Chapter 123 Extra Clingy

Jiang Yingli finally began to feel fortunate that there were still ministers waiting to see her in the afternoon, otherwise the commotion would have been endless.

Your Majesty is being particularly clingy today.

I like it very much.

However, Your Majesty has always been strict with himself, but today he broke the rules for her.

Jiang Yingli felt a little guilty.

However, she believed that such trivial matters would not affect His Majesty's ability to be a wise ruler.

Jiang Yingli lazily lay in the brocade tent and watched Xiao Chenglan dress.

The man who was so unrestrained just now turned into the cold and serious Majesty in a moment.

Jiang Yingli propped her head up in the quilt and smiled.

She was the only one who knew what His Majesty was like when he wasn't His Majesty.

Xiao Chenglan was dressed just right. He dismissed the palace maids who were serving him, opened the brocade curtain, sat on the edge of the couch, and stretched out his hand to Jiang Yingli.

"come over."

Jiang Yingli came out from under the quilt wearing a bellyband and knelt obediently in front of Xiao Cheng.

Xiao Chenglan kissed her forehead.

"I'm leaving."

Jiang Yingli took his sleeve.

"Will His Majesty come tonight?"

Xiao Chenglan chuckled: "What do you think? If I don't come to you, where else can I go?"

"I'm just worried about wasting the whole morning. Your Majesty will be very busy tonight."

"I will never be so busy that I don't have time to accompany you again."

Xiao Chenglan gently stroked her cheek with his fingertips, his expression becoming more serious, and his tone becoming more meaningful: "Especially after these few days, I will spend more time with you."

Jiang Yingli looked at his expression and felt that something was about to happen. She asked anxiously, "Is something going to happen in the next few days?"

Xiao Chenglan rubbed her messy hair soothingly, and his tone softened: "Forget it, I didn't want to tell you, but I was afraid you would think too much. Do you still remember Concubine Shen's pregnancy?"

Jiang Yingli nodded, "Yes, I remember!"

"I've ordered an investigation. The fake pregnancy drug also appeared in my father's harem, but the prescription was destroyed. I think it was done by the former Concubine Hui, now the Empress Dowager, to eliminate the evidence. Doctor Zhang restored the prescription and found that the drug was effective for nearly two months. Moreover, when he took Concubine Shen's pulse today, he found that the pregnancy symptoms were indeed not obvious."

Jiang Yingli thought for a while. Since the pulse was not obvious, it meant that the time to expose Concubine Shen's fake pregnancy was coming.

The news of Concubine Shen's pregnancy was widely spread.

According to the thinking of the person who drugged her, if Concubine Shen's fake pregnancy was exposed at this juncture, both Concubine Shen and the Shen family would be severely punished. Even if His Majesty was willing to spare her life, so many ministers who were eyeing this baby would not let her go.

If one of them submitted a memorial, Concubine Shen would be implicated to death, and Lord Shen would be demoted at best, or dismissed from office and exiled at worst.

Jiang Yingli thought about it carefully and found it quite scary.

If a concubine who is normally favored by the emperor has various symptoms of pregnancy and is indeed pregnant, who would think it is a false pregnancy?

When she was being hailed by everyone and had a bright future, it was suddenly pointed out that the baby in her belly was fake. The key point was that she had no place to appeal and was about to be sentenced to death.

Fortunately, this situation was wrong from the beginning. This is really thanks to His Majesty for keeping himself clean. It's a pity that some people have put so much effort into it.

Seeing Jiang Yingli deep in thought, Xiao Chenglan lightly scratched the tip of her nose with his knuckles. "If you don't want to join in on this 'fake pregnancy' spree, just pretend to be sick for a few days. I'll take care of everything."

Jiang Yingli quickly shook her head, "No, I still want to see this lively scene."

"It's up to you, but be careful these two days." Xiao Chenglan stood up and said again: "I'm really leaving."

The two of them had just gone through a lot of trouble. Jiang Yingli was tired and wanted to have a good sleep, so she knelt on the couch and nodded, ready to watch Xiao Chenglan leave the hall and then lie down to catch up on her sleep.

Seeing her like this, Xiao Chenglan didn't seem reluctant at all, but reluctantly leaned over and kissed her.

"Wait for me at night."

Jiang Yingli grinned, "I know. Why is Your Majesty so clingy today?"

"Aren't you clingy? Who just asked me if I would come over tonight?" Xiao Chenglan said with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah! You're both clingy. You wish we could stick together all the time." Jiang Yingli teased.

Xiao Chenglan pondered her joke for a moment, then lowered his eyes to hide the regret in them. He said calmly, "But this won't work. I'm leaving."

