Chapter 129 Chapter 129

[Chapter 129]

Ruan Jun turned around to look at the emperor, and Yan Shiyu said in a deep voice, "Fengyi Palace."

Wei Maoyuan agreed to the emperor's request, and Ruan Yun stood beside the emperor and said, "I also want to go see the empress."

Seeing that there was a hint of fatigue in her eyes and her throat was hoarse due to illness recently, Yan Shiyu was reluctant to let her go.

However, Ruan Yun pulled Yan Shiyu's sleeve and said softly, "The Queen loves me, so I should go and see her now."

Yan Shiyu held Ruan Jun's hand and said nothing more, but he tacitly agreed that Ruan Jun could go.

…

Fengyi Palace

Ji Zhaoyi arrived first. The empress was lying on the bed, coughing non-stop, and the palace maids around her were crying.

Defei had not come yet. Seeing the state of Fengyi Palace, Ji Zhaoyi frowned and said, "Why are you crying? The Empress is fine."

The queen opened her eyes, waved gently at Ji Zhaoyi, and said with a gentle smile: "Why are you in such a hurry?"

Ji Zhaoyi adjusted his mood and paid his respects to the empress in a proper manner.

Ran Xia placed a pillow behind the empress. The empress glanced at them and said softly, "Everyone please leave first."

All the palace servants left, leaving only Ji Zhaoyi and the Empress in the palace.

The Queen Mother saw that Ji Zhaoyi was still wearing spring clothes and said worriedly, "She has been taking the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician every day. Why hasn't she recovered yet?"

Ji Zhaoyi smiled and said, "This is an old illness. It won't cause any trouble. I think it will get better with care."

The queen's eyes revealed a trace of self-blame, "I was not able to take good care of you and the dragon child in your belly. I am ultimately unqualified as the queen."

Ruan Yun and the Emperor walked to the screen and heard these words from the Empress.

Looking at the emperor with complicated eyes, Yan Shiyu pinched his brows and said, "You go in first."

Ruan Jun hesitated for a moment, but soon did nothing and just walked in.

"Empress." Ruan Jun bowed, and when she raised her eyes, there were some water stains in her beautiful eyes.

The queen was stunned for a moment, and said softly, "You are still sick, why are you here?"

Ruan Yun clutched the handkerchief tightly in her hand and said, "I am almost done. It is my fault for not coming to Fengyi Palace to pay my respects to the Empress."

The Queen shook her head and said, "Paying respect is a small matter. You should take care of your health first. Don't let a young person fall ill like me."

Ruan Jun saw the empress's weakness in her eyes, but she clearly remembered that the empress was not like this when she first entered the palace.

At that time, the empress was gentle and dignified, with soft features but still retaining her majesty. She was nothing like she is now - she is seriously ill and unable to get up.

Ruan Yun said softly, "Your Majesty's illness will eventually heal."

The queen listened to Ruan Yun's words, closed her eyes tiredly, and said, "It's not going to get better."

Ruan Jun was slightly stunned, as if she didn't quite understand what the Queen meant.

Even Ji Zhaoyi looked at Ruan Jun in confusion. The two looked at each other. Ruan Jun felt something was wrong. Why did the Empress seem to know that her illness would not be cured?

The Queen ignored the speculations of Ruan Yun and Ji Zhaoyi and continued, "Haven't I told you yet?"

Covering her lips with a handkerchief and coughing softly, Ruan Yun stood up and brought the ginseng tea on the table to the empress. The empress took a sip and then covered the teacup, placed her finger bones on the edge of the teacup, and pushed it a little outwards.

The Queen looked at Ruan Yun's pretty face, her almond-shaped eyes were watery but with a hint of worry. After all, he was different from the person in her memory.

Ruan Yun put down the teacup, sat down in front of the empress, and asked softly, "Have you remembered anything, Madam?"

She had always felt that the Queen was looking at someone else through her.

The queen was slightly stunned, as if she was recalling something, then she came to her senses and said softly, "Actually, after so many years, I don't remember it so clearly anymore."

Ruan Jun wanted to comfort her but didn't know how to speak. She could only sit there quietly and listen to what the queen said.

The Queen then turned her head and her eyes fell on Ruan Yun's face again. She said, "You are very similar to someone in my memory."

