"Don't be nervous," Zhen Lin said as he entered, his tone gentle, but a hint of doubt flickered in his eyes.
If he had believed Lin Qingluo’s nervousness before, he now sensed something was amiss.
However, they still needed to wait for Qingluo to assess her situation.
Princess Ningde also followed him in.
Lin Qingluo’s room was right next to her brother’s, meticulously tidied by the servants.
It was evident that those around her brother had been instructed to show Lin Qingluo respect and care.
Seeing her brother’s attentiveness only fueled Princess Ningde’s disgust towards Lin Qingluo.
Lin Qingluo’s hands trembled as she watched the two enter. She had gone out to buy silver needles that day, but had absolutely no time to learn acupuncture.
She was consumed by anxiety, her gaze fixed on the two waiting for her to begin.
In a flash of inspiration, she said solemnly, "The Heir apparent only received acupuncture two days ago. He cannot undergo another treatment so soon. This is why I have repeatedly declined. The earliest possible treatment is in half a month."
In half a month, she should be able to learn acupuncture.
She would force herself to learn!
All she needed was to locate a few acupoints. This shouldn't be difficult. If that woman could do it that night, then she could too.
"Such a claim? I've never heard of it before," Princess Ningde said with a half-smile.
Zhen Lin frowned, his face showing a hint of suspicion.
Seeing that Zhen Lin was also doubting her, Lin Qingluo secretly clenched her hands, feigning an air of confidence and nodding, "Indeed, this is a rule of my lineage."
Stay calm!
At worst, she would lose this chance to soar into a phoenix’s nest! But for now, she had to seize the opportunity.
"A most interesting lineage rule," Princess Ningde chuckled. She hadn't expected Lin Qingluo to be so resourceful, always able to come up with plausible excuses in a pinch.
And they even sounded reasonable.
It surprised her.
Upon hearing this, Zhen Lin paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded, "So that's how it is. We shall wait a few more days then."
Princess Ningde knew this would be the outcome.
Therefore, her gaze towards Lin Qingluo became somewhat mocking.
Lin Qingluo pretended not to notice. She couldn't understand why Princess Ningde targeted her. She didn't ask for much, just a position as the Heir apparent's secondary consort. She would serve the Heir apparent diligently in the future, yet Princess Ningde continuously made things difficult for her.
"Mhm!" Lin Qingluo nodded obediently, striving to betray no further flaws!
Princess Ningde would eventually marry out.
Rumor had it she was to marry Prince Jin. Once the Princess left the Pingyang Prince’s manor, what was there to fear?
As long as she learned acupuncture within these half a month, all problems would be solved!
...
It was late at night.
The entire Minister's manor was enveloped in silence.
Regardless of any emotions before sleep, all had now calmed.
Two figures approached the door of the room.
They gently pushed it open.
Yun Shu was not asleep. Too many things had happened in the palace today, leaving her wide awake.
She waited for Qiu Lu to bring Qin Linglong back.
As the door opened, Qiu Lu and Qin Linglong saw Yun Shu sitting by the table, quietly sipping tea.
Upon seeing Yun Shu, who bore her exact likeness but possessed a completely different aura, Qin Linglong was shocked. She thought that if possible, she could also be like this.
"Miss, I have made it clear to her. She will not reveal today's events to anyone," Qiu Lu said.
Qin Linglong regained her composure. "Yes, please rest assured, I will not leak a single detail. I also know what happened in the palace. I should thank you. Perhaps it is your good fortune that Prince Jin has chosen me as his secondary consort in the end."
When she received this news, she was stunned and overjoyed. She could finally escape the Minister's manor!
And moreover, she would be Prince Jin’s secondary consort from now on.
She knew this was heaven's blessing.
Therefore, she was immensely grateful to the woman before her. Although she didn't know why this woman had used her identity to enter the palace, it didn't diminish her gratitude.
Hearing this, Yun Shu's gaze paused slightly.
Qiu Lu was also taken aback. He had overlooked this matter! He still didn't know what had transpired in the palace, nor if Miss and the Prince had spoken. However, after listening to Qin Linglong, he sensed something was not quite right.
A moment later, Yun Shu and Qiu Lu departed.
Qin Linglong lay in bed, unable to close her eyes for a long time, completely devoid of sleep.
She buried herself in the covers, her lips curling into an uncontrollable smile. Heaven was truly beginning to favor her! A pie of such magnitude had fallen into her lap. She could imagine how furious Madam and Qin Lingyue must be right now.
For the first time in many years, she felt so happy!
She would never have to fear again!
...
On the road, upon learning about Yun Shu's experiences in the palace, Qiu Lu felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
It was truly the Prince!
But the Prince had become cold towards Miss.
He was even investigating her intentions.
Before meeting Miss, the Prince had indeed been a cold and ruthless person, but after falling in love with Miss, he had been exceedingly devoted to her. How could he suddenly become so heartless?
"Miss, there must be a reason for this. Otherwise, the Prince would never be like this! Your subordinate, your subordinate will find an opportunity to sneak into the palace and see the Prince!" Qiu Lu was extremely anxious, wishing he could enter the palace immediately.
Yun Shu hummed, "Later, you find an opportunity to enter the palace and confirm a few things."
"Yes!"
After a moment, Qiu Lu suddenly recalled something. "Miss, why did the Prince choose you as his secondary consort today?"
Yun Shu shook her head. "If he wanted to guard against me, he shouldn't have chosen me."
This was something she couldn't figure out from the palace banquet until now.
"But, Qin Linglong..." Qiu Lu felt this was a troublesome matter. They still hadn't figured out the reason for the Prince choosing Miss as his secondary consort, and now the real Qin Linglong was already joyfully anticipating becoming Prince Jin's secondary consort.
Yun Shu contemplated in silence, then said, "Regarding this matter, wait until you enter the palace and observe. As for Qin Linglong, she does indeed need a status to turn her dire situation around."
"Alright, your subordinate understands," Qiu Lu nodded in agreement.
...
In the quiet night, Yun Changfeng and Yun Shu, father and daughter, came to the courtyard for a small drink.
The aroma of the brewing wine wafted through the air.
"You say he was inquisitive and guarded towards you, but lacked the joy of reunion? Could it be that he didn't recognize you while you were under Qin Linglong's identity?" Yun Changfeng suspected this possibility.
Yun Shu shook her head. "It's unlikely."