SFS Chapter 70 Difficult to coax
Chapter 70 Difficult to coax
Seeing that Qiao Qingshu wouldn't even glance at him, Xiao Chengyan felt a surge of anger, but knowing he couldn't lash out, he instead coaxed her even more gently.
"Shu'er, are you tired? Let me take you to the side room to rest. Are you thirsty? Would you like some water? I'll have a maid bring you some food to tide you over, okay?"
Despite her attentive and caring manner, Qiao Qingshu asked coldly.
"Around what time will your imperial aunt arrive?"
Seeing her cold attitude, Xiao Chengyan was displeased, but still spoke softly.
"A palace eunuch just reported that the Imperial Concubine went to the Lingbao Hall to worship Buddha first, and then went to the Jinluan Hall to request an imperial decree. She probably won't be home until lunchtime. The old lady and the ladies have been waiting at the gate for a while, and now they've all gone into the inner courtyard to rest. They'll go out to greet the Emperor at lunchtime. Shu'er, let's go into the side room and rest for a bit."
Qiao Qingshu nodded, her gaze casually sweeping over Xiao Zhijie several times.
Even the most oblivious person would have noticed.
Standing in the crowd, Xiao Zhijie always felt that a pair of eyes were staring at him intently.
He looked around and his gaze met Qiao Qingshu's.
He frowned slightly, a question flashing through his mind: why was his future sister-in-law staring at him today?
He couldn't help but touch his face and straighten his clothes, but his eyes never left his face.
Xiao Zhijie stepped back into the crowd, thus slightly avoiding those burning eyes.
Xiao Chengyan called Qiao Qingshu to a secluded place to talk.
He leaned close to Qiao Qingshu and started acting like a rogue, whispering...
"Shu'er, I dressed up especially for you today, won't you even look at me?"
Qiao Qingshu glanced at him coldly and said,
"What's there to see?"
Xiao Chengyan took another step closer and said softly,
"Shu'er, my dear Shu'er, I've thought about this for a long time these past few days. What I did before was truly absurd. I was wrong, please forgive me this time. I won't dare to do it again. Actually, you're the only one in my heart. We grew up together since we were little, and how could Liu Wan'er compare to that kind of affection? You're the one I cherish most in my heart. I've been dreaming about you every night these past few days. Sometimes I dream that you don't want me anymore, and I wake up crying from my dreams. Shu'er, I really love you and want to marry you. Please don't be angry with me anymore, okay?"
Qiao Qingshu frowned slightly. She couldn't listen to a single word of these words anymore; she felt they were an affront to her ears.
Xiao Chengyan reached out to grab Qiao Qingshu's hand, but Qiao Qingshu recoiled as if avoiding a plague, taking a large step back.
"What are you doing, pulling and tugging! Xiao Er, show some respect."
Xiao Chengyan put on a pitiful expression, his face full of hurt.
"Shu'er, I've begged you so humbly, how can you still be so heartless? Do you want me to kneel down before you'll forgive me?"
Qiao Qingshu had seen Xiao Chengyan's tricks of feigning weakness and flattery in her previous life, and now she found them clumsy and disgusting.
"Xiao Er, let me be frank with you, our marriage is absolutely impossible. You don't need to put on an act in front of me."
After saying that, Qiao Qingshu turned and left without looking back.
Xiao Chengyan stared in astonishment at Qiao Qingshu's departing figure, his fists clenched tightly.
Xiao Chengyan thought to himself, "I've already humbled myself so much to coax you, but you, Qiao Qingshu, still don't know what's good for you. You don't know how to take the opportunity to back down. You're acting all cold and heartless. Then don't blame me for using tricks on you."
Xiao Chengyan took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket and held it in his hand. This bottle of aphrodisiac incense was given to him by his mother. She said that if Qiao Qingshu did not agree to the marriage today, she would drug her and make her lose her reputation. Then she would have no choice but to marry her!
Xiao Chengyan was initially full of confidence, thinking that as long as he coaxed Qiao Qingshu a little, she would definitely agree to the marriage.
Now it seems that Qiao Qingshu really did not listen to reason and had to suffer the consequences!
Then drug her and make her lose face and reputation in front of everyone.
Isn't Qiao Qingshu supposed to be a cool and dignified noblewoman?