Last year in the palace, the Queen mentioned this matter. Ruan Yun did not want to ask further at first, and she knew that she could not ask such a question. At this moment, she just shook her head, forced a smile on her face, and said:

"Your Majesty, please do not be so worried. You are straining your mind and body, and you may hurt yourself."

The queen finished what she had just left unsaid, "You look a lot like my sister."

Ruan Yun was extremely surprised. She had never heard that the Empress had a younger sister, and she had not seen this girl enter the palace for many years. Even Yingning didn't know about it, so she must have never entered the palace to see the Empress.

Inadvertently, his eyes met Ji Zhaoyi's, and both of them showed confusion and a hint of inquiry.

The queen said again: "But she was unlucky and died early."

Although Ruan Yun had been somewhat prepared when the Queen mentioned it just now, she still couldn't help being shocked when she heard the Queen say it herself.

Suddenly, the nanny that Yingning mentioned appeared in Ruan Yun's mind.

The palace, the queen's sister, and the queen's child who died for no reason.

When Mammy went mad, she went toward the well.

Inexplicably, a line was connected in Ruan Jun's heart. Her breathing became shallow and she suddenly didn't dare to confirm whether her guess was true or not.

The queen realized that she had made a mistake and changed the subject, "My lord, did I scare you?"

Ruan Yun took the Queen's hand and said softly, "No, it's just that I think Your Majesty should take good care of her health."

The queen stared at Ruan Yun without blinking and said, "Are you willing to listen to me and finish what happened next?"

Ruan Yun's gaze fell silently behind the screen. The emperor had just arrived without letting anyone know. She didn't know if the empress, who was so smart, had guessed that the emperor was outside.

If the Empress's loss of her child is really related to Concubine De and Concubine Zhang, it would be a good thing to let the Emperor know.

But the only thing she was afraid of was the Emperor's attitude towards the Empress.

Ruan Yun made up her mind and said, "I am willing."

Ji Zhaoyi wanted to leave, but was stopped by the Queen, "No need, you can stay too."

Ji Zhaoyi could only sit back in her original seat, and the Queen then slowly began to tell her about the past.

"My sister is ten years younger than me. When I got married, she was just a young girl who knew nothing about the world. Mingdu is very far from the capital. Later, I became the emperor's princess. My father happened to have made some achievements in managing the Yellow River, so he was given the title of marquis. That's when my family moved to the capital."

The empress started coughing after she had spoken a few words, and Ruan Yun would stand up from time to time to take care of her.

"I was pregnant and it was my birthday. The Emperor was very kind to me and ordered people to prepare for my birthday. My sister also came to the palace to accompany me. I thought I would be happy in the days ahead, but she drowned in the lake on the day of my birthday banquet. When she was found, she was holding a note in her hand. The handwriting on it was in my handwriting. Every word in it expressed my love for another man."

"This incident caused quite a stir. I was devastated. Although it was later discovered that I did not write the note and that the man had never met me before, my sister is gone and I was unable to keep the baby in my belly."

Ruan Yun suddenly knelt down and said nervously, "My Queen!"

The Queen looked at Ruan Jun with a gentle gaze. Yan Shiyu walked out from behind the screen with a face as cold as water.

Ruan Jun turned around and knelt in front of the emperor again. Seeing this, Ji Zhaoyi had to kneel down as well.

She bit her lower lip. She had just wanted to take a gamble. If the Empress knew who the murderer was, the Emperor would consider their years of marriage. But she didn't expect that the Empress would just tell her the story calmly.

How could the emperor not know the details of the matter?

This would undoubtedly add fuel to the fire for the emperor.

Ruan Yun's nervous heart was about to jump out of her chest, and she clenched the handkerchief tightly in her hand, twisting it around her fingertips.

Yan Shiyu glanced at Ruan Yun and said coldly, "Wei Maoyuan!"

Wei Maoyuan bowed and replied, "Your servant is here."

"Send the concubine back to the palace." Yan Shiyu said this without looking at her any further and walked straight to the empress's bed.

Wei Maoyuan helped Ruan Yun up from the ground and whispered, "My queen..."

Ruan Yun's mind was in a mess, and she raised her hand and said, "No need."

