A wicked mother swaps her son and sucks his blood? The true legitimate daughter is reborn and goes o

Shef's tone was quite certain.

Song Qingning wouldn't have asked Wan Liang to bring her back to the capital for no reason. Although she and Song Qingning each had their own purposes, those purposes might both be related to Prince Yu.

"It's not helping you, it's cooperating!" Song Qingning said.

"cooperate."

Even though Xie Fu was certain that Song Qingning would agree, she still didn't expect her to use the word "cooperation".

These two words convey respect; they don't refer to superiors or inferiors, but to equality.

"Princess Consort of Huai, it's a pleasure to cooperate with you." Xie Fu looked at Song Qingning with a hint of gratitude in her eyes.

After saying a few more words, Song Qingning and Xie Xuanjin left.

Before leaving, Xie Fu's gaze occasionally fell on Xie Xuanjin, her eyes still filled with intense hatred.

"Prince Huai, do you know how hypocritical your father is? Not only hypocritical, but also cruel." Xie Fu suddenly spoke, a memory in her mind being torn open.

She was practically gritting her teeth, her expression even more agitated than when she had just accused Prince Yu of killing her.

There was a mixture of excitement and pain.

"I know, I have always known he is hypocritical and cruel."

Xie Xuanjin gave this answer at the time.

Shef was clearly taken aback for a moment.

After the two left, Xie Fu stood in the courtyard, pondering Xie Xuanjin's words. After a long while, she seemed to have figured something out.

The resentment towards Xie Xuanjin vanished, replaced by irony, irony directed at the emperor.

I recall the scene I witnessed at the fire at the Prince Su's mansion years ago.

How could the ruthlessness of emperors be limited to their ruthlessness towards their brothers?

On the carriage back to the mansion, Xie Xuanjin and Song Qingning both had Xie Fu's words echoing in their minds.

Neither of them chose to ask further questions at the time.

They all sensed the pain in Shef's eyes when she said those words.

To press her further would be like rubbing salt into her already reopened wounds—that would be too cruel.

The two couldn't bear to do it.

……

As the Lantern Festival approaches, banquets hosted by prominent families in the capital are becoming increasingly frequent.

Song Qingning only entered the palace twice, and it was a rare occasion that she met the two of them.

One time it was the Sixth Prince Xie Lian, and the other time it was Miss Xue.

That day, Xie Lian specially brought a food box and waited for her outside Fengqi Palace.

"I would like to trouble you, Fourth Sister-in-law, to deliver a roast duck to Yushu for me."

Xie Lian specially asked the imperial chef to make roast duck for Meng Yushu.

Song Qingning was happy to help him.

Taking the food box, Song Qingning's gaze fell on Xie Lian. "Sixth Brother's complexion has been getting better and better lately. With Sixth Brother's health improving, Consort Hui will surely be happy."

Consort Hui was sent to the Cold Palace, and Song Qingning had not seen her since the anniversary of Consort Shen's death.

I've never met Xie Yuzhen.

Both of them are in the cold palace; it's unknown how they are doing.

She had promised Consort Hui that she would turn a blind eye, and although she was curious about how Consort Hui would treat Xie Yuzhen, she did not look into it.

The Sixth Prince Xie Lian's current complexion is likely related to Xie Yuzhen.

"The imperial physician changed the prescription, and my brother's health has indeed improved a lot recently." A hint of guilt flashed in Xie Lian's eyes.

Song Qingning noticed the hint of guilt in his eyes.

"We all hope that our sixth brother will get better."

After she finished speaking, Xie Lian's eyes showed guilt and remorse, as if he were struggling.

As they parted, Xie Lian asked her hesitantly, "Fourth Sister-in-law, if one person's life must be exchanged for another's death, what do you think that person should choose?"

"Sixth Brother, what do you think we should choose?" Song Qingning asked instead of answering.

Xie Lian was stunned for a moment.

Fourth Sister-in-law's gaze gave him the illusion that she had seen right through him.

