Chapter 115: Injured Ling Fei, Furious Qin Bei
Qin Bei and Qin Xuan quickly arrived at Qing Ling Palace, but as soon as Qin Bei stepped inside, he noticed something was off. Many furnishings he remembered from his last visit were gone—either replaced with something new or simply missing.
The deeper he ventured into the palace, the stranger it became. Clearly, many important decorations had disappeared.
“Mother, what’s going on? Why are so many decorations missing? Are you planning to get new furniture?” Qin Bei inquired as soon as he spotted Ling Fei.
“Why are you two here?” Ling Fei was a bit taken aback, relieved that Qin Bei had arrived later than expected.
“My brother made a mistake and was summoned to the palace by the Emperor, so we decided to drop by and check on you,” Qin Xuan replied candidly.
Qin Bei: …
Is it something to boast about that my brother made a mistake? He really said that so casually.
“Mistake? What kind of mistake did you commit to anger your father?” Ling Fei deflected Qin Bei’s question and turned her focus on him, attempting to divert his attention.
“What could it be? I just beat someone up and spent a little spirit stones; my dad got unhappy. Must be menopause or something—always getting mad for no reason.”
Qin Bei chose not to press further but instead played along with Ling Fei’s response.
“Well, since you’re both here, it must mean everything is fine. Be careful next time. This time, Mother won’t blame you. Today is a great occasion to celebrate Xiaoxuan’s apprenticeship with Master Ying!”
Ling Fei shifted her thoughts and started to make preparations in the kitchen for Qin Bei and Qin Xuan, crafting her special dish.
Watching Ling Fei retreat to the kitchen, Qin Bei couldn’t help but frown.
He activated his special vision to check Ling Fei’s condition. If he hadn’t checked, he’d be better off not knowing, but now he had uncovered a serious problem.
Ling Fei appeared extremely weak, and the spiritual energy within her seemed alarmingly sparse.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed cracks in Ling Fei’s Golden Core!
This kind of situation could only occur from a life-threatening injury.
But how could his mother, who had been in the palace all this time, sustain an injury? Who in the world dares to storm into Emperor Xia’s harem to harm anyone? That would be akin to seeking death!
In the kitchen…
“Xiao Yu, quietly notify the servants to avoid talking nonsense in front of Xiao Bei,” Ling Fei instructed her personal maid, Xiao Yu.
“Yes, my lady. Please rest; I’ll handle it,” Xiao Yu stepped forward to support Ling Fei, looking worried.
“It’s nothing. I’ll be fine in a couple of days. The two little rascals can handle your cooking,” Ling Fei waved off Xiao Yu’s assistance.
Xiao Yu could only follow Ling Fei’s instructions, ordering the maids in Qing Ling Palace to keep the incident with Concubine Shu under wraps.
Before long, Ling Fei had prepared her specialty dish and set it on the table.
Qin Xuan dove in without a care, while Qin Bei and Ling Fei were lost in their own thoughts.
“Mother, you still haven’t answered me—what’s going on in Qing Ling Palace? Why are there so many missing items?”
Qin Bei asked as if it were just another day.
“Hai~ Your mother thinks the previous style was too extravagant. His Majesty doesn’t fancy extravagance from the harem concubines, so to please him, I sold all the valuable items and planned to replace them with simpler decorations,” Ling Fei smiled as she spun this excuse to justify the peculiar situation.
“Oh~”
Qin Bei didn’t continue pressing, as he had already pieced the puzzle together.
“Xiao Xuan, have you made a decision? Are you willing to become Master Ying’s apprentice?”
Ling Fei affectionately ruffled Qin Xuan’s hair, smiling brightly.
“I’ve made up my mind! Brother said such a great opportunity must be seized; anyone who doesn’t is a fool! Plus, Brother said that once I’m Master Ying’s apprentice, even the Four Seal Prince will have to grant me some respect! That way, I can back him up. In the future, if Brother wants to rough up an officer, he can! I’ll let my master handle the fallout!”
Qin Xuan proudly proclaimed.
Qin Bei, who listened in, felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. Wasn’t he supposed to offer only half an agreement in front of their mother? Why did he spill his whole wish?
Isn’t this a blatant setup for trouble?
“You! You just listen to everything your brother says. If Lord Ying finds out you think this way, he definitely won’t want to take you as an apprentice,” Ling Fei chuckled, shaking her head.
These two kids—one is impossibly obedient, while the other is a constant source of mischief.
Ironically, it was supposed to be Qin Xuan who was naughty, but here it was his elder brother Qin Bei who kept stirring things up…
Meanwhile, Qin Xuan sometimes acted like a little adult.
“Brother! Don’t you dare slander me; I never said those things—it’s all your wild speculation!”
Qin Bei replied, trying to reclaim his dignity.
Dinner was filled with warmth, but the palace maids nearby couldn’t find it in them to smile.
…
As night fell…
“Mother, Xiao Bei and I are heading back now.”
Qin Bei took Qin Xuan’s chubby hand as they exited Qing Ling Palace.
But as they walked a short distance, Qin Bei let go of his hand.
“Xiao Xuan, you head back first; I have something to take care of.”
“Oh~ Alright.”
Qin Xuan didn’t ask any more questions and returned alone.
As for Qin Bei, he doubled back and entered Qing Ling Palace once more.
By now, the palace was hushed, as though it was licking its wounds.
“Ah~!”
Suddenly, a sharp scream pierced the silence, but before the person could cry out again, Qin Bei swiftly clamped a hand over her mouth.
“It’s me.”
Xiao Yu’s big eyes widened as she recognized him.
“Prince Bei… you didn’t leave?”
Xiao Yu asked, surprised.
“What’s all this?”
Qin Bei ignored her question, instead picking up what Xiao Yu had dropped in her fright.
“Ah… these are the lady’s supplements,” Xiao Yu stammered in her flustered attempt at a lie, avoiding eye contact with Qin Bei.
“Healing medicine? Do I really need to explain more? Now, tell me what happened—right this instant!”
His tone was icy, causing Xiao Yu to tremble involuntarily.
The current Qin Bei radiated an intimidating aura, as if suggesting that failing to cooperate might lead to injury.
“But… but the lady forbids us servants from discussing it.”
Xiao Yu’s voice broke as she fought back tears.
Some were scared, others frustrated from recalling the day’s events.
“Since I’ve already sensed something’s amiss, it’s only a matter of time before I find out the truth. I’m just asking you to share it with me in advance. If the queen blames you, I’ll stand in front of you!”
Qin Bei assured her.
“Then… okay! I’ll tell you everything!”
Xiao Yu hesitated but ultimately decided to disregard Ling Fei’s orders and reveal everything that happened.
Let them punish her; she had been bottling up her frustration, and Concubine Shu’s group had really gone too far this time!
Thus, Xiao Yu recounted every detail of the earlier incident to Qin Bei.
By the end, Qin Bei’s fists were clenched, and his eyes bloodshot with rage!
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