills of these men were exceptional, almost always delivering a fatal blow. They were helping the guards of the Marquisate, ensuring the safety of the Marquisate.
Liu Fangyi initially thought they were sent by the old man. Later, when the old man shook his head and cryptically told him not to ask too many questions, he realized that they were not affiliated with the Marquisate.
As for whose people they were...
He dared not think further.
Just as Liu Fangyi silently recited "The Emperor is wise," Zhenyuan Marquis was staring intently at his granddaughter.
He suddenly recalled that when Qing Wu had walked over earlier, her demeanor seemed somewhat off.
Having lived for decades, what had the old man not seen? He pondered over Qing Wu's posture and appearance, and upon noticing the faint traces visible beneath her deliberately chosen high-necked clothing, his heart sank. He thought to himself that this was bad.
Lord Wen quietly calculated that something had happened on the night of the Grand Wedding, and only yesterday did things finally come to a conclusion...
The old man's face flushed with embarrassment. He regretted being so eager to enter the palace; it would have been better to wait a couple more days for Lady Liu to visit Girl. That way, if something happened to Girl, they could discuss it with Lady Liu.
However, the He Family was composed of women from the inner court, and now without an official decree, entering the palace was quite complicated. They were overly worried about Qing Wu, thinking that since the three of them either inherited titles or held official positions, it would be easier for them.
The Marquis felt both awkward and worried that Qing Wu could not hold on any longer. The more he thought about it, the less he wanted to stay. Silently turning his head away, he glanced at the oblivious Wen Qingyue, then looked towards Liu Fangyi.
Liu Fangyi had not sensed anything unusual at first. After receiving a hint from Master Wen's gaze, he vaguely understood something. Upon further reflection, he suddenly realized. Seeing Old Marquis subtly gesture as if in consultation and silently ask "Shall we go?", he thought for a moment and quickly nodded in agreement.
By the time they finished their discussion, Wen Qingyue was gently asking Qing Wu about her condition over the past few days.
Qing Wu did not hide anything from them, fearing that their guessing would only increase their worries. She directly stated that she was hiding in the tunnel at the time, so she was unharmed.
However, both parties had been at a standstill for so long; even if she was not threatened by swords and knives in the tunnel, life there must have been difficult.
Wen Qingyue felt sorry for his sister and naturally asked a few more questions.
Although he was the Heir of the Marquisate, it was now extremely difficult to meet Qing Wu. After finally seeing his sister, he found it impossible to let go of his worries without voicing them.
Moreover, before meeting Qing Wu, the three of them had already discussed this matter. Since they had the rare opportunity to meet, they had to ask everything clearly and confirm that Qing Wu was truly safe and sound.
Seeing the unmasked concern and worry on Wen Qingyue's face, Master Wen felt a bit anxious for him. He patted his arm and pressed down slightly, indicating that he should stop.
The Wen family had good family values; Wen Qingyue had never touched the maids around him, nor had he taken any concubines or experienced any intimate relationships. Seeing Qing Wu like this, he noticed some differences from before but could not understand what exactly had changed.
As the old man kept hinting at him and coughed a couple of times while giving him a look, Wen Qingyue realized that his grandfather intended to leave. Seeing that both elders had made up their minds, he did not argue further.
He did not understand why his grandfather and Lord Liu were suddenly preparing to leave. As he bowed and stepped back, he noticed that Qing Wu's lips were slightly paler than before, as if she were enduring some discomfort. Wen Qingyue's heart sank again.
Just as he wanted to ask more questions, those around him insisted on taking him away, pulling him along with shouts.
Watching them come in a hurry and leave just as quickly, Qing Wu's previously raised smile gradually faded away. She could only manage a bitter smile, lamenting that her efforts to conceal her feelings were still lacking.
However, today’s meeting allowed her to know that her family was well and also let her family know that she was safe; that was enough for her.
Although Qing Wu woke up in the morning feeling extremely weak and sore, after moving around for a while, she felt somewhat better than before.
The palace was in disarray. After a day, the cleaning had improved significantly compared to yesterday, but there were still many areas that needed further attention. With so much to do, how could she sit still?
Moreover, Huo Yun'ai had recently been busy dealing with the matters of the Rebels. Although he had ordered repairs throughout the palace, he couldn't focus on this side of things.
As the Queen, Qing Wu knew that it was her responsibility to handle these issues. As his wife, she needed to manage his household so that he could concentrate on his own affairs.
Qing Wu woke up late today. Earlier, due to the arrival of family members, she had only hastily eaten some porridge before going to meet them. Now she quickly grabbed a bite to eat again and dared not delay any longer, taking a sedan chair to inspect various places.
The first stop was the Pharmaceutical Department.
This time, the casualties among the Maids were quite severe.
As soon as she arrived at the entrance of the Pharmaceutical Department, a strong smell of blood hit her. The sounds of groans echoed from within, occasionally accompanied by painful cries that made one’s heart race.
Qing Wu hurriedly stepped out of the sedan chair and quickly walked inside. She saw injured eunuchs and palace maids wrapped in bandages in the courtyard and softly comforted them before moving into the building.
Yue Ying had also arrived and was urgently instructing people to assist within the Pharmaceutical Department. Upon seeing Qing Wu enter, Yue Ying and the female officials hurried over to pay their respects. Noticing how busy they were, Qing Wu allowed them to continue their work and only kept Yue Ying behind for a detailed inquiry.
It turned out that many from the Imperial Medical Institute had gone to help care for the injured soldiers. The palace maids largely relied on the staff from the Pharmaceutical Department for treatment. As a result, those who were only slightly injured and could move on their own had been bandaged and sent home, with instructions to return regularly for changing dressings and receiving medicinal soup.
Now, those left in the courtyard and rooms were mostly severely injured individuals who required constant observation.
Seeing the chaos here, Qing Wu carefully asked a few questions and quickly ordered twenty people to be dispatched to help.
While repairs were important, saving lives was even more urgent. Although those individuals might not be able to provide medical treatment directly, they could at least lend a hand and perhaps help save more lives.
After leaving the Pharmaceutical Department, Qing Wu went to other places.
The bloodstains on the road were much fewer than yesterday. The maids hurried back and forth, busy yet organized in their anxiousness.
After witnessing the tragic state of the Pharmaceutical Department, and seeing the palace around her colder than usual, Qing Wu sighed inwardly. She met with the heads of the eunuchs and female officials in various places, carefully inquiring about the situations and rearranging personnel allocations.
In some areas where matters were urgent or casualties were too many with insufficient remaining personnel, she transferred some people from other places to help. In areas where the affairs were not too critical, she reassigned people to assist elsewhere.
After making these rounds without rest, even taking a moment to drink water had to be done while sitting in the sedan chair.
By the time things were roughly arranged and she could sit down for a brief rest, the sun had already set, and the light began to dim.
Dou Mama felt sorry for Qing Wu, who hadn’t eaten properly all day, and wanted to bring her some dishes to eat first. Qing Wu thought for a moment and only asked for some snacks to tide her over, planning to have a meal together with Huo Yun'ai when she arrived.
Just as Dou Mama was about to take her leave, Azalea cautiously spoke up: “Your Highness, it seems that His Majesty will not be back for a while. You may need to have your dinner first.”
“What happened?”
“Just now, Uncle Yu sent someone to call Deng Gonggong away,” Azalea replied. “I heard that His Majesty arranged for Deng Gonggong to meet Zheng Da... Zheng An.”
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