latelenovela Chapter 325 The Cannon Fodder Who Suffered the Massacre of His Family (32)
Chapter 325 The Cannon Fodder Who Suffered the Massacre of His Family (32)
Ji Mei still felt it was inappropriate.
Last time, the Ninth Princess suddenly jumped into the lake to slander their mistress. Although the Ninth Princess has now come to apologize to their mistress, if they are left alone together, there is no guarantee that the same thing will happen again.
She looked at Qi Ning.
Gao Xi tugged at Qi Ning's sleeve: "Your Highness Qi, please send your maids. We'll be fine here."
Qi Ning glanced at Gao Xi before saying to Ji Mei, "Listen to the Ninth Princess, go and come back quickly."
Ji Mei hesitated before finally agreeing, "Yes."
Jixiang quickly took Jimei away.
Qi Ning looked at Gao Xi and said half-jokingly, "Why did the Ninth Princess send my maid away? Surely she's not trying to frame me again?"
Gao Xi quickly said, "Empress Qi, please don't be angry. I did deliberately send your maid away, but it wasn't to harm you. It's just that my brother wanted to see you."
"Your imperial brother?"
"Yes."
As soon as Gao Xi finished speaking, Gao Yan emerged from his hiding place.
"Consort Qi, it's me."
When Gao Xi saw Gao Yan come out, she quickly lifted her skirt and ran away.
Qi Ning looked at Gao Yan and asked coldly, "What does Your Highness mean by this?"
Gao Yan looked somewhat embarrassed: "I just want to meet you and talk to you about something."
"Haven't I met the Fifth Prince several times already? We've talked about everything we needed to talk about, so what else is there to say?"
After saying that, Qi Ning turned around and wanted to leave.
"and many more!"
In a moment of urgency, Gao Yan grabbed Qi Ning's wrist.
Qi Ning quickly turned around: "Let me go!"
Gao Yan quickly realized that what he was doing was inappropriate and immediately released Qi Ning.
Seeing Qi Ning's wary look, he quickly said, "I... I didn't mean anything by it, please don't misunderstand."
Qi Ning took a step back: "You are a prince, and I am His Majesty's concubine. If we meet here alone and someone sees us, how can we explain ourselves? Aren't you trying to harm me?"
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Gao Yan said. “I’ve had people guarding outside, so no one else will be able to enter this garden. As for your maid, she won’t be back for a while. Our meeting today will only be known to the two of us and Xi’er; no one else will know.”
Gao Yan understood this principle perfectly well. If they were seen meeting alone and the Emperor found out and misunderstood, not only would Qi Ning suffer a bad end, but he would also suffer a bad end.
Putting everything else aside, the throne is definitely out of the question.
Gao Yan would not put himself and Qi Ning in that situation.
Besides, he had no other intentions in coming to see Qi Ning; he simply wanted to discuss something with her.
Qi Ning snorted: "If you have something to say, then say it quickly."
Gao Yan stopped beating around the bush and said directly, "I came to see you today simply to ask if you would like to join our side to deal with the Fourth Prince?"
"An alliance?" Qi Ning asked rhetorically.
“That’s right,” Gao Yan said. “Since you want to deal with Gao Yun and the Jiang family, then your goal is the same as ours. Instead of going it alone, why not join our camp?”
"This would be beneficial for both of us, wouldn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Ning said somewhat sarcastically, "What merit do I possess to warrant the Fifth Prince going to such lengths to meet me, just to say this to me?"
"As for this matter, I did consider it at first, but the Fifth Prince refused me. Now that I am His Majesty's concubine and have His Majesty as my backer, I no longer need the Fifth Prince."
Gao Yan stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "I don't know your plans. If you don't want to say, I won't force you. But even if you have the ability to use the Emperor to scheme against Gao Yun and the Jiang family, do you have the ability to get away unscathed?"
"Don't forget, you are the Jiang family's adopted daughter and are inextricably linked to the Jiang family. If anything happens to the Jiang family, you won't be able to escape either."
"Your father does love you, but when it comes to matters of choosing an heir and the throne, his love for you is nothing. Don't you want to leave yourself a way out?"
"Judging from what Your Highness said, are you leaving me a way out?" Qi Ning asked.
"That's right, as I said, since we're plotting something big, it's impossible that we're just using you. We can definitely guarantee your safety."
Qi Ning looked at Gao Yan, but didn't answer for a moment, as if she was considering something.
