Luo Huan’s eyes turned red as he said: “Your Ladyship Lianpin, with Seventh Miss Qin breaking the engagement, my Jinniang would naturally be the principal wife. What more is there to say?”

Lianpin smiled: “What, does Master Luo think Princess Fu’an is unworthy of being Scholar Liu’s principal wife?”

Luo Huan was stunned. Though he was a great wastrel who studied nothing, he knew the tricks of scheming and plotting, and wasn’t an ignorant hothead.

His gaze involuntarily turned to Concubine De, but she remained silent.

Countless thoughts flashed through Luo Huan’s mind in an instant.

After being stunned, Concubine Kang came to her senses: “Sister Lianpin, this…”

Lianpin cut off her words: “Sister Concubine Kang, you made a good match for my seventh sister – how could I not return the favor? Your Ladyship, don’t you agree?”

Concubine De made a faint “mm” sound, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

She finally saw through Lianpin and Concubine Kang’s game.

Lianpin had always followed her lead, but as her rank rose and Sixth Prince’s talents emerged, with her continued silence on the matter of the missing fourth consort position, Lianpin began to grow restless.

Combined with her reprimand over the Qin Shuying matter at the beginning of the year, Lianpin harbored resentment and began joining forces with Concubine Kang.

Originally they probably intended for Qin Shuying to die in the lake, but unexpectedly she survived. However, Qin Shuying should know she was in people’s way, so to save her life, she proposed breaking the engagement – accidentally hitting exactly what Lianpin and Concubine Kang wanted, saving them further trouble. Then Lianpin could propose having Liu Junqing marry Princess Fu’an, taking the opportunity to win over the Liu family’s power.

They were all shallow-minded creatures. Did she think that by joining forces with Concubine Kang, she could shake her own position?

Concubine De maintained her gentle smile throughout, standing beside Emperor Delong with her ice-like skin and jade bones, graceful in every way, impossible to ignore.

Everyone looked at Emperor Delong, waiting for his statement, since this concerned Princess Fu’an, one of Emperor Delong’s two most beloved daughters.

The atmosphere was somewhat tense.

After a long while, Emperor Delong said: “This matter – we’ll discuss it after the Liu and Qin families break their engagement!”

Luo Huan’s eyes widened.

Though Emperor Delong hadn’t stated it explicitly, Princess Fu’an marrying Liu Junqing was almost certain.

Liu Junqing also widened his eyes – Princess Fu’an?

No, he didn’t want any Princess Fu’an!

He wanted…

He looked toward Qin Shuying, who had been kneeling on the ground throughout, with little sense of presence.

“Return to the palace!”

With the eunuch’s long call, Emperor Delong turned and boarded his palanquin. Everyone bowed respectfully as the three consorts followed Emperor Delong, surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids, soon disappearing from sight.

Only after most people had left did Qin Shuying follow behind a palace maid left by Concubine Kang, preparing to return to Huanyun Palace.

Liu Junqing hurried forward and said: “Sister from the Qin family, please wait!”

Qin Shuying’s eyes appeared exceptionally bright in the lonely lamplight: “Brother Liu, we are people preparing to break our engagement. Any further impropriety would be against propriety. Brother, I’ll take my leave first.”

Liu Junqing’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

Brother, brother…

From now on, he might never hear her call him that again. At this moment, such an address made him feel both deeply nostalgic and extremely sad.

He said urgently: “Sister from the Qin family, what I said to His Majesty earlier was all true.”

Qin Shuying remained polite: “Brother, this is beyond doubt. Before His Majesty, one must naturally speak truthfully, otherwise it would be the crime of deceiving the sovereign. Brother, I’ll take my leave first. Take care.”

Having said this, she quickened her pace, caught up with the palace maid, and gradually walked away.

Liu Junqing stood in place, lost and dejected.

So this was how difficult and painful it was, with his chest feeling stuffed with cotton, stuffy and heavy.

He regretted not stopping his mother and sister’s actions back then.

Huanyun Palace.

Princess Fu’an was speaking joyfully with Concubine Kang. Seeing Qin Shuying enter, she smiled lightly and sighed: “Seventh Miss Qin, what can one say? Your marriage prospects are just gone like that!”

Qin Shuying’s hair was disheveled and her body soaked, her expression somewhat sad but quite resolute: “Your Highness, though this subject is sad, I don’t regret it. One must accept heaven’s mandate.”

Princess Fu’an mocked: “What right do you have to regret?”

Qin Shuying smiled slightly: “It seems Your Highness’s illness has recovered and no longer needs this subject’s companionship.”

Princess Fu’an snorted: “At least you’re sensible! Tomorrow morning I’ll send someone to escort you out of the palace!”

Qin Shuying continued smiling, and though her appearance was bedraggled, her eyes were exceptionally bright: “Your Highness, this subject mentioned before that I worried about being unable to properly serve as the Liu family’s mistress. Your Highness, I hope you remember these words.”

Princess Fu’an dismissed this contemptuously, waving for palace maids to take Qin Shuying away.

Concubine Kang said nothing, leisurely eating her food. Only after Qin Shuying was out of sight did she let out a long, leisurely sigh: “Now mother consort has helped you vent this anger!”

Princess Fu’an hugged her arm: “I knew mother consort loved me!”

“You! Qin Shuying provoked you with just a few words and you couldn’t stand it, insisting on…”

Concubine Kang made a beheading gesture.

Princess Fu’an gritted her teeth: “Even if she hadn’t shown off like that in front of me, I still would have…”

Princess Fu’an also made a beheading gesture.

“Don’t worry, your father emperor didn’t explicitly say Guard Liang should marry Qin Shuying. In my view, just leaving her hanging like this is enough to give her trouble. Even if Guard Liang marries her in future, hmph, with Luo Meixiang around, her good days will be over.”

Princess Fu’an was in a pleasant mood: “Mother consort, rest assured, this is the last time I’ll personally get blood on my hands. From now on, I’ll learn to have others deal with her.”

“Now that’s my good daughter!”

The mother and daughter laughed delightedly, in high spirits.

Also in high spirits was Lianpin, having finally dealt Qin Shuying, that thorn in her side, a severe blow.

How could a rough, cold military man like Liang Zhe compare to someone from a family like the Lius, to a talent like Liu Junqing? Moreover, Liang Zhe would probably return to the army eventually. Which well-bred lady of the capital, knowing she’d have to marry a soldier, wouldn’t avoid such a match? Swords and blades have no eyes – soldiers easily die or become disabled.

It was a pity the palace was now locked for the night and Sixth Prince wasn’t in the palace, otherwise she and her son would need to plan this through properly.

However, Sixth Prince, mounted on his horse, wasn’t as happy as Lianpin had expected.

His brow was tightly furrowed as he carefully recalled what had just happened, finding it increasingly strange the more he thought about it.

Abandoning Qin Shuying and instead seeking alliance with Concubine Kang – this was the strategy he and his mother consort had decided upon after discussion.

First, because Qin Shuying had bullied grandmother and Qin Yunyun too severely; second, because though Qin Shuying was on good terms with Princess Yongjia, she was completely unwilling to introduce people from the Qin manor; third, because Concubine Kang had offered items in exchange with Lianpin; fourth, because Concubine De’s wariness toward Lianpin and himself was becoming increasingly obvious.

But why, after successfully scheming against Qin Shuying, hadn’t he seen any loss or sadness from her?

Sixth Prince’s brow furrowed tightly as a thought flashed through his mind.