He was going to drag this respectable lady into the mud. He wanted to see how Qiao Qingshu could still pretend to be noble after losing her innocence!
When the time came, Qiao Qingshu would definitely kneel at his feet and beg him to marry her, and a strange sense of pleasure rose in Xiao Chengyan's eyes.
A frivolous and smug smile crept across his lips as he shoved the porcelain bottle into his lap.
Standing behind the artificial hill, Liu Wan'er witnessed Xiao Chengyan coaxing Qiao Qingshu, and an overwhelming sense of jealousy welled up in her heart.
She went to great lengths and spent a lot of money to sneak into the kitchen of the Xiao family by hiding in a wooden barrel.
She sneaked out of the kitchen into the courtyard, pretending to be a guest of the Xiao family, hoping to take advantage of the opportunity to secretly say a few words to Xiao Chengyan.
Unexpectedly, I witnessed the scene just now, where Xiao Chengyan was coaxing Qiao Qingshu in a humble voice.
She was so angry she felt like her lungs were about to explode. Xiao Er had never coaxed her like this before!
Qiao Qingshu was so ungrateful that she ignored Xiao Er.
What makes Qiao Qingshu so special? What makes her so favored by Xiao Er? What gives her such an arrogant attitude?
Liu Wan'er said resentfully, "Qiao Qingshu, you wait. Today, after I save the Imperial Concubine and become her adopted daughter, I will also be the one who is treated with the utmost respect and honor!"
I will definitely live a more noble and dignified life than you then!
Qiao Qingshu and Shen Wenying went to the side room prepared by the Xiao family for their guests to rest.
There is still an hour until noon.
Shen Wenying asked curiously,
"Young Master Xiao, what did you say to him in private?"
Qiao Qingshu replied with a faint smile.
"He's just putting on an act; we don't need to pay him any mind."
After drinking a few more cups of tea, a commotion of gongs and drums came from outside the door. The Xiao family steward rushed in and said...
"The imperial concubine's sedan chair has entered the alleyway!"
Today, Old Madam Xiao was dressed in her official robes, looking extremely dignified. Upon hearing this, she hurriedly stood up, and the four ladies of the Xiao family came forward to help her, rushing out to greet her.
The Xiao family's descendants followed in a large group behind them.
Qiao Qingshu was a guest, and she followed at the very back of the crowd to watch the excitement.
The Imperial Guards rode tall horses to clear the way, followed by two rows of eunuchs in red robes, and then eight eunuchs carrying a gilded, multicolored phoenix palanquin that slowly approached.
The four patriarchs of the Xiao family, along with the matriarch and other descendants of the Xiao family, all knelt and bowed at the door.
The phoenix palanquin entered through the main gate and slowly landed in the main banquet hall.
Qiao Qingshu knelt in the crowd and quietly looked up.
Consort Xiande, with her graceful and elegant demeanor and exquisite beauty, was being slowly helped down from her phoenix palanquin by eunuchs.
When Consort Xiande entered the palace a few years ago, she was just a low-ranking sixth-grade female official. However, due to her stunning beauty, she was favored by the emperor and has been favored ever since, eventually rising to the rank of Consort.
However, the current empress is jealous and has countless beauties in the harem. Apart from the crown prince, none of the concubines have been able to give birth to another son.
Even if they are born, they will die mysteriously within three months.
Consort Xiande claimed that she was carrying a girl after becoming pregnant, which allowed her to give birth smoothly. Fearing that the Empress would harm her again, she reluctantly switched the real prince out of the palace and brought back a baby girl to raise.
Three years after the Imperial Concubine's visit home, the Crown Prince was shot and killed by a wild arrow while hunting, and the palace was thrown into chaos.
At this time, Consort Xiande had already passed away. Li Pu, the chief eunuch who had served by her side, could not bear to see the Eastern Palace without a master and the emperor without an empress, so he revealed the secret that he had kept hidden for many years.
Inform the emperor that Consort Xiande had switched the baby years ago, and that the real prince was in the Xiao residence, with a crescent-shaped birthmark on his lower back.
The emperor immediately summoned all the descendants of the Xiao family to the palace for inspection.
Upon leaving the palace, Xiao Chengyan became the sole heir to the throne.