Reborn to marry, the short-lived prince lived a hundred years

Meng Qingjiao's expression suddenly changed, and a shocking idea quietly formed in her mind.

"Since the prince has returned safely, why did he still want to kill me?"

Tears glistened in her eyes and she was heartbroken, as if her heart was deeply hurt by the Qing King's decisive action.

However, the King of Qing remained indifferent to her tenderness and maintained his cold face.

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this state! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have lost Yue'er. Everything is caused by you!"

The King of Qing was so excited that he couldn't help but cough violently again, as if he was going to cough out his heart and lungs.

When the coughing gradually subsided, he called out in a slightly hoarse but firm voice, "Muxia."

Upon hearing the voice, Mu Xia and Wang Qishen hurried into the house with serious expressions.

Prince Qing's eyes were cold as he issued an order: "Immediately place the princess under house arrest in the courtyard. Without my permission, she is not allowed to take a single step out."

Meng Qingjiao's face turned pale as paper when she heard this, her eyes filled with disbelief and despair. She cried out in a trembling voice, "Shen Yunchen, how could you treat me like this?"

When Mu Xia saw that she actually called the prince by his name, his heart trembled violently, and a hint of panic involuntarily flashed across his eyes.

However, when he stole a glance at Prince Qing, he saw that his expression was as calm as water, even revealing a hint of impatience. He could only suppress the turmoil in his heart, stepped forward, and said softly but firmly, "Princess, please follow me."

Meng Qingjiao seemed to have taken root, not moving at all, and stubbornly refused to take even a single step.

Prince Qing's voice suddenly turned cold, like a cold wind passing through, without a trace of warmth: "If she doesn't want to, send someone to forcibly take her out."

Upon hearing this, Mu Xia's pupils suddenly shrank and he was filled with disbelief.

He really couldn't understand how the prince who had been so caring and affectionate towards the princess could become such a different person after waking up, and his attitude towards the princess became so cold and ruthless.

Meng Qingjiao was ultimately unable to break free and was forcibly carried away by several guards. Her cries grew louder and louder, penetrating every corner of the palace and attracting the attention of everyone around her.

After her voice disappeared, the irritation in King Qing's heart slowly subsided.

Mu Xia observed the prince's expression and saw him cough lightly. He turned and left, so he whispered, "I will immediately ask the imperial physician Wu to come and treat the prince."

King Qing nodded slightly without objection.

He knew very well that only by taking good care of his body first would he have the chance to sincerely apologize to Yue'er, make up for the past, and win back Yue'er's heart.

Soon, Doctor Wu finished his examination and slowly withdrew his fingers from Prince Qing's wrist. The Prince, his eyes filled with anticipation, eagerly asked, "Doctor Wu, how is my health?"

Doctor Wu sighed heavily, a barely perceptible sadness in his voice. "The prince's health is already at its end. If he falls ill again, I'm afraid..."

Upon hearing this, Prince Qing's expression suddenly changed, and a look of disbelief and astonishment flashed across his eyes.

He had never expected that his body would be so weak.

At this moment, deep resentment towards Meng Qingjiao surged in his heart again.

If Meng Qingjiao had not interfered, Yue'er would have returned with the prescription to cure him by now. Why would he have to struggle in this abyss of illness and endure endless torture?

His plan can now be put into action.

He pursed his lips tightly and slowly closed his eyes, trying to suppress the irritation and anger in his heart.

He told himself again and again in his heart: As long as he could make Yue'er happy, his illness would have a chance of recovery and his plan would still be able to proceed smoothly.

"I understand now. I will keep my composure." He whispered to himself.

"Your Highness, something bad has happened! The servants in the mansion are making a fuss." A servant rushed in, breaking the silence in the room.

"How dare they be so rude!" the King of Qing scolded.

"Your Highness, please calm down and don't let your emotions get too agitated!" Doctor Wu at the side quickly reminded him.

Upon hearing this, King Qing took a deep breath and tried to calm his inner turmoil.

After a moment, he slowly spoke, his voice returning to its usual calmness: "Have you found out what exactly caused this chaos?"

The servant bowed his head and replied respectfully, "Your Highness, since last month, the princess hasn't paid the servants in the mansion their monthly wages. Everyone is dissatisfied, so we would like to ask Your Highness to come forward and give a reasonable explanation."

Upon hearing this news, a glimmer of disbelief flashed across King Qing's eyes.

He didn't expect that not only did Meng Qingjiao snatch Yue'er's position as princess, but even the internal affairs of the palace were in a mess, to the point that it was difficult to raise the monthly wages for the servants in the palace.

