mesbooks Chapter 241: Haste
Chapter 241: Haste
Although Yihuan said this, her eyes were filled with a hint of doting and helplessness. She knew that it was not easy for Yanwan to survive in this palace, and she had to be careful in order to protect herself, but she still hoped that Yanwan could trust her more.
"How can there be..."
Yan Wan quickly retorted, but with a guilty smile on her face. She rolled her eyes and immediately thought of a way to change the subject.
"The Emperor has just gifted me some fine tea. Why don't you try some?"
Having said that, Yan Wan, regardless of Yi Huan's reaction, approached her with a playful smile, took Yi Huan's arm and walked towards the inner hall, while she enthusiastically introduced the benefits of the tea.
Her face was filled with a warm smile. Yihuan was pulled by her and shook her head helplessly, but did not refuse. She followed her into the inner hall.
……
After the Dragon Boat Festival, the events at the family dinner came to an end.
The palace maids who had suffered the peanut-filled rice dumpling from the Seventh Princess were all given a light punishment and a stern warning by Yan Wan on the grounds that the princess was still young and could not be punished severely, so as not to damage the princess's fortune.
It was called punishment, but in reality it was all talk and no action, and they secretly used rewards to make up for it.
After the Dragon Boat Festival, the days gradually became hotter, as if they were set ablaze by the scorching sun. The scorching sun baked the earth, and the air was filled with a parched atmosphere.
Seeing this, the emperor followed the old custom and took all the concubines in the harem and the empress dowager to the Old Summer Palace to escape the summer heat.
The Old Summer Palace is a tranquil place, shaded by green trees, with rippling blue waters and a gentle breeze bringing a touch of coolness. Compared to the Imperial Palace, while equally beautiful, it lacks the strict security of the latter.
This seemingly peaceful and tranquil summer resort provided Eyinzhu with a perfect opportunity to expose the truth.
After the Dragon Boat Festival incident, Ruyi returned to her old self, staying in her room all day in a depressed mood, and even skipping her daily morning and evening visits.
Even if Rong Pei came back to serve him, it would not help.
After Rong Pei returned, she became a lowly cleaning nanny, and Yurong was the one who took care of her on weekdays.
Yurong knew that Rongpei was not a good person, so most of the time she was not allowed to get close to Ruyi.
Knowing that this was someone sent by the emperor, Rong Pei had learned to restrain himself under the multiple tortures of the Ministry of Punishment and the Laundry Bureau these days. He did not dare to overstep his bounds and obeyed Yurong's orders obediently.
Originally, the days should have gone on peacefully, but the emperor's summons suddenly broke the peace.
The matter of the Dzungars had been dealt with, and the reorganization of the remaining tribes was proceeding in an orderly manner. After this busy period, the emperor finally had a rare day of leisure.
It was a sunny day and the summer scenery in the Old Summer Palace was breathtakingly beautiful. The emperor was in high spirits and planned to paint this picturesque scene, so he summoned Yanwan to serve him with pen and ink.
After careful preparation, Yan Wan came to the emperor. With a smile on her face, she helped grind the ink beside the emperor.
The drawing paper had just been spread out, and before the emperor could even begin to conceive the painting, he heard Jinzhong hurriedly report, "Your Majesty, Concubine Yu requests an audience."
Listening to Jinzhong's report, the emperor paused with the brush in his hand, and a trace of displeasure flashed across his face.
He frowned slightly, thought for a moment and said, "Concubine Yu is not good at painting, so let her go back first. I will teach her another day."
The emperor was in high spirits and didn't want to be disturbed.
After he finished speaking, he picked up the pen and was about to put down the first stroke, but he saw Jinzhong still standing there in a daze.
When he looked up and his eyes slowly fell on Jinzhong, there was a hint of majesty and inquiry in his eyes.
The emperor stopped what he was doing and looked at Jinzhong quietly, waiting for his explanation.
Jinzhong felt the emperor's gaze and spoke cautiously, "Your servants, as ordered by the emperor, are guarding the door and not allowing anyone to disturb us. However, Concubine Yu said that she has something important to report and must see the emperor today, so this is..."
Jinzhong's voice became smaller and smaller, and at the end, there was a hint of helplessness in his tone.
After saying this, Jinzhong lowered his head even lower and bent his waist even lower, looking extremely respectful.
Seeing the emperor hesitate, a hint of imperceptible teasing flashed in Yan Wan's eyes, and then she gently tugged at his sleeve.
She gently advised, "Your Majesty, although Concubine Yu is somewhat spoiled, I have known her for a long time and know that she is also a sensible person. She has asked for an audience so rashly today, so it must be because there is something really important. Your Majesty is always wise, so why not meet her? Perhaps there is something important that needs your decision."
Yanwan's voice was gentle and melodious, like a spring breeze, gently brushing past the emperor's ears.
Hearing her words, the emperor frowned slightly, but still followed Yan Wan's advice. He put down his brush impatiently, sighed softly, stood up, straightened his robe, and slowly walked to the side hall with Yan Wan and sat down.
As soon as he sat down on the chair, Concubine Yu came in hurriedly. Her steps were hurried, with an anxious look on her face, and she didn't even have time to tidy up her appearance.
