mesbooks Chapter 277 Did you do this?
Chapter 277 Did you do this?
"You did this?" Upon hearing Chen Xianlin's question, Xue Huaiyu's initial guilt vanished instantly, replaced by a gloomy and questioning expression.
Chen Xianlin felt a surge of anger as she looked at Xue Huaiyu's suddenly pale face.
She had originally planned to tell him the truth, but seeing his suspicious look, she suddenly changed her mind.
She really wanted to see what kind of expression Xue Huaiyu would have when he learned the truth.
Chen Xianlin's lips curled up slightly, revealing a playful smile, and then she said in a deliberately casual tone, "Hahahaha, guess?"
Xue Huaiyu's face suddenly turned ashen. He stared coldly at Chen Xianlin, his voice icy: "What exactly did you do?"
Chen Xianlin's smile deepened, her gaze carrying an almost frenzied provocation, as if she were savoring this moment of victory.
"Want to know? Go look it up yourself! Hahahaha," Chen Xianlin's voice was light and airy, with a hint of teasing.
The anger in Xue Huaiyu's eyes was almost bursting out.
He took a sudden step forward, closing in on Chen Xianlin, his voice almost squeezed out between clenched teeth: "Chen Xianlin, don't think I wouldn't dare to touch you!"
Chen Xianlin showed no fear. Instead, she raised her head and looked directly into Xue Huaiyu's eyes, her smile undiminished.
"Touch me? Of course you dare. You're the emperor, what wouldn't you dare?" Her voice carried a hint of mockery. "But do you dare kill me? Or rather, can you even kill me?"
Xue Huaiyu's fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly, his anger and helplessness intertwined.
He knew that the Empress Dowager had failed to kill Chen Xianlin and had even called her a witch, a fact Xue Huaiyu had always known. He also knew that Chen Xianlin wouldn't die so easily.
Seeing Chen Xianlin's current manic state, Xue Huaiyu knew that saying anything more would be useless, so he simply turned around, snorted coldly, and left.
Chen Xianlin watched Xue Huaiyu's departing figure and couldn't help but chuckle: "Heh...heh heh..."
..........
The pattering rain continued incessantly, as if the sky were pouring out endless sorrow.
A torrential downpour descended from the sky, the raindrops striking the bluestone slabs with a dull thud, casting a somber atmosphere over the entire capital.
The trees lining the street swayed in the wind and rain, as if they too were uneasy about what was about to happen.
In a manor outside the city, a sedan chair that had been prepared stood quietly in the rain.
The pregnant woman in the sedan chair looked nervous, her belly bulging high, clearly indicating that she was about to give birth.
Her forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and she trembled slightly. Her fingers gripped the frame of the sedan chair tightly, as if she were enduring invisible pain.
The people around them acted quickly and were quietly taking the pregnant woman to a more distant place.
The sedan chair was heading towards the temple where Consort Jiang was located.
Inside the temple, amidst the swirling incense smoke and rising mist, a slender woman with a large pregnant belly stood before the Buddha, her expression devout.
She was supported by a maid on each side, one hand on her belly, the other holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads that was constantly turning as she softly recited scriptures, as if she were silently praying for something.
Just then, on the road not far from the temple, the pregnant woman in the sedan chair suddenly let out a painful scream: "Ah, my belly! I think I'm going into labor!"
The scream sounded particularly abrupt in the quiet rainy night, making people hold their breath for her.
Among the entourage outside the sedan chair was a midwife. Upon hearing the sound, she immediately stepped forward, her expression grave, and whispered reassuringly, "We're almost there, hang in there!"
The midwife quickly took out a strip of cloth, rolled it up, and handed it to the pregnant woman, telling her to bite on it, seemingly hoping that this action would alleviate her pain.
At this moment, the people outside the sedan chair quickened their pace. Their wet clothes seemed even heavier in the wind and rain, but they paid no heed to it.
As the sedan chair drove further and further away, another group of people appeared behind it. Chen Tongyu sat in the sedan chair with a gloomy face.
Surrounding him were the Pei family soldiers he had borrowed from Xue Huaiyu, all of them tense and seemingly ready to strike at any moment.
"Sir! They've gone far away!" one of the leading soldiers said, his voice hoarse in the rain.
"Keep following!" Chen Tongyu's voice was icy.
......
At the same time, on the other side of the road, Zheng Luoqi was riding a fine horse, galloping along the road to the temple.
A troop of men followed closely behind him, their hooves thundering and kicking up a cloud of mud.
Zheng Luoqi gripped the reins tightly, controlling the horse with incredible speed yet unwavering stability.
The group was clearly well-trained; they ran in perfect unison. Each person looked serious and focused intently on following Zheng Luoqi.
Zheng Luoqi was dressed in a black robe with a long sword hanging at her waist. The gemstones inlaid on the hilt shimmered faintly in the rain.
His straw hat was soaked through by the torrential rain, and water droplets slid down the edge of the hat, forming curtains of water that blurred his face, making it difficult to see his expression.
Not far behind Zheng Luoqi, Boyu rode his horse and quickly approached Zheng Luoqi's group.
Upon approaching Zheng Luoqi, Boyu reported from her side, "My lord, the young master has already met up with Jinyu not far from the temple!"
The rain was quite heavy, and Boyu's voice was largely drowned out by the sound of the rain. Fortunately, Zheng Luoqi had exceptional hearing and was able to hear Boyu's report clearly.
.........
Inside the palace at this time
Xue Huaiyu and Zheng Yuxiang sat facing each other, with a chessboard between them. The black and white pieces on the board were intertwined, like a silent war.
Outside, the rain poured down, and the raindrops kept pounding against the palace windows, making a pattering sound, but this did not disturb the tranquility inside the palace in the slightest.
On the contrary, the rain curtain acted as a natural barrier, isolating the noise of the outside world from the tranquility inside the hall, making the atmosphere inside the hall even more mysterious.
Xue Huaiyu narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the chessboard. His fingers gently stroked the chess pieces as he pondered his next move.
Zheng Yuxiang sat quietly opposite him, his gaze also fixed on the chessboard, his expression calm and serene.
After a while, Xue Huaiyu picked up a white piece, hesitated for a moment, and finally placed it on the chessboard.
"Prime Minister, it seems like it's been a long time since we sat down together to play chess like this!" Xue Huaiyu said softly with a smile on his lips.
His gaze fell on the chessboard, and the black piece in his hand slowly fell, making a crisp sound.
Zheng Yuxiang smiled slightly and replied unhurriedly, "It is understandable that His Majesty is too busy with state affairs to have time!"
Upon hearing this, Xue Huaiyu raised his head and exchanged a glance with Zheng Yuxiang, a tacit understanding flashing in their eyes.