Fourth Sister-in-law must also know why he looks so good.

Will she look down on his choice?

"If it were me, I would choose to live. Wouldn't that be too selfish?" Xie Lian's expression gradually darkened. His fourth sister-in-law would definitely think he was selfish.

But he really wanted to live.

The imperial physician changed his prescription, and he knew that his mother had ordered the change.

His mother did a lot for him, and he had selfish motives.

Especially after Yu Shu came along, and with the addition of his fourth sister-in-law, his desire to live became even stronger.

Xie Lian prepared himself for being looked down upon by his fourth sister-in-law, lowered his eyes, and dared not look into Song Qingning's eyes.

But then a woman's voice slowly drifted over:

"If it were me, I would also choose to live."

Xie Lian looked up in surprise and met Song Qingning's eyes.

"It's the instinct for survival. If that's called selfishness, then so be it!"

"What are all these grand principles and virtues? They're all empty words. Living is the most important thing. I just want to live because there are people in this world that I care about."

"Besides, perhaps the person who traded their life for yours deserved to die anyway?"

That person was Xie Yuzhen, who showed no mercy to his enemies.

She reached out and patted Xie Lian's shoulder. "So you don't need to feel guilty, nor do you need to be too kind."

Even after Song Qingning left, Xie Lian remained standing in the same spot, her words echoing in his mind.

He knew that his fourth sister-in-law was trying to comfort him.

Xie Lian stood there for a long time before a palace maid came to urge him to take his medicine. Only then did Xie Lian come back to his senses and move his feet.

"The people she cares about? The people she cares about..." Many figures flashed through Xie Lian's mind; those people must all be the ones his fourth sister-in-law cared about.

Finally, he thought of himself.

There was uncertainty in his eyes, mixed with a hint of expectation.

"Will I be there?" Xie Lian murmured to himself, his voice so soft it was easily carried away by the cold wind.

But his longing grew stronger, and he wanted to live even more.

Then I thought of Meng Yushu.

"This spring, I can fly kites with Yushu, and then I'll invite Fourth Sister-in-law too..."

The expectation in Xie Lian's eyes gradually coalesced into light.

In the past, he feared that time would pass too quickly and that his death was approaching; now, he hoped that spring would come soon.

Little did he know that the day he had waited for would come, but the kite would be stained with blood.

On her second visit to the palace, Song Qingning met Miss Xue.

When Song Qingning went to pay her respects to Empress Dowager Xue, she encountered Miss Xue the Third, who was just about to leave.

The sound of the Empress Dowager smashing things came from inside the room, but Miss Xue's brows were furrowed with a smile.

The Empress Dowager refused to see Song Qingning, so Song Qingning left with Miss Xue.

"Qingning, thank you." Miss Xue's voice was lighter than ever before.

Song Qingning asked, puzzled, "Why are you thanking me?"

She remembered the favor Miss Xue had asked her for before the New Year, and was shocked to realize that after the anniversary of Consort Shen's death, the previously widespread news that the palace was looking for a concubine for Prince Huai seemed to have disappeared.

"I requested permission to enter a nunnery for spiritual cultivation today, and the Empress Dowager has agreed. She should no longer insist that I become Xuan Jin's concubine."

"She was quite angry just now, so it probably wasn't willingly done. I guess someone did something."

Song Qingning subconsciously thought of Xie Xuanjin.

Upon reaching the Imperial Garden, Miss Xue suddenly stopped. "Qingning, I envy you, and sometimes, I'm even a little jealous."

Song Qingning was slightly taken aback.

Meeting Miss Xue's gaze, one could see no trace of jealousy in her eyes, only openness and brightness.

Song Qingning was puzzled. "Miss Xue comes from a prestigious family and is a model of noble ladies in the capital. I don't think I have anything that would make Miss Xue jealous."

"have!"

Miss Xue spoke firmly, and her gaze held a deeper meaning.

"Qingning, I'm leaving anyway, and there's something I'm not afraid to let you know."