"Madam Meng really likes eating plum blossom cakes?" Li Qinyun suddenly turned her gaze to Madam Meng, who was taking small bites of the pastry.
Madam Meng paused mid-bite. She had only just picked up her first piece; how did it turn into her really liking them?
But since Li Qinyun asked, she could only nod and smile in agreement. "The plum fragrance is delightful. I like them very much."
"The kitchen has some freshly made ones that are still hot. Hurry and bring Madam Meng another plate."
The maid waiting nearby quickly turned and left the room. When she returned, the plum blossom cakes on the plate were still steaming.
Hesitation flickered in Madam Meng's eyes. What was the meaning of this? It seemed a bit overly enthusiastic.
Li Qinyun's gaze landed on Song Jinzhao. "It is the season for plum blossoms to bloom in Ming Garden, and the beauty of spring should not be wasted. Would Lady Linghui accompany me outside to take a look?"
She pushed the plate towards Madam Meng. "Eat more, Madam Meng. They will not taste good once they get cold."
Madam Meng could neither chew nor swallow the scalding hot pastry in her mouth. She realized she should not have come inside after dropping the person off earlier.
This was a hint that she was in the way, using food to gag her.
Stepping out of the room, Li Qinyun spoke with a hint of apology in her tone. "I heard that my older brother and you had some unpleasantness in business. He is simple-minded and clumsy with his words. If he did anything poorly, please forgive him."
Song Jinzhao replied, "They were all trivial matters. I did not take them to heart."
Li Qinyun stopped walking and looked at Song Jinzhao with eyes full of admiration. "You are not only intelligent but also very magnanimous. No wonder the Duke of Qing likes you."
Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and the smile on her face dimmed a bit.
"However, I would like to remind you that Princess Yongjia is enamored with the Duke of Qing. She has already learned from Prince Qi that the Duke of Qing's heart belongs to someone else. Once you enter the capital, I am afraid the princess will cause trouble for you."
Song Jinzhao raised her eyebrows in astonishment and asked in confusion, "The Duke of Qing likes me? Who said that? Why do I not know about this?"
She had only met Chu Liuyun twice. They could not even be considered acquaintances, so where did this affection come from?
Li Qinyun's expression froze slightly before she feigned shock, lightly covering her mouth with her handkerchief.
"When the Emperor conferred the title of Lady Linghui upon you, Prime Minister Gu strongly opposed it. It was the Duke of Qing who stood by and firmly supported you. Did he not tell you?"
Song Jinzhao stared fixedly at Li Qinyun. This constant talk of affection felt like a trap being set.
"I have no relationship with the Duke of Qing. He probably spoke up for me because of the matter with the Shuobei thieves. After all, I did help him."
Li Qinyun let out a sound of sudden realization, then posed another question.
"Since there is no relationship, why was Prince Qi so certain, and why did he even bring the matter before Princess Yongjia? The palace was buzzing with rumors during that time, and everyone thought the Duke of Qing liked you. Is this not just causing trouble for you!"
A flash of understanding crossed Song Jinzhao's eyes.
With the conversation at this point, regardless of whether the matter was true or false, Li Qinyun's purpose in saying these things was to make her detest Prince Qi.
Sowing discord before they had even met, was she, a titled lady living thousands of miles away, really that important?
Was it worth her making a special trip back just to drive a wedge between them?
Song Jinzhao pretended to be angry and condemned in a sharp voice, "This concerns a young woman's reputation. How could Prince Qi speak such nonsense!"
Li Qinyun led Song Jinzhao to sit on a stone bench, let out a deep breath, and sighed, "I suppose it might have something to do with your younger brother."
"Before Lord Ye resigned and returned to his hometown, he repeatedly and bluntly pointed out the faults of Prince Qi's faction in the imperial court. Your brother is Ye Liangyu's student, and you cured his legs. Prince Qi has come to hate you because of this."
Song Jinzhao nodded slowly. "So that is how it is. As a doctor, treating illnesses and saving people is my bounden duty. I did not expect His Highness Prince Qi to be so narrow-minded."
Li Qinyun covered her mouth with her handkerchief and whispered quietly, "To tell you the truth, it was Prince Qi who sent people to cripple Ye Liangyu's legs. If the guards had not arrived in time, let alone his legs, he might have lost his life."
Song Jinzhao looked up abruptly and asked in astonishment, "How did Your Highness learn that those assassins were sent by Prince Qi?"
Li Qinyun's expression appeared very regretful. "At the hunting grounds, when my husband chased after them, he caught an assassin. But just as the assassin spat out the words Prince Qi, he was secretly killed."
"Without evidence, it is just empty talk. The Emperor would definitely think that my husband was deliberately targeting Prince Qi, so he did not reveal the truth."
"The court is fraught with danger. Lord Ye has a fiery temper, so we thought it might be for the best if he left the capital. Who would have thought that after such a short time, he would be returning. This time, Prince Qi will definitely not let him off."
"You are familiar with Lord Ye, so you must remind him to be more on guard. He absolutely must not lose his life."
Song Jinzhao furrowed her brows, pretending to be deep in thought.
Seeing that she had taken the words to heart, Li Qinyun looked up into the distance and could not help but curl her lips into a smug smile, though she quickly suppressed it.
After finishing the entire plate of plum blossom cakes without seeing the others return, Madam Meng was starting to get restless.
The maid standing by the pillar keeping an eye on her saw this, walked over, and asked, "Please wait a moment, Madam Meng. I will go bring another plate."
"No need! No need! No need! I am a bit thirsty, bring a pot of hot tea instead." If she ate any more, she would surely burst.
Seeing that Song Jinzhao had not spoken for a long time, Li Qinyun continued, "Although Lord Ye and my husband sometimes have political disagreements, my husband actually admires Lord Ye a lot. Upright and unyielding imperial censors like him with an iron backbone may not be well-liked, but they are what the court needs the most."
"It will not be long before the Emperor restores Lord Ye to his original post. Please tell Lord Ye that if he encounters any difficulties after returning to the capital, or if he is targeted and plotted against by Prince Qi, with just one word from him, my husband will definitely step in to help."
Listening to this, Song Jinzhao inexplicably got goosebumps all over her body.
They probably felt that after this ordeal and learning his lesson, Ye Liangyu might be afraid and willing to compromise, so they wanted to win him over in advance.
Unfortunately, that old man's personality had not changed one bit. Showing weakness was completely nonexistent for him.
He was actually planning to return to the capital, wreak havoc, take revenge for his nearly crippled legs, and eliminate Prince Qi and Prince Ying one by one.