"Didn't the princess open the Ningxiangju and make a fortune selling Ningxiang Pills? How could she be so poor that she can't even pay the monthly wages for the servants in the mansion?" Prince Qing's words were filled with disbelief and a hint of anger.

Wang Qishen was well aware of the twists and turns involved, so he told the Qing King all the reasons.

Upon hearing this, Prince Qing's chest was filled with turbulence, and he could hardly catch his breath. If it weren't for Doctor Wu who kept reminding him and quickly used silver needles to pull him back from the brink of coma, he would have fainted and lost consciousness.

His hands were tightly gripping the edge of the quilt beneath him, his knuckles turning white from the effort, and his heart was like a raging storm, churning endlessly.

He really had not expected that Meng Qingjiao, who clearly had the memories of her previous life and had the advantage of the initiative, could actually mess up the chess game.

It was clearly her fault, but she was stubborn and refused to admit her mistake. Not only did she offend the powerful people in the capital, but she also affected other shops in the mansion.

Recalling his previous life, after he married Yue'er, he managed the whole house in perfect order, and the profits of the shop were booming and rising steadily.

His long-standing illness was completely cured under Yue'er's careful care, allowing him to devote himself wholeheartedly to the fierce competition for the pinnacle of imperial power.

Prince Qing pondered for a long time, then sighed and said, "First, use my private treasury to replenish the experience of the people in the mansion."

"Your Highness, that sum of money is of no small value and must not be used lightly." Upon hearing this, Wang Qishen hurriedly spoke out to dissuade him.

Prince Qing turned to Wang Qishen, his eyes piercing with determination, "Mr. Wang, I am well aware of the significance of that sum of money, but if I can't even secure this small palace, how can I possibly hope to conquer the Central Plains and aspire for the throne?"

"Besides, money is just wealth; if lost, it can be regained. And right now, I need that money as a backing to travel to Jiangnan to seek out a renowned doctor to treat my illness."

Wang Qishen's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but then he felt relieved. He knew the King of Qing had made up his mind, and further persuasion was useless. So, he respectfully responded, turned and left, quickly setting about raising money to fill the financial gap in the palace.

Prince Qing ordered softly, his tone carrying unquestionable authority: "Muxia, go to the princess, retrieve the key to the treasury, and carefully check how much silver is left in the treasury."

"Also, please pay attention to the medicine inventory in the warehouse. I want to recuperate in preparation for the birthday banquet at the Meng Mansion the following day. I want to be in top condition."

Upon hearing this, Mu Xia was about to turn around and walk away quickly to carry out the prince's order, but suddenly a thought occurred to him. He paused and turned back, saying, "Your Highness, I would like to remind you that the princess may not have prepared a gift for Lord Meng's birthday yet. You should pay attention to this matter."

When Prince Qing heard this, his expression changed slightly, a trace of surprise flashed across his brows. He obviously had not expected Meng Qingjiao to be so careless. The birthday banquet of Meng Mansion was just around the corner, and she, as the princess, had not even prepared a gift. This was really disgraceful.

"Go find Mr. Wang quickly and withdraw some silver from him to prepare a gift." The King of Qing said calmly, and then added, "Don't worry too much."

He thought to himself, if his memory was correct, then Lord Meng was once the enemy of Yue'er's biological mother. Therefore, Yue'er had always disliked Lord Meng.

In order to gain Yue'er's forgiveness, he had to put on a good show this time. As for the Meng Mansion's birthday banquet, he only had to deal with it casually.

The most important thing is to find an opportunity to meet Yue'er and explain everything clearly.

King Qing thought so.

……

Prince's Mansion.

Meng Tingyue looked at the brocade handkerchief in her hand and felt that the pattern on it was extremely familiar, but she couldn't remember it for a moment.

She looked up at Qingdian who had just entered the room and asked, "Qingdian, have you ever seen a handkerchief made of this kind of fabric?"

Originally, the shop under her management was handed over to Qingdian for management, so Qingdian might know about it.

Upon hearing this, Qingdian stepped forward lightly, respectfully took the handkerchief with both hands, and his eyes instantly focused on it, examining it carefully.

After a moment's silence, Qingdian finally spoke, her voice filled with a hint of certainty: "Crown Princess, in my opinion, this brocade handkerchief is of rich texture and exquisite embroidery. It must have been made by the Jinxiu Pavilion in the capital."

"Go to Jinxiu Pavilion." Meng Tingyue made a quick decision.