Gao Yan added, "If you have any other requests, feel free to ask. I will do my best to fulfill them as long as it is within my power."
Qi Ning suddenly chuckled: "Fifth Prince, I still prefer your previous arrogant and unruly self."
Gao Yan's expression stiffened slightly.
After a moment, he said expressionlessly, "I'm not begging you, nor am I forcing you. I'm just discussing this with you. You can agree or refuse. There's no need to say these meaningless things."
"What? You were able to humiliate me in front of Jiang Weilan back then, and I can't even say a few words to you?"
"..."
Gao Yan knew that Qi Ning was indeed holding a grudge.
Qi Ning then said, "You just said that I have other requests, will you fulfill them?"
"Yes."
"Then..." Qi Ning pondered, glancing at Gao Yan as she considered the matter.
Gao Yan felt uncomfortable under her gaze: "Have you thought it through?"
"I've made up my mind." Qi Ning pointed to Gao Yan's waist. "I want this."
"what?"
Gao Yan frowned as he looked at Qi Ning.
Qi Ning smiled and said, "I want the token that the Fifth Prince wears on his waist."
"What do you want my token for?" Gao Yan asked, puzzled.
"With this token, you should be able to freely enter and leave the palace and the capital, right?"
"of course."
“That’s right.” Qi Ning said matter-of-factly, “Didn’t the Fifth Prince say he would leave me a way out? Then give me this token.”
She opened her palm towards Gao Yan.
Gao Yan was somewhat speechless.
The "way out" he mentioned refers to saving Qi Ning's life in a crisis, and it's not just a simple literal meaning.
But if Qi Ning insists on interpreting it literally, that's not impossible.
After a moment's consideration, Gao Yan took the token off his waist and placed it in Qi Ning's hand.
Are there any other requirements?
Qi Ning examined the token in his hand with great satisfaction: "I haven't thought of anything else yet. I'll think of something else later."
For a moment, Gao Yan wanted to take the token back because of her arrogant attitude and didn't want to continue talking to her.
But since the words had already been spoken and the token given, Gao Yan had no choice but to give up.
"So, does that mean you agree?" he asked to confirm.
"Hmm." Qi Ning nodded slightly and put the token away.
Seeing Qi Ning nod, Gao Yan put his hands behind his back and said, "I heard that Consort Qi is moving to Minghua Palace tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Now that Your Highness is in a high position, your servants will be replenished. Tomorrow I will arrange for a maid to serve you so that we can keep in touch later."
Upon hearing this, Qi Ning silently looked at Gao Yan.
"What, you're not satisfied with this arrangement?"
Gao Yan explained, "This is to make it easier to contact each other; otherwise, it would be troublesome and risky for us to meet."
It's not that I'm dissatisfied.
"Why is that?"
"I was just wondering, if I hadn't agreed to the Fifth Prince's request, would the Fifth Prince have arranged for that palace maid to be a spy by my side, monitoring my every move?"
"You're overthinking it. I've said before that if you don't agree, I won't force you. Besides, I already know that you're no match for me, so I have no need to monitor you."
Gao Yan's answer satisfied Qi Ning: "Alright then, what's the palace maid's name?"
"Yingliu."
The next day.
Qi Ning officially moved from Mingyue Pavilion to Minghua Palace.
The nanny brought over several more palace maids and eunuchs: "Your Highness, now that you are the head of a palace, you don't have enough people to serve you. These are a few that I have recently selected for you. Please take a look and see if you are satisfied."
As she spoke, the old woman instructed them to greet Qi Ning one by one.
Sure enough, when it was one of the palace maids' turn, she bowed her head and said, "This servant Yingliu greets Consort Qi."
“Yingliu, is it? Raise your head and let me see you,” Qi Ning said.
Yingliu raised her head and met Qi Ning's gaze.
Qi Ning nodded: "Your name matches Ji Mei's name quite well. You can follow Ji Mei and become her personal maid."
This statement seems to imply that the person simply likes the name Yingliu.
Yingliu quickly knelt down to express her gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Qi Ning then said to Ji Mei, "Ji Mei, you two should get along well."
Ji Mei replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Later that evening, Yingliu came to serve Qi Ning.
She whispered in Qi Ning's ear, "Your Highness, the Fifth Prince said that if Your Highness needs anything or wants to send any message, you can tell me and I will pass it on to him."
Qi Ning glanced at Ying Liu: "I understand."
Since Qi Ning and Gao Yan reached an agreement, they have been in the same boat.
