Chapter 128: Holding Up and Trampling Down

  Thank you for the reward of peace symbol from Hot Love^^...

  The personal 'guard' standing outside heard Long Han's words and immediately replied respectfully towards the door of the study: "Yes——"

  Since the day of the grand wedding with Consort Gu, the King had left their new home due to official business and never returned to spend the night at Flowing Clouds Pavilion. The people in the Quiet King's estate had always been wary of Consort Gu from Flowing Clouds Pavilion, but due to her family background and the fact that she was personally sought after by the King as his consort, coupled with Qing Jin's low-key behavior since entering the estate, rarely leaving Flowing Clouds Pavilion.

  So after the wedding night, the onlookers in the mansion did not dare to jump to conclusions for a while. Although Qingjin's low-key attitude made it seem like they were no longer paying attention to Liuyun Pavilion on the surface, in private, everyone was secretly keeping an eye on them.

  When Long Han Yan stepped into the Liu Yun Temple again yesterday, those who knew about it also knew that looking at Long Han Yan entering the Liu Yun Temple where Qing Jin was in, all the people who secretly paid attention to the Liu Yun Temple clearly understood in their hearts that after tonight, Gu Ce Fei's position in the Wang Fu should be well-deserved. Who would have thought that after entering the Liu Yun Temple for a moment, the king actually walked out of the Liu Yun Temple with a very obvious bad mood.

  It was learned that the king did not stay overnight and came out in anger, so everyone knew that Concubine Gu had offended the king. They wondered why the king was angry, as soon as they entered the mansion on their wedding night, the master left due to official business, and when he re-entered, he left in a rage again. The people in the mansion all understood that Concubine Gu must have made a big mistake.

  Some couldn't help but stifle a few snickers at the misfortune, some who had high hopes for Qingjin to gain favor were preparing to recommend themselves when Consort Gu gained favor, and couldn't help but let out a sigh, quickly extinguishing this idea.

  The next day, Long Han entered the Liu Yun Academy but did not stay overnight. When he came out, news of his anger still lingered and spread throughout the Jing Wang Fu in an instant.

  Kowtowing to the high and trampling on the low has always been the survival rule in the imperial palace. After Prince Wang stormed out of the Flowing Clouds Pavilion with a furious expression, the servants from the pavilion began to encounter obstacles everywhere in the Quiet King's Residence. Simple matters that could be easily settled with just a few words became incredibly difficult, and the servants from the Flowing Clouds Pavilion started to face exclusion and humiliation everywhere in the residence, seething with resentment.

  Returning to the Flowing Clouds Pavilion, several young maidservants couldn't help but rush over to find Yuanyang and pour out their grievances about the injustices they had suffered. Upon hearing these maidservants' words, Yuanyang sternly reprimanded them and warned them to be low-key in their actions from now on, not to cause trouble for their masters.

  Looking at the little maids wiping away their tears and leaving quietly after hearing her words, Yuanyang couldn't help but sigh. Thinking that it's better not to let the master know about these things, she lifted her head, put on a 'spirited' appearance, and walked into Qingjin's room.

  By the window, Qing Jin was lying on a specially made recliner for her afternoon nap. The sunlight shone on her body, leaving a beautiful silhouette, and Yuanyang couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, when those maids came just now, she had deliberately sent them away to a distance, saying that if the master heard it, he would be sad. Thinking about this, Jing Wang was indeed heartless. It was fortunate that she had risked being driven away by the master last night to persuade him to give in to the prince, and then heard what those little maids reported just now.

  At this time, Yuanyang really felt sorry for Qingjin. Although the master didn't say why he was rejecting Jing Wang last night, today's events made it clear that she shouldn't have advised him to marry Jing Wang as his concubine. It was already humiliating enough for the master to be married off to Jing Wang as a side consort, and now Jing Wang treated her this way. Now that Yuanyang thought about it clearly, if it weren't for Jing Wang, their master could have joined a good family as the legitimate wife. Having followed Qingjin for so long, how could she not know what kind of life Qingjin wanted?

  Thinking of this, Yuanyang felt a little resentful towards Jing Wang. She glanced at Qingjin who was still asleep and turned around, feeling a bit suffocated in her heart. She prepared to do some embroidery so that when her master woke up, she wouldn't see her looking troubled.

  Qing Jin opened her eyes at this time, and there was no daze or confusion in her eyes as if she had just woken up. Instead, they were very clear. Seeing Qing Jin open her eyes, Yuanyang immediately walked to Qing Jin's side and said, "Master, you're awake?"

  "Has anyone just come? I seemed to hear someone crying and woke up." Qingjin asked Yuanyang.

  The figure of Yuanyang holding a handkerchief walking over stiffened for an instant, then returned to normal, walked over with a smile and said: "Master had a nightmare, didn't you? Just now a few little maids came over and told me some things, but I didn't cry." As she spoke, she handed the handkerchief in her hand to Qingjin, letting Qingjin wipe her face.

  Qing Jin took over the handkerchief handed over by Yuanyang, elegantly wiped her face, and then looked into Yuanyang's eyes, asking: "Is that so?"

  The mandarin duck avoided Qingjin's gaze and took over the handkerchief in Qingjin's hand, saying: "Of course—"

  Qing Jin raised an eyebrow at Yuanyang and said, "Yuanyang... you've been by my side since childhood. When you tell a lie, you don't dare to look me straight in the eye."