Ji Zhaoyi realized that something was wrong, so he grabbed Ruan Yun's wrist and walked out.

There were many ceremonial guards outside the Fengyi Palace. When the concubines heard that the empress was ill, they expressed their worries, whether real or fake.

Ruan Yun scanned their faces, pinched their palms with her fingertips, and said, "The Empress does not need anyone to take care of her. You can all go back first."

Lady Liu stepped forward, raised her hand holding the handkerchief to her heart, and asked, "Is the Queen okay?"

Ruan Yun looked at Lady Liu and knew that she was a responsible person and had never been involved in other things for so many years. She was more gentle to her and said, "It's okay, don't worry too much."

After hearing this, Concubine De was the first to sit on the ceremonial carriage. Concubine Zhang looked at Concubine De's back with hatred in her eyes, glanced at the gate of Fengyi Palace, and left with a look of disdain on her face.

Ruan Yun and Ji Zhaoyi saw the appearance of both of them very clearly, and the concubines left one after another.

For them, the Queen's illness was not a strange thing. They thought they could see the Emperor, but now that they couldn't, it was futile for them to stay.

Ji Zhaoyi saw that Ruan Yun was uneasy and stepped forward to support her.

There was a hint of warmth on her arm. Ruan Jun held Ji Zhaoyi's wrist, blinked her eyelashes, and immediately regained her composure:

"I have something to tell you."

…

The queen wanted to stand up but Yan Shiyu asked her to press her wrist. The queen stopped herself and said softly:

"Did the Emperor hear it?"

Yan Shiyu did not reply to the Queen's words, but looked at her sharply:

“Why don’t you take medicine?”

The queen was stunned, but soon recovered and said, "I know my own body. Whether I eat or not, the result will be the same."

When she learned that her sister had drowned, she was so emotionally agitated and had stomach pains that she passed out. When she woke up again, her sister was gone, her child was gone too, and she would never be a mother again.

When she got married, she had already understood that the royal majesty should not be angered, and she should not have any expectations for love. She also should never have the desire to see the outside world that she longed for.

But when the emperor looked at her with disappointment, she still couldn't help feeling heartbroken.

From then on, she worked hard to be a good princess. After the emperor ascended the throne, she took care of the concubines and protected their children.

But she couldn't keep her child.

"My illness is a mental illness. This bitter medicine can only deepen the pain in my heart and cannot cure it. It is better not to drink it."

Yan Shiyu's dark eyes were dull, he just stared at the empress quietly, tacitly agreeing with her words, "Zitong."

"The second young lady of the Yang family in Mingdu has a gentle temperament and is a model of aristocratic family. I would be most satisfied if she were to be my principal wife."

Yan Shiyu read out these words and added, "These are the words I said when I asked the late emperor for permission to arrange a marriage for you and me. After all these years, I still remember them clearly."

The queen clutched the quilt tightly in her hands, and when she raised her eyes to look at the emperor again, her eyelashes blinked violently.

"I understand your sadness and your inability to control yourself, but since I chose you, I have never thought of treating you with contempt. You can blame me or resent me, but you are still my queen. What you need to do is to manage the harem. Just remembering the past is not good for you."

The queen smiled, her eyes filled with grief, and she coughed as she said:

"Could it be that I, a concubine, cannot even have my own sorrow, joy, and anger?"

"It's not that I can't do it, but that I can't." Yan Shiyu left behind these words, "It's been too long since those days, but I haven't forgotten. The dead cannot be resurrected, and living in pain will only make the dead uneasy."

After saying this, Yan Shiyu turned around and left, leaving the empress alone, sitting quietly in the same place, feeling the silence that filled the palace.

Suddenly she laughed out loud, and a line of tears fell. She calmly wiped them away, her face full of fatigue.

…

"In that case, the nanny from the West Third Building must know the truth of what happened back then." Ji Zhaoyi moved the tea lid absentmindedly.

Ruan Yun nodded, "That's right."

"Although we don't know whether the Empress's sister fell into the water or not, we still need to know why she suddenly fell into the water and happened to have the note in her hand. If she had known that it was written by her sister, she should have destroyed the body. Why did she keep it? Wouldn't it attract people to find it?"