On Gao Yun's side, in order to reduce the emperor's suspicion of him, he did indeed keep a low profile on the surface, but he continued to make various small moves behind the scenes.
Jiang Weilan would come to pay her respects to Qi Ning every now and then, trying to get some news about the emperor from her. After Qi Ning was promoted from Noble Lady to Consort, she came even more frequently.
Qi Ning naturally wouldn't tell Jiang Weilan the truth about the emperor's every move. On the contrary, she used a mix of true and false information to extract a lot of information about the Jiang family and Gao Yun's plans from Jiang Weilan. Even some things that Jiang Weilan was unwilling to reveal, she could find out through the system.
Qi Ning would pass on these messages, as well as the true situation of the emperor, to Gao Yan through Ying Liu. Gao Yan would also pass on some messages to Qi Ning through Ying Liu, or provide Qi Ning with some things she needed.
Qi Ning was caught in the middle, dealing with the emperor, Gao Yan, Gao Yun, and the Jiang family. It was quite a busy time for him.
However, not all messages between Qi Ning and Gao Yan are suitable to be conveyed through Ying Liu. In certain special circumstances, when they need to discuss important matters, they will also meet in person.
They met privately on a cruise ship on Lingbo Lake.
The pleasure boat was always moored by the lake. Except for the occasional person going on it during the day, no one went on it at night, and there was no one on duty. In addition, it was very close to Minghua Palace, making it perfect for private meetings.
That night, not long after it got dark, Qi Ning met Gao Yan again on the cruise ship.
The cruise ship has two levels with partitions in the middle, so even if lanterns are lit inside, they cannot be seen from the outside.
Gao Yan talked about Gao Yun, but Qi Ning seemed a little absent-minded and didn't listen much. She just rested her chin on her hand and leaned against the small couch, lost in thought.
Seeing this, Gao Yan said no more.
He suddenly remembered something, took out a sachet from his pocket, and handed it to Qi Ning.
"This sachet was given to you by Xi'er."
During this period, the two met more often and gradually became familiar with each other. They were no longer as competitive as before, but rather interacted like friends, and their words and actions became much more natural.
Upon hearing this, Qi Ning glanced at the sachet, said "Oh," and reached out to take it.
She seemed a little distracted; she reached out to take it, but didn't catch it properly.
Seeing that the sachet was about to fall to the ground, Gao Yan didn't think too much and subconsciously grabbed Qi Ning's hand along with the sachet.
"you……"
Qi Ning snapped out of her daze, as if startled, and tried to pull her hand away.
Gao Yan quickly realized that what he was doing was inappropriate, and he hurriedly let go of her.
He explained, "You didn't hold it properly, and the sachet almost fell to the ground."
Qi Ning snorted, snatched the sachet away, and looked down at it.
The sachet embroidered by Gao Xi is really not very well done.
Gao Yan said, "It's just a toy that kids make to play with, but she insisted that I bring it over and give it to you."
Qi Ning then smiled and said, "How can you talk about your own sister like that? Even if it's not good, it's still the thought that counts."
Seeing that Qi Ning smiled and seemed not to care about him holding her hand earlier, Gao Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He asked, "What's wrong with you tonight? You've been spacing out the whole time."
Qi Ning looked up at Gao Yan, remained silent for a while, and then sighed softly, saying, "Today is the anniversary of my parents' death."
Upon hearing this, Gao Yan fell silent.
I see, no wonder she seemed a bit off.
Gao Yan wasn't very good at comforting people. He was pondering whether he should say something when Qi Ning suddenly leaned closer to him and asked, "I heard that you can't hold private sacrifices in the imperial palace?"
"That's right, it's definitely not possible."
Qi Ning lowered her eyes and complained softly, "There are so many rules. This won't work, and that won't work."
Seeing Qi Ning's dejected appearance, Gao Yan felt a pang of pity for her, remembering her tragic past.
He thought for a moment and said, "How about I take you out?"
"go out?"
Gao Yan hummed in agreement and said in a calm tone, "I have a residence outside the palace. You can hold a memorial service for your parents at my residence."
Sure enough, Qi Ning's eyes lit up when she heard this, but soon her face showed worry: "How can I get out? And what if I'm discovered outside the palace?"
"This is easy to handle."
Gao Yan said casually, "Change your clothes and come out with me. Let Yingliu change into your clothes and sleep in the palace in your place. It's still early, and I will definitely bring you back before dawn. No one else will know."
He paused, then suddenly remembered something, a strange look flashing across his face.
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