Jiang Yingli knew that she couldn't say anything more, lest they become inseparable forever.

"Okay, I will respectfully send your majesty off."

Xiao Chenglan glanced at her from head to toe again, then left the hall without looking back.

In the afternoon, the harem began to be filled with the atmosphere of impending storm.

The incident in Roufu Palace was settled, but Concubine Song was dismissed from her post and placed under house arrest. From now on, there was no news about who she would go to for morning meetings, and everyone was uneasy.

Logically speaking, everyone knew that it would be the turn of Concubine Song, the next in line, Concubine Su Zhaoyi, but everyone still couldn't help but hope for a miracle.

For example, Ning Xiuyi.

If Empress Ning Xiuyi were in charge of the palace power, the harem would be better from then on.

First, Empress Xiuyi is favored and is not afraid of anyone. She also has a grudge against Concubine Su Zhaoyi and can suppress her.

Second, Empress Xiuyi is kind-hearted. If you have any problems, go and ask her for help. She might be able to help.

In the evening, in Changqing Palace, Fu Wanquan asked someone to bring Huaiyu up.

Huaiyu was tortured in the morning. Although she was given medicine, it didn't work immediately. When she was taken to the hall, the wound started bleeding again.

He lay on the ground coughing. Xiao Chenglan looked at his bony back and frowned slightly.

"Do you hate me?" Xiao Chenglan asked.

Huaiyu shook her head.

A sarcastic smile appeared on Xiao Chenglan's lips. "Since you don't hate me, you shouldn't hate Song Wanyan either. You schemed against her not for revenge, but to vent your anger. It's really ridiculous."

Huaiyu had no way to defend herself and laughed at herself mockingly.

"Your Majesty is right. I also find it ridiculous. But when I think about it, I and someone like Concubine Song should have been a perfect match. If the Xie family hadn't suffered that misfortune, we would have been childhood sweethearts. But now we meet again, we are so different. How can I not feel resentment and regret?"

Xiao Chenglan didn't have the patience to appreciate the deep resentment in these words, but he heard the harsh words and sneered.

"Childhood sweethearts, a perfect match, what's the point?"

Huaiyu paused. His Majesty's tone seemed to be casual, yet also serious. He thought for a moment and replied:

"Your Majesty has been a prince since childhood. You should have had a study partner. You should be able to understand how precious the friendship of growing up together is."

He had no study partner, let alone a childhood sweetheart.

On the contrary, Jiang Yingli has it.

Before the Jiang family split up, Jiang Yingli did not grow up in the capital, but in Qingzhou, and only went to the capital at the age of seven.

Before she called him brother, she was chasing after her cousin Lu Yuanbai from Qingzhou and calling him brother.

For Yu Jiang Yingli, her cousin was her childhood sweetheart. He just suddenly appeared in her world when she was fourteen years old.

Thinking of the past, Xiao Chenglan's eyes darkened a little.

Xu was determined to marry Jiang Yingli to her cousin who was determined to become an official.

With just one thought, this marriage almost happened...

Xiao Chenglan tried his best to suppress the unhappiness in his heart, and his tone was cold.

"Things in this world are hard to say. Childhood sweethearts, well-matched, so what? If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be."

Xie Huaiyu thought His Majesty was talking about him, and he thought what he said made sense, so he echoed:

"Your Majesty is right. Things in this world are unpredictable. It is because I am too attached to the past that I have trapped myself in it."

Xiao Chenglan felt irritated and didn't want to say any more, so he changed the subject: "You were able to stop at the brink and not drag Concubine Song into this. This means you haven't completely tainted the Xie family's bloodline."

After hearing this, Xie Huaiyu's face was bitter and sarcastic: "Sullying the Xie family's bloodline? The Xie family was originally traitors and rebels. There is nothing left to sully."

Xiao Chenglan looked at him and said, "If I tell you, the Su family will soon fall apart."

Huaiyu's whole body trembled, and even his breathing became rapid, "What...what..."

"The Xie family case happened during the reign of Emperor Qingyuan. Since it is an injustice, I will not sit idly by. When the Su family falls, the Xie family will be vindicated. You should live well until that day. As for the rest of your life and death, I will decide."

Huaiyu looked at the emperor sitting on the dragon throne, and indescribable emotions rose in his heart.

To clear the name of the Xie family... this was something he had never dared to think about before.

Huaiyu ignored the injuries on his body and bowed deeply to Xiao Chenglan.

"Long live the Emperor! This slave deserves death. I committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor and nearly harmed Concubine Song. I no longer dare to live in this world. After the Xie family is cleared of its name, I only ask for death!"

Xiao Chenglan tacitly agreed to his request.