In his daze, Qi Surong seemed to have returned to his desolate and difficult past life. He had no relatives, no future, only endless loneliness, like an old mule, taking heavy steps with difficulty, towards the end step by step.
Qi Surong opened his eyes suddenly, breathing rapidly, with cold sweat dripping from his forehead.
One hand reached out and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead. Qi Surong turned around and saw her mother sitting by the bed, looking at her with worry.
"Rong'er, are you awake? Do you want some water?" Qi's mother asked warmly.
Qi Surong nodded and drank some water with the support of Qi's mother. She held her mother's hand, as if confirming something, and refused to let go.
"What's wrong? Where do you feel uncomfortable?" Qi's mother asked again.
Qi Surong shook her head and replied in a hoarse voice: "It's okay, mother."
"You," Qi's mother said in an annoyed and uncomfortable tone, "aren't you always cautious? Why didn't you even know you were sick?"
"It's inevitable for people to have headaches and fever. It's not a big deal, so don't worry, mother." Qi Surong said with relief.
Qi's mother sighed helplessly.
At this time, Qi Surong heard a noise coming from outside the door. She asked strangely: "What happened?"
"Oh, it's Qiantong who found her." Qi's mother looked calm.
"Qiantong?" Qi Surong took a while to react, "She's back?"
Qiantong was one of his father's many concubines. He followed them out of the Qi Mansion in his previous life, and then ran away after leaving a debt because he couldn't bear the suffering. Soon after, she became the concubine of a deputy lieutenant under Luo Shimin. The situation in this life was slightly different. She parted ways with the Qi family at the beginning. She thought she would never have any contact with them again, but she never thought that after a few months, she would come back. Didn't she meet that deputy lieutenant in this life
"What's Dad's attitude?" Qi Surong asked.
"How could your father drive a weak female out of the house?" Mother Qi wiped her eyes and said, "Qiantong said she got separated from us and found it with great difficulty. Your father saw that she was pitiful, so he agreed to let her go. She stayed and is probably asking the maid to prepare a room for her at the moment."
Qi Surong was really speechless about her father. When it came to women, his father was too gentle and tolerant.
Qiantong was different from Qin Xiang. She was addicted to pleasure, restless at home, and liked to stir up trouble, leaving her with endless troubles. Moreover, Qi Surong also had some doubts about her sudden appearance, always feeling that something was fishy.
She thought for a while and said to Qi's mother: "Mom, please ask Qiantong to come to my room later. I want to have a chat with her."
Although Qi's mother found it strange, she didn't ask in detail and just nodded in agreement.
Qi Surong asked Ping'er to help her wash up and tidy up her appearance. After taking a sip of the hot soup, Qiantong walked in.
"Qiantong has met the eldest lady." Qiantong smiled and bowed to Qi Surong.
"Sit down." Qi Surong leaned on the bed and said calmly.
Qiantong sat down generously and said, "I heard that the eldest lady is not feeling well. I hope you will take more care of yourself."
"Thank you for your concern." Qi Surong looked up at her and saw that her face was flushed and her face was radiant, showing no trace of weather. How did her father realize that she was pitiful
"I wonder what the eldest lady's instructions are for calling this concubine here?"
"Ping'er, serve tea to Qiantong."
Ping'er first looked at his lady in surprise, then reluctantly poured Qiantong a cup of tea.
When did the eldest lady of the Qi family change her gender and be so polite to her? Qiantong was also very surprised.
Haha, the phoenix turned into a chicken, and he really learned to lower his eyebrows and obey his eyes
Qi Surong ignored the flash of ridicule in her eyes, wiped the fine sweat on her temples with a handkerchief, and suddenly asked, "How is Deputy Lieutenant Chen doing?"
"He..." Qiantong paused as soon as he said a word, his face changed, and the hand holding the teacup shook unconsciously, spilling a few drops of tea. She raised her head and looked at Qi Surong in shock. Seeing that she was staring directly at her, she immediately looked away, her expression becoming awkward.
Qi Surong narrowed his eyes, straightened his body, and asked in a leisurely manner: "Tell me, what is his purpose in letting you come back?"
"What do you say, Miss? Who is Deputy Lieutenant Chen? I don't know him." An unnatural smile appeared at the corner of Qiantong's mouth.
"Really?" Qi Surong lowered his eyes, slowly picked up the tea cup, and said calmly, "Then who did the spy I planted in the Chen family see?"
"Wha, what, eyeliner?" Qian Tong's face was shocked and her voice was trembling.
"You can continue to pretend to be confused. I have plenty of ways to make you tell the truth. Don't forget, your contract is still with the Qi family. As long as my father is willing, he can lynch you or sell you to a slave farm."
Qiantong's face turned pale and she murmured: "Did you already know this? Then why did you agree to let me come back?"
"Because I want to find out what Chen Hua's intentions are." Qi Surong put down the teacup with a calm expression, and there was a hint of majesty on his slightly childish face, which made Qiantong suddenly feel pressured.
"Qiantong, it's not too late to make up for your past mistakes." She stared closely at the woman in front of her.
"But if I say it, I'll offend Chen Hua, and it won't end well." She said with a wry smile.
