Chapter 146 Sixth Miss Qiu is Touched

Chapter 146: Sixth Miss Qiu Was Really Touched

A household like the Chancellor’s mansion, since they brought it up, must’ve checked the birth charts beforehand. Now using that as an excuse to back out meant something unexpected happened that she didn’t see coming.

“So… that means I don’t have to go to the Chancellor’s mansion as a concubine?” No matter what she was thinking, Qiu Heng’s face lit up a little.

To Earl Yongqing, that was the normal reaction.

“No need.” Earl Yongqing sighed. “Heng’er, you gotta make something of yourself. Don’t let your grandpa down.”

“Grandfather, don’t worry, I’ll do my best. Does Grandmother know about this?”

Earl Yongqing grumbled, “I haven’t told your grandmother yet.”

He could still smell the tea leaves on his beard, and he didn’t want to talk to that crazy old woman. Especially since this deal fell through—too embarrassing.

And the Chancellor’s mansion—how could they just flip like that?

“Then I’ll go tell Grandmother.”

“Go on.” Earl Yongqing waved a hand.

He definitely had to tell that old hag about this. Letting Sixth Girl handle it saved him the trouble. Yeah, Sixth Girl was the sensible one.

Forget it, the Chancellor’s mansion just didn’t have the vision. Sixth Girl would definitely find a better path later, maybe even solve the title inheritance problem.

Earl Yongqing tried to comfort himself, but it didn’t help.

The title he almost had!

In Qiansong Hall, a maid came in to report: “Old Madam, Sixth Miss has arrived.”

The Old Madam’s face hardened. “Let her in.”

The door curtain lifted, and a young girl with her hair in two buns walked in.

“Grandmother.”

The Old Madam, annoyed at the sight of Qiu Heng, asked coldly, “What brings you here?”

Qiu Heng, acting like she didn’t notice the Old Madam’s look, said cheerfully, “Grandfather just called me in and said that thing about me is off.”

The Old Madam stood up. “Really?”

“Really. The Chancellor’s mansion said so.”

“I didn’t think that kid would be so capable…” The Old Madam slowly sat down, her feelings all over the place.

Qiu Heng came to tell the Old Madam this to see where the change came from, and now, watching the Old Madam’s reaction, she had a clue.

“Who’s that kid?” she leaned in and asked.

The Old Madam shot her granddaughter a dirty look. “Sit on the little stool.”

“Oh.” Qiu Heng obediently sat on the embroidered stool, her eyes shining with curiosity. “Who’s Grandmother talking about?”

The Old Madam said flatly, “Imperial City Commissioner Xue Han.”

“Xue Han?” That familiar feeling came back. Qiu Heng held onto her last bit of hope and asked, “What’s Xue Han got to do with this?”

The Old Madam sneered. “You think good luck just falls out of the sky? I swallowed my pride and went to Xue Han, told him about you being forced to be a concubine. As for how he got the Chancellor’s mansion to change their minds, I don’t know the details.”

Qiu Heng took a deep breath.

So it’s Xue Han again…

At that moment, she didn’t know whether to be mad or laugh.

Deep down, there was joy, because Xue Han would do these things for her.

But her plans were ruined, making it hard to stay long in the Chancellor’s mansion.

To take out the Five Traitors in a few years and help the new emperor, time was really tight. For her, as long as no innocent people got hurt, whether it was shooting Han Wu directly, or getting a reputation for messing with a senior official’s concubine to poison Yuan Chenghai, or entering the Chancellor’s mansion as a concubine to find evidence of Chancellor Fang’s treason—these were just different means to achieve the same goal.

Third Master Fang’s death from illness was imminent. Trading the empty title of a concubine to remove Chancellor Fang was a good deal for her.

As for the future, if Great Xia could be preserved in peace, and she felt unhappy in the capital due to worldly views, she would naturally go wherever she pleased.

“What expression is that?” the Old Madam asked, seeing Qiu Heng’s half-smiling, half-crying look.

“Moved,” Qiu Heng snapped back to reality, clutching her chest. “So moved I don’t know what to say.”

The Old Madam nodded. “You escaping that bitter fate is indeed thanks to Xue Han. Heng’er, this shows that Xue Han is capable and responsible, and he’s rare in having feelings for you. You must seize this opportunity.”

“Grandmother is right. I’ll send someone to arrange a meeting with Xue Han to thank him in person.”

Normally, no grandmother would be pleased to hear her granddaughter wanted to meet an unrelated man, and of course, a normal granddaughter wouldn’t tell her grandmother about such a meeting.

But the situation was special. The Old Madam was eager for Xue Han to marry her granddaughter immediately, to prevent that black-hearted old thing from scheming against her again.

“That’s only right. Making the Chancellor’s mansion change their minds must have taken a great effort from him. A face-to-face thank you is proper. As for the messenger—”

Qiu Heng interjected, “Let Nanny Yu go. It won’t seem frivolous.”

“Mm.” The Old Madam’s gaze toward her granddaughter finally softened a bit.

Though this girl lost her head at critical moments, she usually had some sense. See, she knew to send her old nanny rather than a personal maid.

The Sixth Miss Qiu, who climbed walls daily but was seen as sensible by her grandmother, returned to Lengxiang Residence and called for Nanny Yu: “Please trouble Nanny Yu to deliver a message to Official Xue for me, asking him to meet at Green Lotus Lake.”

Nanny Yu felt as if struck by lightning, swaying on her feet.

Again?

Seeing Nanny Yu’s strange expression, Qiu Heng said, “Grandmother knows about it.”

Nanny Yu: !

Why was it that whenever Sixth Miss was involved, everything was so abnormal?

“Nanny Yu, please hurry. It’s quite urgent.”

Dizzy and disoriented, Nanny Yu left the residence to deliver the message.

By Green Lotus Lake, the chilly wind blew, and the scene was desolate.

Xue Han arrived in haste, seeing the young girl standing facing the lake, her skirt billowing in the wind like a fluttering butterfly.

He gazed silently at that slender back for a moment before walking over.

"Miss Qiu the Sixth."

Qiu Heng turned, looking at the young man who had stopped beside her: "Lord Xue."

"What can I do for you, Miss Qiu the Sixth?"

"Grandma said she came to see you yesterday."

Xue Han stared hard at Qiu Heng, his calm expression changed.

He didn't want to trust his gut, but he couldn't hold it in: "You don't seem happy, Miss Qiu the Sixth."

Isn't dodging being a concubine something to be happy about?

Or is being a concubine what she wanted?

Xue Han knew full well that Qiu Heng wasn't simply willing to be a concubine; thinking about her other side, he guessed she was trying to use this to get something.

Qiu Heng hesitated, then braced herself: "I'm really not happy about it."

"Why?"

"Getting into the Prime Minister's mansion—I think that's fine."

Xue Han raised an eyebrow, staring right at Qiu Heng: "You think being a concubine is a good thing?"

"Yes, after all, it's the Prime Minister's residence—"

Before she could finish, he grabbed her wrist, and she saw the young man's face, flushed with anger.

"Qiu Heng, whatever your purpose, can't you stop degrading yourself!"

Using yourself as bait is a common spy trick, but the thought of A Heng doing it was totally unbearable to him.

"Purpose?" Qiu Heng murmured, letting Xue Han hold her wrist.

Xue Han... was he suspicious of her?

Since when?

Realizing he'd slipped up, Xue Han changed his tune: "I don't believe you truly want to be a concubine. There must be a reason behind this. But no matter the reason, you should put self-care first."

Qiu Heng fell silent.

Xue Han really was suspicious of her.