As soon as she entered the hall, she saw the emperor and Yan Wan already seated there, and she hurriedly and patiently paid her respects.
"I pay my respects to the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine." Concubine Yu E Yinzhu hurried into the hall and bowed quickly.
Her voice was a little hurried, her gesture of saluting was a little hasty, and her eyes revealed a hint of anxiety.
"Hurry up and get up! Jinzhong said you have something important to tell me and that you must see me. Tell me, what is it that makes you so anxious?"
The emperor sat in the chair, frowning slightly as he looked at Eyinzhu's hurried and flustered appearance.
E Yinzhu stood up, first looking at Jinzhong beside her, then took a deep breath and said with a solemn oath: "Your Majesty, please send your attendants away. What I am saying concerns the dignity of the royal family. Apart from you and the imperial concubine, there cannot be a fourth person..."
These words made the emperor frown even deeper. He was silent for a moment, and finally waved his hand, signaling the eunuchs and palace maids around him to leave.
About royal face?
The emperor was initially puzzled, but suddenly the figure of Ruyi flashed through his mind, and his heart was gradually filled with uneasiness.
When the hall door was closed, the creaking sound seemed to echo in the silent space, making the atmosphere even more solemn.
The emperor turned around, staring at Eyinzhu with a sharp gaze, and said in a deep voice, "Tell me, what is it?"
E Yinzhu's eyes slowly swept across Yan Wan's face, as if observing her reaction, then she took a deep breath, lifted her skirt and knelt down. Her movements were resolute, with a resolute look on her face, and she said with a solemn oath.
"I would like to report Ling Yunche, the former second-rank imperial guard, now serving as a guard in the cold palace, for harboring evil intentions towards the Empress..."
Her voice echoed in the empty hall, like a thunderclap, instantly breaking the original tranquility.
One stone caused a thousand waves.
When the emperor heard this, the expression on his face froze instantly. He had never expected such a big thing to happen. This matter was completely beyond his expectations.
He knew Ling Yunche, who once served in front of the emperor but now served as a guard in the cold palace. And between him and the queen...
Various thoughts flashed through the emperor's mind, and he began to recall the details of the past...
Concubine Yu had been planning carefully in the palace for a long time, and she had always been trying to overthrow the queen.
Now, she has successfully brought Mao Qian into the Old Summer Palace, which is a crucial step in her plan. In order to achieve this goal, she has put in a lot of effort and lay dormant for many days.
During these days, she secretly discussed with her close confidants and made arrangements to ensure that Mao Qian could enter the Old Summer Palace smoothly without arousing suspicion from others.
This opportunity is rare, and we must make sure it goes to waste.
She just didn't believe that the emperor could forgive the queen for doing such a shameful thing.
As long as this matter can be successfully exposed, the queen will fall out of favor, and she herself can take the opportunity to ascend to the throne and gain more favor and power.
Even if I can't compare to Concubine Ling, that's enough.
Concubine Yu knew in her heart that Concubine Ling's position in the palace was stable, she was deeply favored by the emperor, and her methods were quite clever.
She did not expect to completely surpass Concubine Ling. She recalled the scene when she had confronted Concubine Ling. She felt a little apprehensive about Concubine Ling's methods, but also a little admiration for her.
She was convinced by her.
At this time, Maoqian was locked up alone in a small, dim room.
There was a depressing atmosphere in the room, and the walls around her seemed to be suppressing her emotions.
She sat quietly on a simple chair, looking ahead with somewhat empty eyes, waiting to be received by Concubine Yu.
She held a box tightly in her hand, which was her last lifeline.
This box was a piece of evidence she had taken specially, and the things inside were extremely important to her. She knew that these were Ling Yunche's treasures, and also the weapons she would use against him.
For so many years, her life was full of grievances and helplessness. Ling Yunche's days at home were few and far between, and he always found excuses to stay in the palace.
Every time she looked forward to his return home with great joy, she was always disappointed. When he came home, he would do everything he could to sleep in a separate room from her, either drinking alone until midnight, leaving her alone in the empty room, or simply staying at a colleague's house and ignoring her.
She endured all of this silently, thinking that her tolerance and patience would make him change his mind and put their lives back on track.
Unexpectedly, he was in love with the Queen and even gave up his own future to help her.
It was obvious that Ling Yunche had offended the emperor and ended up with such a miserable end.
She couldn't just sit there and wait for the day when he would drag her down. She felt that she had given too much in this marriage but hadn't enjoyed the wealth and glory he brought her.
She was unwilling to be dragged into this by him, and she couldn't suffer this imprisonment with him.
She wanted to make plans for herself, so she decided to take out these evidences in order to get rid of the predicament Ling Yunche had brought her.
She held the box tightly, her palms full of sweat, her heart filled with anxiety and determination, waiting for her fate to change...
This time, even if it means death, she will get rid of him.
"Yu Fei, do you know what you are talking about?"
The emperor stood up suddenly, with a gloomy face, staring straight at Concubine Yu.
At this moment, his heart was like a turmoil, with all kinds of emotions intertwined.
The emperor's hands unconsciously gripped the armrests in anger, and his knuckles turned white from the force.
He couldn't believe what he heard. The queen was his legal wife, and Ling Yunche was a guard he once trusted.
Such a thing was a bolt from the blue for him.