Ji Zhaoyi suddenly slammed the lid of the teacup in his hand. "If an ordinary person falls into the water, those who cannot float will struggle hard, but they may not be able to hold on to the things in their hands. If they clench their hands in a nervous state, the note will also be crushed. But as the queen said just now, the handwriting on the note is clearly visible. It seems that they watched the person drown first, pretended to make the note wet and soaked, and stuffed it into the hands of the queen's sister."

Ruan Yun's breathing became more rapid, and she said, "Your Majesty, maybe you have already thought of this before, but you just didn't say anything because you had no evidence."

But what she said was just her own guess. She would have to ask the Empress to find out the real situation.

Ruan Yun became more and more worried about whether the empress's body could hold on.

There was silence in the inner hall, and the two men's maids standing behind them didn't know what to say.

Tingxu rushed in in a hurry. Ruan Yun and Ji Zhaoyi looked up at her. Tingxu calmed down and walked steadily. She said, "Your Majesty, Chunqing has returned from Fengyi Palace."

Ruan Yun gave a look, and Tingxu immediately understood what the queen meant and asked Chunqing to come in.

Chun Qing bent very low, as if he had come back too quickly, and was still a little out of breath, and said:

"Your Majesty, the Emperor left Fengyi Palace and went directly back to Zichen Palace."

Ruan Yun and Ji Zhaoyi looked at each other and asked, "What does the emperor look like?"

Chun Qing paused and recalled: "It seems that nothing happened. There is no difference from usual. There is nothing unusual in Fengyi Palace either."

Ruan Jun couldn't help but sigh in her heart. The emperor was a superior who was intimidating without getting angry. Even when facing such things, he always looked calm.

Chun Qing waved and left. Ruan Yun looked at Ji Zhaoyi and felt a headache.

The only person who knows the whole truth of this matter now is probably the nanny in West Third Building. If you really want to know the person behind the scenes, you will have to find out through that nanny.

Seeing Ruan Yun having a headache, Ji Zhaoyi gently placed her hand on the back of her hand and said softly, "Sister Ying, don't think too much. I'm afraid only the two of them know what happened between Concubine De and Concubine Zhang. What's important now is the health of the Empress. Now that the Empress is ill, it won't be so smooth for her to go to the palace."

Ruan Yun took a deep breath and said, "It looks like I still have to go to Zichen Palace first."

Ji Zhaoyi said softly, "The little princess is done with school. If she can't see me, she'll probably make a scene. I'll go back to the palace first. If you want to go to Fengyi Palace, let someone let me know."

Ruan Yun nodded and watched Ji Zhaoyi leave with a smile.

Ying Ning and Ting Xu stood beside Ruan Yun and whispered, "Does the queen want to take a break?"

Ruan Yun looked at the clepsydra. The palace gates would soon be locked. She said softly, moving the candlestick on the table, "Go get a bowl of the lotus porridge I made today."

Ying Ning bowed and responded to Ruan Yun's words. The dim candlelight made Ruan Yun's face seem bright and dark. The night wind blew and flickered the candlelight. Ting Xu said, "Your Majesty is suspicious that the Empress's past affairs were related to Concubine De and Concubine Zhang?"

Ruan Yun's eyes fell on Tingxu and she only said one sentence, "Whether it is or not, it depends on what happens next."

Being able to overthrow Concubine De and Concubine Zhang was a good thing for her.

…

Wei Maoyuan went in with a tinderbox to light a lamp, and Yan Shiyu's cold voice rang out from the darkness:

"Go down!"

Wei Maoyuan paused and could only quietly put the candlestick back in.

The Zichen Palace was in darkness. The only light was the bright white moonlight pouring in through the windows. The night was quiet and peaceful, and the flower buds in the entire garden were faintly adorned under the moonlight.

Ruan Jun came walking on the moon, palace maids holding lanterns to illuminate the stone slabs, the sweet fragrance filled the air, and she walked to the front of the main hall in her pink skirt with the scent of flowers.

Wei Maoyuan was worrying about what to do, when he suddenly saw the Imperial Concubine in front of him. He was so excited that tears were about to fall. He knelt down and said, "My Queen, I wish you the best."

Ruan Yun looked inside impartially, her voice soft and gentle, "Is it convenient for me to come in?"

Ying Ning had already handed the lunch box to Xiao Muzi for inspection. When Wei Maoyuan took the lunch box, he said quickly, "It's convenient, of course it's convenient."

