122 He is cunning
Eunuch Lishi brought the list of the robbers from the royal inspector and reached the manor with happiness. When the maidservant outside the chamber informed him that Xiaoming wasn’t present, it confused him.
“Where did the Crown Prince go?” Eunuch Lishi queried her.
“Earlier Her Majesty had come. They had a conversation and the Crown Prince left in anger,” the maidservant answered. Eunuch Lishi hummed and decided to wait for Xiaoming. He walked inside and looked at the desk.
Eunuch Lishi put the folded paper on the desk. He cleaned the brush which was on the inkstone and put it on the brush stand. He cleaned the desk and stepped back.
Luckily, Xiaoming returned in a few minutes. Eunuch Lishi greeted him and told him that he had brought the list of those robbers that the Crown Prince had asked for.
Xiaoming, who had pulled up his face picked up the folded sheet. He opened it and looked through the names. He could not find any woman’s name and it saddened him.
“What about the other task that I had given you?” Xiaoming tilted his head to narrowly gaze at him.
“Your Royal Highness, I thought to present this list first,” Eunuch Lishi replied.
“Tsk.” Xiaoming wasn’t happy with his answer. “I had given a small task to Eunuch Lishi yet he could not properly do it. I want the result within an hour. I am already in a terrible mood, so better bring what I need,” Xiaoming said.
.....
Eunuch Lishi bowed. “Yes, Your Royal Highness. Please forgive me for not working properly,” he apologized and slowly took backward steps before stepping out of the chamber.
Xiaoming crumpled the paper and threw it away. He slammed his hands on the desk. Nothing was going the way he wanted to. He turned and leaned himself against the desk.
“Why can I not do what I want? Why do I need to be careful with every step? Why do I need to have so many women in my life? Will one not suffice for everything?” Xiaoming mumbled and let out a frustrated sigh, and, he closed his eyes.
A maidservant came inside, informing him about Qiu Mu, who wanted to see Xiaoming.
“Let him in,” Xiaoming permitted Qiu Mu to see him. The maidservant bowed and walked out. After a while, Qiu Mu walked in and saw the Crown Prince near the window. He walked to him and halted a foot away from him.
“Greetings to the Crown Prince.”
“I told the truth to the Royal Father. He will announce the judgment on the matter when Brother Lóng Wei returns,” Xiaoming informed Qiu Mu, and tilted his head. Qiu Mu lifted his head to glance at him.
Xiaoming turned to look at Qiu Mu. “It is the time that you must admit the crime which you have committed,” Xiaoming advised him again.
“Crown Prince, there’s no evidence about it. So, why I shall accept the false accusation?” Qiu Mu’s words stunned Xiaoming.
“Brother Qiu Mu, if Father finds out from some external source, then you may get into the problem.” Xiaoming tried convincing Qiu Mu. “Think about those women. Don’t you feel remorseful of your acts?” Xiaoming questioned him. He wanted Qiu Mu to at least listen to his conscience.
Getting no response from Qiu Mu, Xiaoming said, “I will tell the Royal Father if Brother Qiu Mu doesn’t. I will tell him that he even plotted to kill Brother Lóng Wei.” He thought of threatening Qiu Mu, who smiled.
“The Crown Prince must not forget that he also wanted this. He also wants Lóng Wei to disappear from our sight,” Qiu Mu said and walked to Xiaoming. Grasping his arms, “Fine. I made a mistake. I admit it. But will that solve anything? If the Crown Prince tells our Royal Father, then my position will fall into danger. The extraordinary support that I give to the Crown Prince, I may lose it. He will fall weak too. It has been months, and I never repeated any such thing, Crown Prince. Can you not trust me?”
Qiu Mu peered into Xiaoming with a pleading look. He didn’t want it to spread among people because he would lose everything.
“If Brother Qiu Mu doesn’t accept it in front of our Royal Father, then Brother Lóng Wei may reveal it later. He is cunning and will not let it slide away. He will use it against Brother Mu. That’s why I want him to say the truth and beg for forgiveness. I want Brother Qiu Mu to think well,” Xiaoming advised him again.
“I will be honest. Brother Lóng Wei exaggerated it. I never molested them. I got physical with them because they also showed interest in me. I lost interest in them... it’s tough to explain,” Qiu Mu stated and pinched the skin between his brows.
“That’s why I want Brother Qiu Mu to take responsibility for it. If he isn’t wrong, then why did he throw them out? He should have let them work in the palace,” Xiaoming proclaimed. Somewhere, he was not believing Qiu Mu’s words.
“I got mesmerized by their beauty. For five months, I have not even done it. I mean... they started to ask me to make them my concubines, so I stopped showing interest in them. As I said, it was mutual, I wasn’t the only one to be blamed here. They also liked it. Also, I only got close to five female servants in different time. Sending them away from the palace was the best option, Crown Prince,” Qiu Mu explained to Xiaoming.
“If I tell the Royal Father, then he will be disappointed seeing that I got attracted towards servants,” Qiu Mu said. “I thought my attention was enough for them. However, they wanted me to make them concubines. I know that hardly anyone would believe me, but it is the real truth. The revelation that Lóng Wei made was a half-lie,” Qiu Mu affirmed.
“Why does Brother Mu have to do all this? It seems you used them for pleasure because when they asked you to include them in your life, you stepped back saying they are mere servants. It’s not right,” Xiaoming stated.
Qiu Mu had made up his mind that he would kill Lóng Wei anyhow. He failed to kill him in the capital, but not in Xinshui.
“The Crown Prince shall not get worried. I will handle it my way. Thank you for listening to me.” Qiu Mu bowed and was ready to leave when Xiaoming asked him again to think properly. Qiu Mu hummed and walked away.
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