  "Master, servant..." Yuanyang heard Qingjin's words and looked at her in a somewhat flustered manner.

  "If there's something on your mind, just say it. We're in Jing Wang Fu now, are you going to lie to me too?"

  Yuanyang heard Qingjin say this and told her about the little maid's visit to cry to her earlier.

  Qing Jin remained silent for a long time after hearing Yuanyang's words, gazing out of the window.

  Yuanyang saw Qingjin's appearance and racked her brains to think of comforting words, finally saying to Qingjin: "Master..."

  "You don't need to comfort me, I've already thought of these things. Go tell the servants at Liu Yun Institute that if anyone wants to leave, I won't stop them. Those who stay will have to restrain their behavior from now on. What they'll face is only just beginning today... From now on, Liu Yun Institute must keep a low profile... It's best not to go out of Liu Yun Institute unless absolutely necessary." Qing Jin said calmly, looking at the scenery outside the window.

  "The slave understands and will go according to your instructions." Yuanyang bowed to Qingjin and walked out, gathering the servants of Liuyunyuan to spread the word.

  The very next day after Consort Gu lost favor, angered King Jing and was abandoned by him, news came again from the main palace of Queen Murong that thoroughly explained the fact that Consort Gu had been abandoned by King Jing, which was that King Jing would marry her again.

  Upon hearing this news, the people of Jing Wang Fu thoroughly understood that Imperial Concubine Gu had fallen out of favor and was detested by His Majesty. In order to curry favor with the queen, the servants of Jing Wang Fu abandoned their last shred of concern that Imperial Concubine Gu might still regain favor and instead exerted all their strength to suppress and ostracize the servants of Liu Yun Ting.

  It's all right, Qingjin had already told the servants of Liuyun Institute through Yuanyang yesterday. Those who didn't want to stay in Liuyun Institute found a way to leave. The ones who stayed behind, because Yuanyang had instructed them beforehand, hung their heads and said nothing when they encountered difficulties, standing there with downcast eyes. After the person who was looking for trouble finished speaking, they bowed and hastily returned to Liuyun Institute.

  The sun sets in the west, with a fantastical purple and golden glow of sunset on the horizon. Warm yellow sunlight shines through the window onto the floor of the room, casting a warm glow. The air inside seems to be still, giving off an eternal quiet feeling.

  Qing Jin sat on the edge of the bed, holding a notebook in her hand, listening to the words of Shi Ren Hua in her mind, gloating over the various difficulties and exclusions that the servants of Liu Yun Yuan had encountered in the mansion.

  Qing Jin's expression was calm, as if she hadn't heard what "Flower" the cannibal had said. She flipped over a page of her notebook and looked at it seriously.

  The cannibalistic 'flower' saw Qingjin as if she hadn't heard it at all, and with a disgruntled expression, it suddenly pounced from the dresser, shaking its hairpin in front of Qingjin's eyes, disrupting her line of sight while reading, then asked in her mind: Did you hear what I just said?

  Qing Jin was dazzled by it and couldn't read, raised her head to give a cold glance, the double 'flower' wooden hairpin in front of her kept swaying.

  The 'flower' hairpin was stopped by her gaze, not daring to move, and then moved away from Qingjin, suspended in mid-air, and asked again with a disgruntled consciousness: Did you hear what I just said?

  Qing Jin looked away, not seeing the movement in front of her eyes, and withdrew her gaze to continue reading the notes in her hand. She didn't hear Qing Jin's response, nor did she see the expression she wanted to see on Qing Jin's face. After a while, she saw Qing Jin disappear into a white light outside the window of her room, as if ignoring her.

  Inside the room, Qing Jin seemed to be still seriously looking at the notes in her hand, but for a long time, she didn't turn a single page. Upon closer inspection, her eyes weren't focused on the pages, and there was a faint glint of cold light flickering deep within her pupils.

  A few days later, Qingjin was in the Flowing Clouds Courtyard holding a large pair of scissors to trim the 'flower' branches in the courtyard. Yuanyang stood beside her, staring intently at Qingjin. At this moment, Yuanyang suddenly saw a little maid in the distance gesturing urgently towards her.

  The mandarin duck glanced at Qingjin, who was seriously pruning the flower branches, and quietly left from beside Qingjin without making a sound.

  After a while, Yuanyang returned and hesitantly opened her mouth to say: "Master..."

  Hearing Yuanyang's hesitant tone, Qingjin continued with the task at hand and spoke to Yuanyang, "If you have something to say, just say it. Being evasive doesn't suit you."

  “……Just now, the queen's side came to report that the queen has some arrangements for welcoming the new concubine into the 'house' and wants to discuss them with the master. She asked someone to invite the master to her main courtyard.” Upon hearing Qingjin's words, Yuanyang thought that such things couldn't be hidden forever, so she spoke directly to Qingjin.

  "Oh, since that's the case, then let's go take a look!" Qing Jin replied calmly.

  "Master... if you don't want to go, I'll push you..." Yuanyang said.

  Qingjin cut off the last unnecessary 'flower' branch, handed the 'flower' scissors to a little maid beside her, and Yuanyang timely presented a water basin for Qingjin to wash her hands. After washing her hands, Qingjin didn't hurry to dry them with a towel, but instead looked at the trimmed 'flower' branches and spoke to Yuanyang: "Since it's the princess who invited me, how can I not go? The princess is so kind and magnanimous, what can this concubine use to compare herself? Those who don't know might think that I'm jealous because the king married a concubine!"