Shen Chengzhou was firm and would not tolerate any rebuttal.
On the day Ling Qingwan went missing, the Marquis' Mansion and the General's Mansion sent people to look for her. They searched the entire capital, but still couldn't find Ling Qingwan. Over the years, Shen Chengzhou has never given up looking for Ling Qingwan's whereabouts.
If Ling Qingwan went missing because of someone's plot, Shen Chengzhou should have investigated it by then.
"Grandfather, I know that my disappearance is a sad memory for you, and I'm sorry to bring it up again. I just want to understand what happened at that time. It can also be regarded as an explanation to myself."
"If I was indeed lost on my own, then everyone is happy. If I was framed, at least the truth will be out, and the person who should be punished will not continue to go unpunished."
Ling Qingwan understood Shen Chengzhou's feelings.
She patiently comforted Shen Chengzhou and asked Shen Chengyuan for understanding.
"I know." Shen Chengzhou felt a little guilty.
"Just go ahead and do this. You can use the people in the general's mansion as you like without my consent. Including me. If you need me for anything, you can tell me."
"Okay." Ling Qingwan said with a smile.
With the support of her family, she feels more confident.
After returning to the Ling Mansion, news came from Meiyuan that there was a letter from the palace asking Ling Chuchu to come to the palace.
Ling Qingwan knew without thinking that it was Concubine Jing who called Ling Chuchu.
Yixin Palace.
Ling Chuchu followed the palace maid into the inner hall.
"My little girl Chuchu greets the Queen Consort Jing."
Concubine Jing raised her eyes and looked at Ling Chuchu, her eyes full of contempt.
"I have a question for you."
"Your Majesty, please feel free to speak." Ling Chuchu looked humble.
"Look at you. You may be beautiful, but there are many people in Tokyo who are much more beautiful than you and have a wealthy family. It would be fine if you didn't have anything, but now you actually do something sneaky."
"Ling Chuchu, I want to ask you, what makes you worthy of Cheng'er?"
Concubine Jing gritted her teeth.
She almost hated Ling Chuchu to death.
Originally, when Song Zhicheng wanted to marry Ling Chuchu, Concubine Jing was unwilling. But Song Zhicheng told her that marrying Ling Chuchu would be useful, and Ling Chuchu was willing to be a concubine, so she turned a blind eye and agreed to the marriage.
Unexpectedly, while Song Zhicheng was still in Taizhou, Ling Chuchu made such a fool of herself and brought shame to him.
As a result, Concubine Jing couldn't even raise her head in front of the concubines in the harem these days.
"Your Majesty, Lord Sun from Jingzhao Yinfu has already investigated the incident that night when the Ling Mansion's storehouse was robbed. It was Chuchu's personal maid who had evil intentions, and Chuchu was trying to stop her and tell her not to do such a thing."
"Rumors are everywhere outside, and even the false can be said to be true. But Chuchu is upright and has nothing to fear. I hope the queen will believe in Chuchu's character."
Ling Chuchu said this without blushing or beating her heart, as if it were true.
"Do you mean to call me stupid for believing the rumors outside?" Concubine Jing glared at Ling Chuchu fiercely.
"Chu Chu didn't mean that!" Ling Chu Chu explained immediately.
"Now people outside are saying that you are a thief. Even if it is not true, your reputation is already ruined. When Cheng'er comes back and hears that the concubine he is about to marry is a thief, what do you think he will think?" Concubine Jing said coldly.
Ling Chuchu pursed her lips tightly.
"Ling Chuchu, if you are sensible, I advise you to give up the idea as soon as possible and cancel the engagement with Cheng'er."
"Your Majesty, Chuchu is truly devoted to the eldest prince and is unwilling to give up!" Ling Chuchu said to Concubine Jing with a firm attitude.
"you… !"
Concubine Jing was so angry that she picked up the teacup and threw it at Ling Chuchu.
Ling Chuchu failed to dodge and the teacup hit her forehead, and blood immediately flowed out.
"Throw her out!"
The more Concubine Jing looked at Ling Chuchu, the more annoyed she became, and she immediately gave orders to the palace maids.
Two palace maids stepped forward, grabbed Ling Chuchu on the left and right, and dragged her out.
Ling Chuchu used force to break the two apart.
"Chu Chu will go down and apologize on her own."
After saying that, Ling Chuchu walked out of the room and knelt outside Yixin Palace.
Blood flowed down her forehead, to her brow, cheeks, and even to her jaw. Ling Chuchu pulled up her sleeve and wiped the blood off her face.
She couldn't even feel the pain.
Ling Chuchu thought carefully about what Concubine Jing had just said.
Thinking of how furious she was when she saw that she insisted on being with Song Zhicheng, Ling Chuchu guessed that Concubine Jing might not be able to think of a way to cancel the engagement for a while.
This is a good thing, Ling Chuchu thought. At least, her engagement with Song Zhicheng was saved.
"Hey, isn't this the eldest daughter of the Ling family?"
A shrill voice interrupted Ling Chuchu. She looked up and saw Xu Yuanyuan standing beside her, looking down at her.
Ling Chuchu snorted coldly and turned her head away.
"What's the matter? What happened this time to make Concubine Jing unhappy, so that she can only kneel here?" Xu Yuanyuan gloated.
"I advise you to speak less, so as not to cause trouble." Ling Chuchu said in a cold tone.
"Are you threatening me?" Xu Yuanyuan acted as if she had heard a funny joke.
"Ling Chuchu, you have to understand. I am against you not because I look up to you or regard you as my rival. It is because I feel ashamed when I think about the future when you and I live under the same roof."
Xu Yuanyuan said this viciously and went up the stairs.
"Ms. Xu."
When the palace guarding the gate saw Xu Yuanyuan, he immediately put on an earnest smile.
Xu Yuanyuan glanced around. A maid beside her took out a purse from her sleeve and stuffed it into the palace maid's hand.
The palace maids laughed so hard that they couldn't stop.
Just as she was about to go in, Xu Yuanyuan suddenly thought of something.
She stretched out her hand and asked the maid for a purse, then turned and walked down the stairs and threw the purse in front of Ling Chuchu.
"If you are short of money in the future, just tell me and I will help you. Don't do anything sneaky anymore."
"You...!" Ling Chuchu was extremely angry.
Xu Yuanyuan covered her mouth, chuckled, and then went into the house.
It was not until the evening that Ling Chuchu returned to the Ling Mansion.
Qiao'er told Ling Qingwan that Ling Chuchu was helped back to the backyard.
If something like this happened, Concubine Jing would not be nice to Ling Chuchu. It was good that she didn't cancel the engagement immediately, and it was expected that she would suffer some physical pain.
Ling Qingwan didn't care.
A day later, Song Tian brought news.
At that time, the story of Ling Qingwan being kidnapped was widely spread. The nurse and several servants left the Ling residence, and no one in Dongjing City dared to take them in. Afterwards, the matchmaker took the nurse to Jingzhou.
Jingzhou was far from Dongjing City, and few people knew what happened in Ling Mansion. The nurse and the servants went to work for a family named Meng.
After Ling Qingwan learned of this clue, she immediately asked Song Tian to go to Jingzhou to investigate.
Sure enough, as long as you are careful, you can get closer to the truth step by step.
Ling Qingwan suddenly gained confidence.
Thinking that Shen Chengzhou was probably also thinking about this matter, she asked Song Tian to tell Shen Chengzhou this clue.
Shen Chengzhou also made up his mind to help Ling Qingwan find out the truth.