However, Meng Wan did not blame him. There was probably no one else but Prince Heng who would dare to speak so freely in front of the emperor.
Naturally, when the two discussed this matter, Huangfu Yu also subtly asked Meng Wan why the Prince of Heng would help her. Meng Wan simply told him, as they had previously agreed, that she didn't know, and thus she evaded the question.
"Greetings to the Fifth Prince!"
As she pondered, Huangfu Yu strode in. Huan Yan and Mu Ci hurriedly rose to greet him, and Meng Wan finally came to her senses.
Before his eyes, Huangfu Yu had already walked up to him, waved his hand, and said, "No need."
I used to think he was a bit aloof, but after getting to know him better, I realized that his aloofness was just a way of protecting himself in the palace. In his nature, he still had a gentle side.
Huan Yan and Mu Ci got up and discreetly took the winnowing basket and left, leaving only Meng Wan and Huangfu Yu in the room. He then walked to the bedside and sat down on the low stool.
Looking at Meng Wan's rosy complexion, he smiled slightly and said, "It seems that you are getting better soon. Your complexion is much better than before. It looks like you will be able to get out of bed in a few days."
He spoke gently, and Meng Wan smiled in response, lightly stroking her fingertips with her fingertips before chuckling, "It still hurts a bit. I've been applying medicine to my legs these past two days. I wonder if it will leave a scar."
These words made Huangfu Yu slap his forehead, and then he hurriedly took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket and handed it to Meng Wan: "Oh right, I forgot if you hadn't mentioned it. When I came here just now, I ran into Consort Xin in the palace. She thought of this ahead of time and asked me to bring you this scar-reducing cream, saying that it can prevent scars from being left."
Consort Xin?
Meng Wan hadn't expected her to do this, but then she thought about it and realized that she had seen it before. Although Consort Xin was arrogant and domineering, she wasn't a bad person. She must be grateful that she had saved her before, which was why she was sending her things now.
Without refusing, she simply asked Huangfu Yu to pass on a word of thanks before putting away the small porcelain bottle.
Huan Yan poured tea for Huangfu Yu, who took it and placed it beside him. After Huan Yan left, Meng Wan said, "By the way, Your Highness, how is the matter of the sachet progressing? Have you heard any news in the palace?"
The Seventh Prince's investigation was conducted in great secrecy, and the outside world knew nothing about it. Although she believed he would find out the truth, the lack of news made her somewhat anxious.
Huangfu Yu shook his head: "I even went to inquire, but there's no news at all. Seventh Brother's people are keeping their mouths shut, but I did see someone from his side go to see Ji Yunhe..."
Ji Yunhe? The former Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the official who injured Meng Wan like this. I heard that he was punished by the emperor and demoted. But why did Prince Heng send someone to find him?
The two talked about other things, but after all, men and women are different. Although Huangfu Yu came to visit Meng Wan, he could not stay long. He told Meng Wan to rest well and then left in a hurry. Meng Wan sat there, still thinking about that matter, and was slightly lost in thought.
V19 The Scapegoat Scheme (Part Two)
The truth came to light the next day: Dong Qiming, an official in the Ministry of Rites, confessed to his crimes and was executed, while Ji Yunhe committed suicide at home out of fear of punishment.
According to Dong Qiming, he did not intend to frame Meng Wan, but rather Prime Minister Meng, because he had been reprimanded by Prime Minister Meng before and had been holding a grudge ever since, which is why he wanted to frame her this time.
For some reason, Meng Wan felt that this explanation was a bit far-fetched. She had met Dong Qiming before. Although he was a bit old-fashioned and often disagreed with her father, she could not believe that he would frame others for that reason.
However, seemingly not wanting to escalate the matter further, the Dali Temple closed the case, and Prince Heng ceased further investigation. Meng Wan harbored doubts, which she could only ponder in private, but she knew that things were definitely not that simple.
When Feng Qi came to see her late at night, she voiced her question.
"Was this really done by Lord Dong?"
Feng Qi was clearly taken aback, not expecting her to ask such a question. After a slight pause, she forced a smile and said, "I didn't investigate, how would I know?"
Meng Wan lowered her eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, but it was only for a moment. When she looked up again, she had already regained her previous calm: "Because you seem to know everything, and you know everything about the palace, that's why I thought I'd ask you. Never mind, if you don't know, then I won't ask."
It was clearly a forced remark, and Feng Qi's face stiffened. He didn't know what to say at this moment. He sat there for a while, but neither of them spoke. In the end, he could only leave in a hurry.
He returned to the palace with a heavy heart. Hua Jiuye and Puyang were playing around when they saw him looking so troubled. They immediately went up to him and said, "Your Highness, are you still angry about what the Third Prince did? Why don't I go and deal with him?"
Hua Jiuye is just like that; when she gets ruthless, she can act without any regard for consequences.
Feng Qi glared at him: "He actually went so far as to force Lord Dong to his death in order to escape punishment, and now the Dong family members are still in his hands. If we act rashly now, I'm afraid he will kill them to silence them."
"That..."
Hua Jiuye was about to say something more, but Puyang stopped him, gave him a wink, and then walked up to Feng Qi: "Then I will find someone to keep an eye on the Third Prince's residence."
Feng Qi nodded slightly, and Pu Yang immediately went to carry it out. Hua Jiuye then added, "Master, you're always so cheerful after seeing Miss Meng, why are you so downcast this time? Did something happen to her?"
Without Puyang's control, he started speaking without restraint again. Hua Jiuye always makes people grit their teeth in anger.
Feng Qi glanced at him. She didn't want to say much, but at this moment, she felt really aggrieved, so she said a few more words.
"I suspect she already knows who I am."
babble--
Hua Jiuye brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes sparkling: "So what did she say?"
"No, but the more I think about it, the more uneasy I feel," Feng Qi said truthfully.
"If that's the case, why don't you tell her the truth?" Hua Jiuye asked, puzzled.
Feng Qishao pondered for a moment: "I hid it before, and then I heard her say that she didn't want to get too close to the prince, so I didn't say anything. Now that I'm saying it again, it feels a bit strange."
"That..."
At this point, he became increasingly irritated. Without waiting for Hua Jiuye to say anything more, he impatiently waved his hand and said, "Alright, it's getting late. You can go now!"
"But..." Hua Jiuye had no intention of leaving. He was still hoping to get more information out of his master, since he had always been very curious about his master and that Miss Meng.
But how could Feng Qi give him that chance? She glared at him coldly, and Hua Jiuye immediately wilted. He bowed, stuck out his tongue, and then walked out with a seductive sway.
Just then, Feng Qi took out an object from his pocket. It was a silver whistle held between his fingers, faintly gleaming with a cold light. He stared at it for a long time before finally letting out a sigh. What should he do?
--
It was only natural that the emperor would summon Meng Wan, since the truth had come to light and he had no reason not to see her. However, the fact that he would apologize to her was completely unexpected.
So when the emperor patted her on the shoulder and said, "I'm sorry you've been wronged," Meng Wan was stunned and stood there for a long time, unable to come to her senses.