Han Yue’e’s face was deathly pale. Her heart was full of fear and hatred toward Qi Yuan.
That woman was simply incomprehensible!
She cried as she explained to Qi Wang, “Your Highness, these letters—none of them were written by me! They’re not mine!”
Qi Wang, hearing this, spread out the letters Jinbao had just brought in and laid them across the desk. He raised an eyebrow lightly and said, “There’s no doubt this is your handwriting.”
Han Yue’e’s heart sank. Terrified he might think she had been careless and caused this mess, she quickly explained, “Your Highness, these letters truly weren’t written by me. They were forged by Qi Yuan!”
Qi Wang paused, then looked up at Han Yue’e and asked, “How can you be so sure Qi Yuan forged them?”
After all, from the information Han Yue’e had previously sent, she clearly regarded Qi Yuan as someone useless and weak.
Han Yue’e rubbed her eyes and replied, “Your Highness, the personal seal on the letters—she recognized it at a glance and even pointed it out to Yongping Marquis and the old marquis! At first, even they couldn’t see it!”
On the way here, Han Yue’e had been reflecting constantly, trying to figure out where things had gone wrong.
And the conclusion was—everything had gone wrong because of Qi Yuan.
All these years, she’d been living in the Qi household peacefully, never once suspected. But after just a few brief interactions with Qi Yuan, the moment she made a move, she was exposed.
Coincidences that are too convenient aren’t coincidences at all.
Moreover, Qingsong was also very suspicious…
Crying, Han Yue’e begged Qi Wang to believe her. “Your Highness, please believe me. It really was she who forged the letters! I don’t even know how she did it—it’s as if she can predict things before they happen. She never trusted me…”
She didn’t know why, but though she’d only guessed this back in the carriage, now she was completely convinced.
From the moment she first approached Qi Yuan, Qi Yuan had never trusted her.
Otherwise, how could she have been so thoroughly prepared, even going so far as to buy off Qingsong in advance?
The more she thought about it, the more Han Yue’e felt a chill down her spine.
If that were true… then just what kind of person was Qi Yuan?
And if it were true, then anything she said now wouldn’t be believed!
How could one woman be so capable? Predicting the future, reading people, laying traps in advance?
Han Yue’e felt as if her soul was halfway out of her body, anxiously awaiting Qi Wang’s fury.
But to her shock, Qi Wang suddenly burst out laughing.
…
Han Yue’e’s eyes flew open in fear, and she stared at him, trembling.
Had he lost his mind?
Faced with something like this, shouldn’t he be raging and smashing things to vent?
But instead—he was laughing?
“So that’s how it is!” Qi Wang’s face turned from pale to flushed to pale again, his smile never reaching his eyes. He threw his head back and laughed, “So that’s how it is!”
—
Meanwhile, Qi Zhen had ridden back to the residence and immediately went to see Qi Yuan.
He knew very well this whole incident had Qi Yuan’s hand behind it.
This daughter of his was becoming more and more of an enigma.
Looking back on everything she’d done since returning home, he realized just how foolish he’d been before. Docile and kind-hearted? Those words had absolutely nothing to do with her.
But when he returned home, Madam Wang was looking at him with a complex expression. “She went to escort Her Highness the Princess out of the city.”
After the fire and all the commotion, Madam Wang was exhausted.
Now that Qi Zhen had returned after driving off Han Yue’e, she frowned and asked, “My lord Marquis, was it true that Han Yue’e and Qi Wang were… involved all along?”
Her heart churned with both rage and bitterness.
She couldn’t help but recall how many times Qi Wang had shown interest in Qi Jin, acting as though she were someone special to him. She now cursed inwardly—
Men—truly none of them are any good!
Thankfully, Qi Jin didn’t have to marry him now. Who knows what she would’ve had to suffer?
Qi Zhen gave a low grunt. His expression remained dark at the mention of Han Yue’e, and he said sternly, “From now on, no one in this house is to mention Han Yue’e again. Also, all the servants found to have colluded with her—sell them if they’re to be sold, send them to the country if they’re to be exiled. I don’t want to see them again.”
Madam Wang agreed at once.
Qi Zhen stood up. “I’ll go tell Father about this. You wait here—if Ah Yuan returns, send her to me and Father.”
His mind was full of questions and curiosity.
Madam Wang nodded with a troubled heart.
—
Qi Yuan was sitting in a carriage, but across from her was not only the Princess but also a familiar face.
Xiao Yunting sat across from her, staring with a complicated expression. “I truly didn’t expect Miss Qi to be so capable.”
Qi Yuan replied coolly, cutting to the point, “Let’s skip the flattery. I told Your Highness before: making a deal with me would never be a losing proposition. Now, I trust you believe that.”
There was no way not to believe it, with the evidence so clear.
The Princess frowned and spoke up. She looked closely at Qi Yuan, her voice low: “You’ve never been to Jiangxi—how is it that you know how to make taro dumplings that even many locals don’t know?”
She was clearly anxious, unable to keep calm.
Qi Yuan was silent for a moment, then looked her directly in the eyes. “Your Highness has spent many years meditating and worshipping at the temple—so, do you believe in past and future lives?”
The Princess froze, stunned, staring at her in disbelief. “Are you trying to tell me… that you know all of this because you remember a past life?”
Xiao Yunting also narrowed his eyes, studying her closely.
He recalled the first time they met—Qi Yuan had been killing someone. She’d seemed to predict everything, even pointing out his pursuers and helping him evade them.
He had always been a cautious man, and had investigated Qi Yuan. He knew she had spent the past ten years living under the thumb of Xu the butcher and Li Xiuniang, never once leaving the village.
In that case, there really was something… ghostly about Qi Yuan.
Qi Yuan calmly set down her tea. “Your Highness can think of it that way, or simply consider me to be someone favored by the gods—blessed with a great dream and divine revelation.”
“Absurd!” the Princess barked, her face darkening. “You think I would believe such nonsense?! Are you mocking me?!”
Gods and spirits?
If they really existed, what were they doing all these years she suffered?
When she prayed for help—where were they?
Her face turned cold. “Your words are nothing but witchcraft and superstition. I could hand you over to the authorities right now to be burned alive!”
Want to show your support? Go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! Want to get early access to at least 10 chapters in advance? Go to my Patreon to join now! :)
