Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 316 When did the Princess become so polite to this King?

Chapter 316: Chapter 316 When did the Princess become so polite to this King?

Qi Yu bathed, changed into fresh clothes, and with her long hair still dripping, she sat at the table, hands cradling the steaming ginger soup Chunlan had brought from the kitchen.

She took a sip without tasting it, feeling warmth spreading through her body, and the chill inside her fading considerably.

Chunlan stood beside her with her head bowed, her tone full of remorse as she said, "It is all this servant’s fault."

After finishing the ginger soup, Qi Yu heard her words and said in a low, soothing voice, "This matter is not related to you."

Chunlan shook her head, took the empty bowl from her hands, and left with a dejected air.

Because the Princess had been caught in the rain, the Prince had lost his temper quite severely—making the atmosphere in the Prince Residence even more suffocating than the relentless rain these past days.

Chunlan took it upon herself to accept punishment, forfeiting this month’s reward money and even spending several days laboring in the kitchen.

Qi Yu wanted to intercede, but upon meeting Li Mingjue’s frosty gaze, she dared not say more.

She herself was facing great difficulties, truly powerless to help.

All she could do was let him cool off first, then go talk to Manager Li, asking him to waive the punishments for these maids.

Qi Yu closed the door, walked to the desk, hung her head, and admitted her mistake in a low and submissive voice, "Prince, I was wrong."

Li Mingjue’s gaze stayed on the page of the book he was holding, and without looking at her, he asked indifferently, "What fault does the Princess have?"

Qi Yu sighed inwardly, knowing that the calmer he appeared, the more angry he was inside.

At this moment, she would rather have Li Mingjue scold her than have him be this icy cold.

"I shouldn’t have gone out in the rain," Qi Yu said sincerely.

Li Mingjue made a noncommittal "hmm" without expression and continued, "What else?"

Qi Yu set aside any pride, counting her mistakes on her fingers, "I should not have gone out without an umbrella despite knowing it was raining, should not have run around before the rain stopped, and should not have disobeyed the Prince."

Li Mingjue’s expression eased a little, and he let out a light snort, "You speak very sensibly when admitting your faults."

Qi Yu detected the implication in his words: he was saying that she always promised one thing and did another, admitting her faults but then committing the same mistakes all over again without fail.

Feeling unusually guilty, she coughed lightly and then, looking earnestly at him, she swore, "I promise, I won’t make the same mistake again. Otherwise, may I be struck by lightning!"

Li Mingjue tossed the book aside, raised his eyes, and looked at her with a profound expression.

Qi Yu felt uneasy under his intense gaze and asked, persisting despite her trepidation, "What’s wrong? Did I say something incorrect?"

Li Mingjue pressed his fingers to his temples, feeling that he would be driven to his wit’s end eventually.

It was then that Qi Yu realized she might have misspoken.

She quickly corrected herself, "If I make the same mistake again, I’ll be resigning myself to a lifetime without delicious osmanthus cake!"

As she spoke, she pouted slightly, looking rather wronged—as if the prospect of a life without delicious osmanthus cake was a greater punishment than being struck by lightning.

Li Mingjue was on the verge of laughter from her exasperation, shaking his head helplessly, "Enough, I didn’t say I didn’t believe you."

Seeing that he was finally not angry, a faint smile broke across Qi Yu’s lips.

However, the smile was quickly suppressed by weightier concerns.

She pursed her lips and said to Li Mingjue, "Prince, I have learned of a most significant matter from Chen Shi."

Li Mingjue, seeing her serious expression, knit his brows, "What is it?"

Qi Yu’s heart tightened; for a moment, she didn’t know how to begin.

She sighed faintly, "It’s a long story."

After speaking, she found a chair to sit on and quickly recounted all that Chen Shi had told her.

Li Mingjue’s eyebrows were already furrowed upon hearing the end, and his face showed a hint of anger as he said coldly, "The Qingzhou epidemic has been concealed for nearly a year without being reported. Li Ming’an is really something!"

Li Ming’an?

Qi Yu was momentarily stunned when she heard this name.

However, she quickly understood; originally, when Li Ming’an was demoted to Commandery Prince, his fief was in Qingzhou.

It could be said that Qingzhou was his territory.

And the reason so many people died in Qingzhou without any news getting out was certainly Li Ming’an’s intention.

Qi Yu was speechless with consternation for a moment, and then a flare of anger shot up in her heart as she cursed, "Does he have to wait until all the people in Qingzhou are dead before Li Ming’an is satisfied!"

Although she had long known that Li Ming’an was not a kind-hearted person, she had not expected that he would dare to toy with the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people in Qingzhou.

Once the epidemic spread, it would not only be the people of Qingzhou who would suffer, but the entire world would be burdened.

"No, this matter cannot be delayed any longer, I must immediately inform Father Emperor!" said Qi Yu with a serious expression to Li Mingjue.

Li Mingjue agreed with her, but without proof, even if they spoke out, Emperor Li Tianze might not take it seriously.

"Father Emperor won’t believe it just on Chen Shi’s word. At most, he will send someone to Qingzhou and who knows in which year and month the news will come back," he said.

Hearing his words, Qi Yu felt utterly frustrated, wishing she could catch Li Ming’an and beat him up.

He still wanted to hide such a big matter; didn’t he know that ’when the nest is overturned, no egg is left unbroken’?

If all the people in Qingzhou were dead, did he think he could live safely?

Seeing her so angry, Li Mingjue patiently patted the back of her hand and said in a low voice to comfort her, "We can’t afford to delay this matter. I promise, within two days, Father Emperor will immediately send someone to Qingzhou."

Qi Yu nodded and then said, "The epidemic is no small matter, and the Imperial Physicians may not be able to solve it. Unless necessary, I think, I must make a trip to Qingzhou myself."

Li Mingjue looked at her deeply, seeing the clarity in her eyes, and her resolute expression, he knew that no amount of words would persuade her.

He could only sigh softly and reply, "Alright, I will go with you."

After that, he instructed Shiqi to go to the Duke Residence to summon Shen Xiheng and also called several other influential and trustworthy officials from the court.

He changed his clothes and then headed to the study to wait.

Before he left, Qi Yu tugged at his sleeve again.

Li Mingjue looked at her puzzled, only to see Qi Yu suddenly tiptoeing, leaning close to his lips, and pressing her slightly cool red lips against his, "Thank you."

He was stunned for a moment and then chuckled, "Since when has the Princess been so polite to me."

Qi Yu’s ear tips reddened slightly, and amidst his teasing expression, she pushed him out of the door.

Li Mingjue shook his head with a smile and then hurried in the direction of the study.

After he left, Qi Yu was not idle either. She sat down at the desk, took out paper and ink, and wrote down the method that Chen Shi had told her for causing false pregnancy.

According to Chen Shi, this technique was a secret that had been passed down from the Tulan Imperial Palace and was known to very few people.

She opened the book of the Tulan Secret Technique that Jiutu had left her and compared it. She discovered that it was actually a kind of Poisonous Insect Poison from Tulan.

And the thing nurtured in the Empress’s belly was not some fetus but a poisonous insect.