Chapter 254 – Your Highness, What Position Will You Give Me?
Chapter 254 Your Highness, What Position Will You Give Me?
Dabei Temple’s light was not bright at night. Under the dim light, the obscure and yellow Buddha statue cast a shadow on the wall, looking weird.
This was the small Buddha hall that Qu Qiuyan had found. There was only a small Buddha statue inside, but she did not know which Buddha it was. Qu Qiuyan only felt that the Buddha statue was extremely ferocious. It was different from the other Buddha statues she had seen in the past. She stood beside the Buddha statue and looked at the door of the hall with expectation.
When she heard that Lord Jing was now in Dabei Temple, Qu Qiuyan used a method to escape the old maid who was guarding her.
She was determined to see Lord Jing. If she couldn’t see him, she would rush over to see him. She would even risk her life to see him.
This was the message Qu Qiuyan asked Qing Ju to deliver to Lord Jing.
Although her words were resolute, she was nervous and wasn’t really going to risk her life. She just wanted Lord Jing to stop avoiding her.
There was a sound coming from the door. Qu Qiuyan hid inside and only heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Qing Ju.
“Miss.”
“I’m here!” Qu Qiuyan turned around from behind the Buddha statue and looked expectantly behind Qing Ju.
When she saw the handsome man appear behind Qing Ju, tears immediately welled up in her eyes. Grievances, uneasiness, and sadness came crowding into her mind. Tears streamed down her face. She called out, “Your Highness…”
She was already sobbing so hard that she could not continue to speak.
Pei Yusheng walked into the Buddha hall and looked behind. Qing Ju hurriedly retreated to the door and guarded for them. Although there were some guards hiding in the dark outside, Qing Ju was still worried and looked at the road from time to time. On their way here just now, she vaguely saw someone with a lantern on the other side of the road. She didn’t know if the person would come over.
Walking into the Buddha hall, Pei Yusheng strode forward. As soon as he got close to Qu Qiuyan, she pounced on him. She grabbed his sleeve and called out in a low voice, “Your Highness… you… you don’t want me anymore?”
Seeing a beauty like her crying so sadly, he could not help but pity her. Moreover, he did like her and was determined to get her. Even though he could not marry her in the future, he would make her his woman. It was just that she might not have a high position.
He sighed softly and reached out his sleeve to wipe her tears. He said gently, “What’s wrong? Why are you crying like this? Who bullied you?”
“Your Highness, you… you can’t marry me?” She blurted out. Tears streamed down her face. Her voice was full of timidity and sadness.
These were the words that she had been suppressing in her heart these past few days. The more she suppressed them, the more uncomfortable and wronged she felt.
“Don’t be sad.” Pei Yusheng had been thinking about how to organize his words. He had indeed hinted Qu Qiuyan earlier that he could marry her, but he had said that just to make Qu Qiuyan happy. After all, Qu Zhizhen was only a Vice Minister. It was hard for Pei Yusheng to marry Qu Qiuyan.
“Your Highness, do you think… this is the only way?” Qu Qiuyan reached out and held Pei Yusheng’s sleeve tightly, crying.
“Qiuyan, none of these matters. You only need to know that you are the one I want to marry the most. Even if other women have higher positions than you, so what? You will surpass them anyway.” Pei Yusheng comforted her.
He really wanted to get Qu Qiuyan, so he was patient enough.
Moreover, his anger caused by the mess that was created by Qu Caiyue reduced a lot after he slapped Qu Caiyue in the face.
This issue was actually caused by Qu Caiyue.
“Your Highness… Your Highness… you… you really can’t marry me?” Qu Qiuyan’s body went limp, and she almost fell down. She had gone through so many hardships just to obtain the position of Princess Consort. She had been arrogant in front of Qu Moying because she thought she would become the Princess Consort one day.
Was Pei Yusheng rejecting her now?
Pei Yusheng hurriedly reached out and held her in his arms. His voice became gentler, “Qiuyan, you are the only one I want. But my mother is not satisfied with you, and Father Emperor will not agree to our marriage either. I can’t be unfilial, right? Don’t worry. After everything is over, I will naturally promote you to a higher position.”
He had already decided on Qu Qiuyan’s position, so he was very gentle to her at this time.
“Your Highness… What position will you give me?” Qu Qiuyan’s voice began to tremble. She could somewhat understand the meaning behind Pei Yusheng’s words.
Today, Pei Yusheng was gentler than before, but it gave Qu Qiuyan a bad feeling. She said, “Your Highness, what happened back then has nothing to do with me. Second Sister did it herself. She betrayed me and did such a thing on purpose. I really didn’t know anything.”
Qu Moying might be one of the causes that led to the matter, but Qu Caiyue herself might be another cause. Perhaps she had made such a scene because she didn’t want to marry the sickly Lord Wei.
There were great differences between being Lord Jing’s concubine and being Lord Wei’s concubine.
“I know you can’t be blamed for this.” Pei Yusheng comforted her.
