Chapter 218

Rong Rong was taken to Fengyi Palace to wait, the Empress's bedroom.

She was once the most beautiful woman in the Feng Dynasty and the birth mother of the Crown Prince.

The entire palace was solemn and dignified. The palace servants were so quiet that they were almost invisible. They only made a brief disturbance when Rong Rong first entered, but they quickly returned to normal.

At that moment, they were all trembling like leaves, fearing that Granny Fu'an would punish them for their misbehavior, but fortunately Granny Fu'an did not take it to heart.

Not long after, the Empress was helped in from the side hall.

She wore a bright red phoenix dress, with a phoenix about to take flight embroidered on her body with gold thread. It shimmered with gold as she walked, and was lifelike.

The years have left their mark on her beautiful face, but her charm remains undiminished, giving her a unique sense of composure and dignity.

Her aura was several levels stronger than that of the Crown Princess. If the Crown Princess was a fledgling phoenix, still somewhat immature, then the Empress was domineering and majestic, the fully grown king of birds.

In fact, Rong Rong felt that the Empress was much more powerful than the Crown Prince.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress." As the others approached, Rong Rong lowered her head and was about to curtsy, but she was helped up before she could finish the movement.

Rong Rong raised her eyes and met the Empress's calm and serene gaze.

"No wonder the Crown Princess couldn't bear to touch you," the Empress sighed softly.

The sound, like a clear spring, was very pleasant to hear, yet also had a certain depth.

The Empress learned of Rong Rong's existence around the same time as the Crown Princess. She deliberately remained still, wanting to see how the Crown Princess would react.

When she learned that the Crown Princess had let the person go, the usually composed Empress changed her expression for the first time.

The Li family's daughter was carefully selected by the Empress as the Crown Princess, and she has always been meticulous in her work. How could she have done something like this this time?

Letting them go is the worst possible choice for both the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince.

The Empress immediately sent people to intercept the person and invite them into the palace. She even prepared to summon the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince to the palace at the same time for a reprimand.

However, these thoughts only existed before she met people; now...

After helping Rongrong up, the Empress did not let go of her hand. Instead, she calmly led Rongrong to the phoenix throne at the head of the table and sat down with her.

This is the seat where the Empress receives the concubines of the harem. Until now, no one else has ever sat here except her, but today she has given half of her throne to Rong Rong.

Inside the hall, everyone stared in astonishment at the two people on the phoenix throne.

The two beauties sitting together were indeed a sight to behold, but everyone felt a little strange.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but something just feels off.

Only Yunxiang quickly covered her mouth, almost letting out a cry of surprise.

She thought that if the Empress were replaced with His Majesty, the scene would seem much more reasonable.

Isn't this just an emperor and his favorite concubine?

However, Yunxiang only dared to think about it, not to say it out loud. She tried to keep her head down to avoid getting too excited and doing something inappropriate.

"Would you be willing to stay in the palace and accompany me?" The Empress looked at Rong Rong with gentle eyes.

He looked like an approachable elder asking for Rong Rong's opinion.

If the palace servants in the hall hadn't been so terrified, and if the Empress hadn't been holding Rong Rong's hand so tightly...

Rong Rong didn't speak, and secretly tried to pull her hand away again, but she still couldn't budge it an inch.

Rong Rong was silent. She looked down at her hand that was being held, then looked up at the Empress. Her eyes, brighter than stars and large like a cat's pupils, blinked. If you looked closely, there was a trace of grievance in them.

She looked a little pitiful, yet delicate and soft, like a white and tender little dumpling, which melted the Empress's heart.

Everyone says that the Empress is arrogant, especially when she was young, and that she is arrogant because of her beauty.

But in reality, she simply prefers beautiful women and doesn't want to say a word to anyone less attractive than herself.

When she first entered the palace, she thought she might meet many beauties. Every year when His Majesty held a selection of concubines, she was more enthusiastic than His Majesty himself.

As a result, over the years, she couldn't find anyone she liked; they were far inferior to her, until she met Rong Rong.

Thinking about it, the Empress's eyes were filled with amazement.

This is truly Nuwa's most perfect work!

She even doubted whether the goddess Nuwa herself was that beautiful.

Look at those arched eyebrows, those exquisite eyes—any glance from her can leave you mesmerized—and the slender, jade-like hand she's holding.

It's so delicate and smooth, it feels a thousand times, even ten thousand times better than the finest jade!

There was also a faint, lingering fragrance emanating from the beauty, the most captivating scent she had ever encountered in her life. She thought she would remember it vividly for the rest of her life.

The Empress looked at Rong Rong with unwavering determination, her eyes filled with an undeniable pressure.

Rong Rong didn't understand why she was being asked to stay in the palace.

She always felt uneasy and a little scared when the Empress looked at her, but she could also sense that the Empress meant her no harm.

So, her mind raced, and Rong Rong looked at the Empress with an even more pitiful expression, "I want to go home."

Her soft, delicate voice, like a meow, and her adorable appearance instantly captured the Empress's heart.

From the moment the Empress saw Rong Rong, her heart began to pound uncontrollably, and now she felt that her heartbeat had reached its peak.

In a daze, the Empress almost blurted out "yes," but her strong self-control made her bite her tongue and swallow the words that were about to come out.

However, the beauty was so adorable that the Empress couldn't resist taking Rong Rong's other hand in her arms.

Rong Rong shuddered involuntarily and was about to get up and leave, but the Empress's sudden words made her freeze in place.

"I can trade you a phoenix feather flower."

Rong Rong suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with shock, while the Empress nodded with a smile.

The legendary Phoenix Feather Flower, which can cure Lu Youning's legs, is said to be lost to time and is now in the Empress's possession.

It could clearly bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded, and His Majesty the Emperor was clearly weak and bedridden, but the Phoenix Feather Flower was not given to the Emperor. Instead, the Empress used it to make a deal with Rong Rong.

A hint of doubt gradually appeared on Rong Rong's face. The Empress patted Rong Rong's hand and smiled meaningfully.

Rongrong understood and told her not to say or ask anything, and not to be too curious about certain things, as the less you know, the safer you are often.

"Cancel the engagement, stay in the palace, and stay by my side." The Empress said calmly, a faint smile playing on her lips.

She knew that Rong Rong would not refuse. For Lu Youning and for the kindness of the Marquis of Zhenguo, Rong Rong would be willing. Besides, in this world, who else but her could protect Rong Rong?

The Empress took the opportunity to pull Rong Rong to her feet, and they walked down the steps and out of the palace.

Rong Rong could feel the Empress's increasingly domineering aura, and in a daze, Rong Rong seemed to see a glittering golden thigh.