"Who is Chen Hua? He's just a junior lieutenant." Qi Surong said sarcastically, "Even if the Qi family is in dire straits, it's not like they can't deal with him. You'd better weigh it carefully. Are you willing to be the victim of a villain? Or should you be loyal to my Qi family and find a new way out?"
Finally, Qian Tong could no longer pretend to be calm, and knelt down on the ground, crying: "Miss, please forgive me, I have no choice but to do this."
"How do you want me to forgive?" Qi Surong stared at her coldly.
Qian Tong said with tears in her eyes: "After I left the Qi Mansion, I had nowhere to go and had no choice but to seek refuge with Chen Hua. He treated me well, and I was bewitched by him, so I agreed to work for him."
"What did he ask you to do?"
"He asked me to monitor every move of the Qi family and look for a secret letter."
"Secret message?" Qi Surong frowned, "What secret message?"
"My concubine is not very clear. He only said that this letter must have been hidden very secretly by Mr. Qi. As long as the letter is found in a secret place, it should be what he wants."
Secret message? Qi Surong didn't expect that a random routine would lead to something unexpected. She was full of doubts. She had not heard any secret messages from her father in her previous life, or had the secret messages been stolen before she could make them public? But looking at his father's appearance, it seemed that he didn't know the existence of the secret letter at all, otherwise it would be impossible to trace it. He was not a calm person.
Chen Hua was just a deputy lieutenant. Even if there was a secret message, it probably wouldn't have much to do with him. I'm afraid there was something hidden behind this matter. In the previous life, the Qi family was in chaos and trouble, and they had no energy to deal with other things. After Qi Surong married into the Gu family, her contact with her family gradually decreased. Until her parents died, she had never heard of the secret letter.
Thinking about it this way, it seems that the Gu family was suppressed after the death of their parents. Could it be that those people thought that her father gave her the secret message before his death? So you deliberately targeted the Gu family and restricted everything? If so, her previous doubts would be answered. Although she has offended many people, she has not made anyone hate her to the point of ruining her family.
The collapse of the Qi family was indeed strange, and it was not just due to simple grudges. Qi Surong felt that this letter might be the key.
"Qiantong," Qi Surong said to her, "you stay at Qi's house for now, don't let Chen Hua find out that you have been exposed. Firstly, you can protect you, and secondly, you can help us find out the news."
"The eldest lady wants me to confuse Chen Hua in turn?" Qiantong hesitated, "If the matter is exposed..."
"The Qi family will keep you safe," Qi Surong promised, "provided you don't change your mind midway."
"No, no, I definitely won't." Qian Tong quickly assured.
How could Qi Surong be gullible? If he didn't completely shock her, there would be endless troubles in the future.
She counted the time, her mind moved, and she asked: "Qiantong, do you know what my talents are?"
Qiantong was stunned for a moment, then replied: "The eldest lady is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. She is a famous talented woman in the capital..."
"No, these are just false names that are not worthy of the name." Qi Surong said with a smile, "My real talent is the art of divination."
"Divination?" Qiantong opened her eyes wide.
"If you don't believe it, I can prove it to you." She planned to pretend to be a magician again.
"How to prove it?"
"Do you know why I am sure that you are sent by Chen Hua?"
"Isn't it because you have an spy in the Chen family?"
"No, that's not the case." Qi Surong said calmly, "I didn't actually put an informant in the Chen family, but because I gave fortunes to all the people who had bullied the Qi family."
Qiantong opened her mouth wide with a look of disbelief.
"When it came to Chen Hua, I accidentally discovered your existence." Qi Surong said slowly, "I didn't care at first, because there would be a bloody disaster in Chen Hua a few days later. As his woman, I can't avoid being implicated in this matter. It can be regarded as a punishment for your betrayal of the Qi family, and I am happy to see it come to fruition. However, Chen Hua sent you to the Qi family and escaped."
A trace of embarrassment flashed across Qiantong's face, and she couldn't help but ask: "What kind of bloody disaster is it?"
"There is a fire in the backyard, and the house is uneasy." Qi Surong said half-truthfully, "We will find out in a few days, just wait and see."
Qiantong was doubtful, but couldn't ask any more questions. Then she thought, if Qi Surong really had such ability, how could the Qi family end up in such a predicament? Thinking of this, the original suspicion deepened a bit.
"Do you think, since I have divination skills, why didn't I help the Qi family tide over the crisis?" Qi Surong asked as if he had seen through Qiantong's thoughts.
Qiantong nodded hesitantly.
"The emperor's holy will can be reversed by very few people." Qi Surong responded calmly, "The Qi family is destined to have this disaster. To resolve it by force will only be counterproductive. But the Qi family's strength is not exhausted, and one day they will rise to prominence again. Qian Tong, The reason why I tell you the truth is to let you understand that the Qi family is your real supporter, and when you regain your prestige in the future, you will also take advantage of the trend."
Qiantong looked thoughtful, she was a wavering person, and she would bet on whoever had more prospects. Now that I hear what Qi Surong said so conclusively, I can't help but feel a little moved.
"Don't be anxious. It won't be too late to think about it after my prophecy comes true."