Chapter 516 Night Talk

The emperor personally leading the army to fight is a major event that will shock the entire country and requires careful preparation.

Yan Xiuyun led the 30,000 troops stationed in the capital, plus the 20,000 troops urgently transferred from Jiangzhou, and was scheduled to set off in ten days.

…

The afternoon sun was quiet, and the sound of dripping water echoed in the Purple Cloud Hall.

Yan Xiuyun sat at a desk with a list in front of him, which listed the names of outstanding people in the capital's military department, the Imperial Guard and other institutions.

It is no small matter for the emperor to go to the battlefield in person. If anything goes wrong, it will immediately lead to turmoil in the country.

Therefore, protecting the emperor's safety is of paramount importance.

Yan Xiuyun's eyes scanned those names one by one, and finally stopped on one name.

The scene of that day when Li Yao accused the Queen of having an affair with Xiao Yuan and saw the embroidered handkerchief appeared before his eyes again.

Although it has been confirmed that the embroidered handkerchief was forged by Li Yao, the rumor was also spread secretly by Li Yao just to frame the queen.

But for some reason, whenever I see the Queen, I think of Xiao Yuan. Whenever I see Xiao Yuan, I think of the Queen...

Yan Xiuyun could vaguely feel something spreading silently in his heart.

But now the war on the border is intense, and as the emperor, he must quell the rebellion first before he has time to take care of the affairs of the harem.

I am about to leave the capital, if I let Xiao Yuan continue to stay in the palace...

Yan Xiuyun frowned slightly.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table for a moment, and finally picked up the pen and drew a circle around Xiao Yuan's name.

…

Late at night, in the Imperial Guards’ classroom.

The last shift of imperial guards took off their armor and walked out in twos and threes. The low hum of voices could be heard in the distance.

"Old Zhao, it's finally time to get off duty. Let's go have a drink."

"No, you guys go ahead, I have to go home, haha."

"Come on, Old Li, he just got married, and his beautiful wife is waiting for him at home. Who would want to drink with a stinky old man like you?"

The crowd burst into low laughter and gradually walked away.

Soon, the classroom was empty. The last guard of the Imperial Guard saw that the candle in the inner room was still lit, so he came to the door and asked:

"Commander Xiao, are you sleeping in the classroom again today?"

Xiao Yuan, who had taken off his armor, raised his head and smiled faintly: "Well, you can go back, no need to lock the door."

"Okay, fine."

The man nodded, packed up his things and walked out, muttering to himself that there was a huge difference between a married man and a non-married man.

Commander Xiao is young, promising, and handsome. If he were outside the palace, there would be countless women who would be interested in him.

But he never got close to women, and he was rarely seen even in his house outside the palace. Most of the time he stayed in the classroom.

Could it be that... you don’t like women?

He was quickly shocked by his own thought and shook his head.

Never mind, it’s none of your business anyway.

Seeing that Commander Xiao is about to accompany His Majesty to the expedition, I don't know which brother will be given the job of temporarily commanding the Imperial Guards...

Xiao Yuan sat in the classroom, carefully wiping his sword by candlelight.

There was no one outside, and the surroundings were so quiet that only the chirping of cicadas could be heard.

While wiping the knife, Xiao Yuan was thinking about something absent-mindedly.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a dark shadow passing by, and his expression suddenly froze.

"who!?"

Xiao Yuan stood up, his eyes alert, and walked slowly to the outer hall with a knife in hand. Then he was slightly startled.

I saw a man dressed as a young eunuch appear in the imperial guards' room. He had his head lowered and his face could not be seen clearly.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Xiao Yuan asked in a cold voice with sharp eyes.

The young eunuch did not answer. He turned around and gently closed the door, then raised his head and looked at Xiao Yuan.

When Xiao Yuan saw the visitor's face clearly, he was even more surprised.

Although I didn't recognize him at first sight, the laziness and charm in those phoenix eyes were definitely not something an ordinary eunuch could possess.

"…Royal Concubine?" Xiao Yuan asked in disbelief.

She was in the harem, how could she suddenly come here late at night and stay alone in a room with me?

Xiao Yuan knelt down and saluted in a panic. Just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by Qin Yuwei.

Qin Yuwei lowered her eyes and looked at him, her voice calm and indifferent.

"Commander Xiao, it was not easy for me to come here. I came here to tell you something. Please don't waste time."

Xiao Yuan stood up, not understanding why Qin Yuwei suddenly came to see him. They were not familiar with each other, so what did she want to talk about in private?

"A few days ago, the Queen was slandered by Concubine Rong, saying that she had a secret affair with you. Do you know about this?"

Xiao Yuan's eyes showed some vigilance, and he said without hesitation: "This is Concubine Rong who spread rumors and caused trouble. How can the Queen's reputation be tarnished by others——"

Qin Yuwei stood up again and interrupted Xiao Yuan.

"I'm not here to listen to your explanation. I'm only asking you, do you really care about the safety of the Queen and the Crown Prince?"

Xiao Yuan thought for a moment and replied:

"As a subject, I will naturally consider the safety of the Queen and the Crown Prince more important than my own."

His answer was clever, but it also made his position clear.

Qin Yuwei nodded and said seriously:

"I came here only to remind you. Although Concubine Rong has been punished for slandering the Queen, the matter is not over yet.

Your Majesty did not investigate further because Prince Zhenbei rebelled and Your Majesty temporarily had no time to take care of the harem.

Commander Xiao, you are a smart man. Think carefully about it. After the war is over and His Majesty returns to the palace, if he is still worried and orders someone to secretly investigate your relationship with the Queen...

Is it really possible that there is no trace at all?"

Xiao Yuan didn't say anything, but he could clearly hear his heartbeat getting faster and faster.

Concubine Qin was right... Although there was no physical evidence of her past with Xin'er, they were very much in love with each other back then, and so many people in the Dong family were not blind.

If Your Majesty really becomes suspicious, he should send people to Longyou to investigate in detail. If someone lets the cat out of the bag, it will be a disaster!

Xiao Yuan looked at Qin Yuwei and knew that she came to see him late at night for more than just a reminder.