When Wei Maoyuan opened the door for the imperial concubine, his voice was so low that it almost blended in with the cicada and frog calls outside:

"My lady, be careful, there is no light inside."

Ruan Jun was stunned for a moment, tightened and loosened her grip on the food box, and said, "Thank you for your reminder, eunuch."

There was no light when Ruan Yun entered the inner hall. She could not see clearly what was in front of her and could only move forward relying on her memory.

But every step she took, the sound of footsteps in the silent inner hall made Ruan Jun extremely nervous. She could also clearly sense that the emperor sitting at the top of the table had his eyes on her.

After finally climbing up the jade steps and putting down the food box, Ruan Jun was immediately grabbed by Yan Shiyu and pulled into his arms.

There was a desk behind her, and Ruan Yun could still touch the memorials on it by leaning back with her hands.

He wanted to use the tinder to light the candle, but Yan Shiyu snatched it away. "That's it."

Ruan Yun's voice was gentle and charming. She simply sat on the emperor's lap and said in a dishonest tone, "Your Majesty, you are not afraid that I will fall. But if I really fall, Your Majesty will not be able to remember me. I am afraid that I will lose my favor."

Yan Shiyu clasped Ruan Yun's waist with his big hand, the threat behind it was self-evident. The two were very close, and because of the moonlight, Ruan Yun could clearly see her own reflection in the emperor's deep black eyes.

With her jade arms around Yan Shiyu's neck, Ruan Jun was thinking about how to start talking.

Yan Shiyu developed some romantic thoughts because of her approach, but they were suppressed by the Empress's affairs.

He considered himself to be heartless and unlucky, but that was how an emperor should be.

When marrying a wife, one should marry a virtuous woman, let alone the mother of a country.

He chose the empress because the Mingdu Yang family was a century-old aristocratic family with members from the Mingdu Yang family everywhere. Although the empress's branch was not outstanding, they had excellent character.

When he learned that the empress was pregnant, he was delighted. How could he not value his first child?

But he had not expected what would happen later. He understood that the queen was not resentful because she had wrongly blamed her, but that her sister had died in an unclear manner.

But how can one explain clearly the things in this world? Now that she has become the queen, she should not be troubled by these things anymore.

He respected the queen and hoped that she could be a good queen instead of being depressed and dying like she is now.

Ruan Yun's soft voice rang in Yan Shiyu's ears:

"I know that the Emperor is not having a good time now that the Empress's child is gone."

Yan Shiyu then looked at Ruan Jun, smiling, "How old were you then?"

Ruan Yun's eyes became round and she said sweetly, "But I am also a mother now."

Yan Shiyu only let out a few dull laughs from his chest, but did not refute Ruan Yun's words.

Ruan Yun hooked the emperor's little finger and said, "The Empress was pregnant that year. It was not only the Empress's first child, but also the Emperor's. I know the Emperor is upset, but the Emperor is a king, a son of heaven, and cannot show this in front of outsiders, otherwise there will be many people eyeing him covetously."

She pursed her lips, and seeing that the emperor did not stop her, she continued her words boldly, "The emperor can only reveal a little sadness when it is late at night and no one is around."

Her fair hands rubbed the emperor's fingers, and the rough and thin fingertips were made red by her. Ruan Yun slowly put her own hand into the emperor's hand, moved forward, and spoke slowly:

"If Your Majesty is unhappy, please tell me. I will accompany Your Majesty."

Yan Shiyu moved his palm and hit Ruan Yun's waist/buttocks, feeling the soft flesh between his fingers, "You are trying to spy on the emperor's heart. Are you going to die?"

Ruan Yun refused to do it when she heard it, not to mention that this posture was too dangerous, so she said, "I have said it all, Your Majesty, please kill me."

Yan Shiyu kneaded Ruan Yun's earlobes with his knuckles pointing upwards, his voice low and hoarse, as if he had drunk mellow wine, intoxicating.

"I can't bear to do that."

"Xiao Xiao is so beautiful and can soothe my heart. If I kill you, how can I find another one as beautiful as this one?"

Ruan Yun heard the words and said sourly, "I heard that the emperor's former eloquent lady was Concubine Zhang."