“Your Highness…” Qu Qiuyan looked up in surprise. Although there were still tears on her face, she began to smile. Her smile had always been beautiful. When facing such a beautiful woman who smiled with tears in her eyes, how many men could resist the temptation? Pei Yusheng thought what he had said was all from the bottom of his heart.
If Qu Qiuyan could always be so sensible and obedient, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to fulfill his promise after he achieved his goal. After all, he still didn’t know what Liu Lanxin was like. Maybe her face was terrible because of her eyes.
After all, a pair of ugly eyes could ruin the face.
Perhaps Liu Lanxin’s eye disease was more serious than Qu Moying’s. Otherwise, why would she wear a veiled hat whereas Qu Moying only wore an eye veil?
“Don’t worry, I mean what I say. Although I can’t give you a high position right now, I will give you a high position in the future.” Pei Yusheng comforted Qu Qiuyan.
“Your Highness… why… why not now?” Qu Qiuyan’s voice trembled again, and her smile froze on her face. She thought that Pei Yusheng had forgiven her, and he would give her a high position though he couldn’t take her as his Princess Consort. But his words sounded like she couldn’t even be the Side Princess.
No matter what, she was still the daughter of the Vice Minister, a third-rank official. Even if it was difficult for her to be the Princess Consort, she could still be the Side Princess.
“Don’t worry. I will try to make you my concubine.” Pei Yusheng said bluntly.
“Your Highness, can’t I even be the Side Princess?” No longer bothering to act shy, Qu Qiuyan looked up at Pei Yusheng and cried.
Pei Yusheng sighed. In fact, he could let Qu Qiuyan be the Side Princess. However, he remembered Pei Yuanjun’s words, saying that Qu Qiuyan and Qu Moying were sisters, so he had to think more about it. He didn’t want to investigate too much, and he didn’t want his plan to be ruined, so he decided not to let Qu Qiuyan enter his mansion with a high position.
“Even if you are a concubine of mine, you are also a registered member of the Imperial Family. In fact, a concubine is also in a high position. Moreover, I favor you. How can you be the same as other women?” Pei Yusheng didn’t quote Pei Yuanjun’s words. It was better for Qu Qiuyan not to meddle in this kind of thing. Otherwise, if something happened, he would have to deal with the aftermath.
He did not have so much time and energy to deal with the aftermath for Qu Qiuyan.
Looking at the sky outside, Pei Yusheng pushed Qu Qiuyan’s hand away. “It’s about time. I have to go back now. I came here secretly.”
“Your Highness, why did you come here in secret?” Qu Qiuyan took a step back and almost couldn’t stand still. She had heard from Qing Ju that Pei Yusheng had been to a woman’s yard.
It was said that a young woman lived in that yard.
“Don’t ask about this kind of thing. It’s something serious. Well, I’m leaving now. Don’t make any more trouble. I always think you are tough. After this difficult period of time, we will be together.”
Pei Yusheng said impatiently.
Liu Lanxin’s matter had not been settled yet, so he naturally would not tell Qu Qiuyan about it.
If he wanted to discuss this kind of thing with someone, he would discuss it with the counselor but not a concubine.
“Your Highness…” Seeing that he was about to leave, Qu Qiuyan hurried forward and grabbed his sleeve. “Your Highness, do… do you really not blame me?”
“I don’t blame you. I blame Qu Caiyue.” Pei Yusheng said.
“Your Highness, since you don’t blame me, why… why do you only give me the position of concubine…” Qu Qiuyan asked. She still struggled for her future because she was unwilling to be a concubine.
“I have no choice. Even if I don’t care about your identity, what you have done brought shame to the young ladies of your family, so how can you be my Side Princess?” Pei Yusheng said. He felt a bit impatient because of Qu Qiuyan’s continuous questions.
Looking at the sky outside, he knew he had to go back at this time. The situation in the capital was changing, and he had come here secretly. He really didn’t dare to make any trouble at this time. If Father Emperor knew that he left his mansion to meet other women, he would definitely be reprimanded and even disappoint Father Emperor.
He wanted to step on the Crown Prince and rise to the top, so he could not leave a bad impression on his Father Emperor.
He reached out and pushed Qu Qiuyan’s hand away. Then, he turned around to leave. He really couldn’t stay here any longer.
Qing Ju’s voice suddenly came from the door. “Your Highness, miss… someone… someone is coming.”
“Who is it?” Pei Yusheng frowned and continued to walk out.
“I don’t know, but I think they are pilgrims.” Qing Ju said hurriedly. A few of Pei Yusheng’s bodyguards stood beside her. They were dressed in black, which made them hard to be noticed at night. But at a closer distance, they could be seen clearly.
“Let’s go!” Pei Yusheng said decisively and turned to leave.
“Your Highness, Your Highness…” Qu Qiuyan cried sorrowfully. Pei Yusheng left with the few guards in the night without turning back.
“Miss… Miss, what should we do? Someone is coming…” Qing Ju looked at Qu Qiuyan in a daze. It would not be good if people saw them in this remote place at this time of night. After all, there were men and women in Dabei Temple, and Qu Qiuyan was a young lady who had not yet married.
