Qi Wang did not feel this was any sort of fortune. When Eunuch Xia once again came cheerfully bearing an imperial decree, he felt as if the blood in his entire body had stopped flowing.
He had been pampered since childhood, and the greatest setback he had ever faced was just a few days ago when he was ordered by imperial decree to marry an orphaned girl as his Wangfei.
But even that, he quickly resolved. He was the type of person who couldn’t tolerate the smallest irritation in his eye.
But this time, he had actually been demoted to a County Prince!
The difference between a Prince of the First Rank and a County Prince was just one character, but the difference in treatment was vast.
What he would lose wasn’t just some annual silver stipends, but also his guards.
Normally, a Prince of the First Rank going to his fief would have thirty to fifty thousand personal guards—his own private army—which was the foundation of his power.
But for a County Prince, the number would be cut by more than half, not to mention the significant downgrade in all other privileges.
He gritted his teeth, thanked the emperor for his grace, and then immediately went back to his study to smash everything he could.
Qi Wang, who had once overshadowed even the Crown Prince in influence, was suddenly stripped of his title and downgraded to a mere County Prince. The news spread rapidly.
When Qi Zhen received the news, he was utterly dumbfounded.
He spent the entire afternoon in a daze, and as soon as court was dismissed, he rushed home.
The Old Marquis had already been waiting. When he saw Qi Zhen’s expression, he stroked his beard and said in a low voice, “That night, she must have gone to do this.”
“That night” naturally referred to the night Qi Yuan had disappeared.
Qi Zhen’s mouth went dry. “Father, how—how could she be so bold!”
He no longer thought Qi Yuan was just being reckless. Especially when he remembered what Qi Yuan had said that day: “Kill Qi Wang.” That phrase had been echoing in his mind ever since.
He had thought she was exaggerating, but now he was certain—Qi Yuan had genuinely intended to kill Qi Wang.
The Old Marquis had his own thoughts. He said calmly, “It’s not surprising. She was raised by the Eldest Princess. What has the Eldest Princess been doing all these years? Why has she remained on Mount Baiyun, refusing to come down? Don’t you know?”
Of course Qi Zhen knew.
The Eldest Princess’s husband, Princess Consort Lu, escorted Liu Wangfei and the heir back to the capital. At that time, they all had perished.
Over the years, the Eldest Princess had never given up on investigating the truth.
So, the Eldest Princess suspected Qi Wang…
No—Qi Wang hadn’t even been born back then!
The Eldest Princess must have suspected the young Noble Consort Liu!
This explanation made sense, but Qi Zhen still found it hard to believe. “But—”
The Old Marquis snorted. “There’s no ‘but.’ The facts are right in front of you. The Eldest Princess is close to Jing Wang, the legitimate eldest son of the Crown Prince. Doesn’t that tell you enough?”
Qi Yuan’s attitude toward Xiao Yunting was also different. That day, it was even Xiao Yunting who sent her back. Clearly, she and Xiao Yunting had long been allies.
The Old Marquis gave Qi Zhen a long, deep look. “You can tell them now.”
“Father!” Qi Zhen took a deep breath. “Shouldn’t we think this over a little more?”
The Old Marquis gave him a meaningful look. “Haven’t you seen your daughter’s character? She managed to get Qi Wang demoted in just one month. Have you thought about what would happen if she used those methods against you?”
What would happen to you?
Those words sent a chill down Qi Zhen’s spine.
He clenched his fists, still unable to make up his mind. “Father, if I leak the information now, I’ll have no way out.”
Qi Zhen had always been this kind of person.
But in the past, there had been no comparison, so the Old Marquis had thought that, though his son was mediocre, at least he could maintain the family’s standing.
But now, compared to Qi Yuan’s decisiveness and skill, his son seemed unbearably indecisive and weak.
The Old Marquis stopped beating around the bush and said bluntly, “Your daughter has already chosen the path for you. Do you really think you have another choice? You’re dreaming.”
Qi Zhen gave a bitter laugh.
Yes, the reason Qi Yuan had lowered herself to return to the family was probably for the information he held about Liu Wangfei.
He exhaled slowly. “Then I’ll go find her—”
Before he could finish, Liuzhong knocked on the door, panting. “Old Marquis, Marquis! Something’s happened!”
…
Something again?
Qi Zhen rubbed his brow helplessly and glanced at his father. He called out in a low voice, “Come in!”
When Liuzhong came in, he immediately asked, “What happened with the eldest miss now?”
Liuzhong was momentarily stunned and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “The eldest miss? Marquis, it’s not about the eldest miss!”
The Old Marquis coughed.
Qi Zhen felt a little embarrassed. Ever since Qi Yuan returned, nearly all family incidents had been related to her. Now, hearing that it wasn’t about her felt almost strange.
He had to ask, “Then what happened? What’s going on?”
Liuzhong finally reacted and hurriedly bowed. “Marquis, it’s the eldest lady—she came back. She even returned with injuries…”
The eldest lady referred to the Old Marquis’s daughter, Qi Fangyun, Qi Zhen’s older sister, who had married the second son of Zhou Ping, Vice Commander of the Five City Patrols in the capital.
The Old Marquis was very fond of this daughter, so upon hearing this, he immediately frowned. “What happened? Why would she return injured?”
Liuzhong shook his head. “The eldest lady came back crying. She’s in the old madam’s room now. The old madam asked me to invite you both over.”
The Old Marquis didn’t hesitate and immediately brought Qi Zhen along.
The whole estate was abuzz because of the eldest lady’s return.
Baizhi quickly ran back to tell Qi Yuan the news, vividly recounting everything she had heard. Just as she was speaking, Huichun from the old madam’s room came to invite Qi Yuan over.
Qi Yuan wasn’t very familiar with this aunt, but in her previous life, when Qi Yunting and Qi Jin trampled all over her, this aunt had at least spoken a few fair words and tried to stop them.
After thinking for a moment, she brought Baizhi along to go over.
As she arrived, she heard the Old Madam’s furious voice: “This is outrageous! Who do the Zhou family think they are? How dare they bully us like this!”
Qi Fangyun was sobbing uncontrollably. “Mother, I’m not someone who can’t tolerate others, but our son is about to get married, and now he’s bringing in a wife of equal status. Isn’t this intentionally disgusting me?!”
Qi Yuan paused for a moment, then stepped inside.
When the Old Madam saw her, she introduced her to Qi Fangyun: “This is your brother’s biological daughter. We wrote to you about her before. Her name is Ah Yuan.”
Qi Fangyun’s eyes were swollen from crying. Seeing Qi Yuan, she felt a bit awkward. “I missed the family recognition banquet because of some trouble at home. Please forgive me, Ah Yuan.”
But she was puzzled—why would the Old Madam bring a child to hear about this family disgrace?
And then something even more baffling happened.
The Old Madam looked at Qi Yuan and asked, “Ah Yuan, do you have any ideas about this matter?”
Qi Fangyun was completely stunned.
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