30 House arrest
◎So, why are you in such a hurry◎
"I don't!"
Rong Qianyu's tears fell from her eyes one by one. She had never seen her like this before.
"No?"
Seeing her life was in jeopardy, Nanny Fang was eager to drag Rong Qianyu into the water. "Your Majesty, please understand. Before leaving the palace for the marriage, Wen Xiaqing went to see her. They were flirting for a long time, and when they came out, their eyes were red. How dare you say you don't have an affair?"
She was furious, her face turned pale and red, she waved her hands and drew randomly, shouting at the top of her voice as if she wanted to eat someone.
"Wen Xiaqing is now twenty-one, a talented and renowned figure in the capital. A son of a distinguished family, why is he still unmarried? You could kill me, but do you think you can still become the empress? You're such a filthy creature, how could you possibly deserve to be one?"
Rong Qianyu pretended to be relieved after hearing this. "Did you miss the point?"
Nanny Fang was distracted and didn't understand.
"We're talking about your collaborating with the enemy. Why are you bringing up these old stories? You admitted that you were ordered by He Wanrou, but she's nothing more than a despicable person. Don't think I don't know how my mother died. You want to use Wen Xiaqing to convict me? Do you think I'm a young girl who can be held hostage by you?"
Rong Qianyu unconsciously revealed a smile at the corner of her eyes, which made Nanny Fang feel a chill on her back for the first time.
She knelt down, pleading earnestly in her eyes.
"Your Majesty, this matter is fraught with doubt. Qianyu has been heavily involved, making it difficult to judge. However, Qianyu has a clear conscience and is not afraid of an investigation. Your Majesty, please restore Qianyu's innocence. Qianyu is willing to recuse herself from suspicion."
"Who do you want to investigate?" Bai Yi asked.
"Xue Ji." This was something she had already thought of. "He is a close confidant of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He is in charge of the East Factory and is well-informed. He will not be partial or biased."
"Okay." Bai Yi made the decision immediately.
"But Qianyu has a request. No matter what, please spare Madam Fang's life and fulfill Qianyu's filial piety."
Her attitude was so sincere that if you didn't know better you would think that Nanny Fang was her wet nurse.
Nanny Fang's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but burst into laughter. Veins popped out across her face as she stared at Rong Qianyu with uncontrollable fury. "You little bitch, you're still acting so hypocritical!"
"Let Master Xue take full responsibility for this matter. This palace must thoroughly investigate it. Nanny Fang will be imprisoned in Zhao Prison first, and will be escorted back to the country after her fate is determined. As for the Crown Princess, she will be confined to her residence for a month."
"Thank you for your help, Madam!"
The news of the Crown Princess's house arrest spread quickly, and many people were waiting to see Rong Qianyu's show.
Since Xue Ji's last article "Song of the Yue People", the two have rarely delved into it.
Even if he wanted to play some tricks, even if Rong Qianyu occasionally took the initiative, he would remain clothed, and every move between the two seemed to be a one-way street.
If he didn't come to look for her, Rong Qianyu wouldn't take the initiative to look for her. She didn't know who was begging whom. She went there but fell asleep again after a short while. It seemed like the incense he burned had some kind of medicine in it, and she always felt sleepy when she went there.
Every time he woke up, Rong Qianyu was lying on the couch, Xue Ji was reviewing official documents behind the screen, Rong Qianyu draped her cloak over him, and sat beside him, quietly eating cakes.
The two of them seemed to have spent two months in this uneventful manner.
"She's grounded. What's the reason?"
Qingyun replied, "It seems so. Nanny Fang was discovered spreading the news to Rong State. The Queen Mother asked the adults to investigate the matter thoroughly. What should the Crown Princess do?"
Xue Ji didn't even raise his eyes, "What should we do? Lock him up."
"Don't you care, sir?"
Xue Ji was not in a hurry, which made Qingyun very anxious.
"Why should I care? It's March and the peach blossoms are in bloom. I'm going to go enjoy the spring. I don't have time to worry about this chaos."
"Aren't the adults in a hurry?"
Xue Ji was unhurried, quite leisurely and elegant. "You've been following me for so long, haven't you lost your discernment?"
"Please give your instructions, sir."
Seeing that he was really stubborn, he asked, "Let me ask you, what kind of news is that Madam spreading?"
"Probably the food, clothing and daily necessities of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess." Qingyun replied.
"It's just a record of the schedule. Is there any specific content?"
“No.”
"So, why are you so anxious?" Xue Ji poured tea and burned incense. "This matter was originally a matter of raising it high and then letting it go gently. The historians also recorded what she said. It's not a secret matter. It's just killing a chicken to scare the monkeys."
"Your Excellency is saying that the Crown Princess set up this scheme?"
Xue Ji handed a cup to Qingyun and gave him a look, "The Crown Princess only knows how to sew, and she can also set up a scheme?"
"Yes, sir!"
Qingyun didn't know what they talked about that day, but she didn't expect their relationship to develop so quickly. In just a few days, they had reached the point where he was giving her advice.
"Is the prince in the palace?" Xue Ji asked.
"Left the palace." Qingyun replied.
"When will you be back?"
"I don't know. It seems the Queen didn't call him back."
Xue Ji pondered for a moment and said, "Just wait, something interesting is about to happen."
"Then would you like to enter the palace immediately, sir?" Qingyun was particularly concerned about this matter. He couldn't tell why, but ever since he knew that the two of them were secretly colluding with each other, Xue Ji's aloof and cold image in his eyes collapsed instantly.
In the past, people always advised him to find a partner, hoping that he would adopt a child so that he would have someone to look after him when he was old. But he said that he didn't care, but he actually dared to get together with the Crown Princess in private.
Looking at his calm and composed appearance now, I wonder how wild he must be when he is with the Crown Princess.
"No rush. The Empress has already stabilized most of the situation. She just needs an unrelated person to make the final decision. Let's go to the palace tomorrow to see."
"yes."
Qingyun saw that he had really changed. In the past, Xue Ji would never look up at the sky and smile foolishly by himself. Alas, the world is going downhill.
"By the way, go check the background of Rongguo's successor queen."
"yes."
On the other hand, Rong Qianyu didn't make any moves.
"My Lady, how long will we be locked up?"
"The Queen Mother said that I'm under house arrest for a month."
She had been locked up in the bedroom for six or seven days, and had not received any news from Xue Ji. She didn't know what the situation was outside.
Food has been delivered to him from outside, but other than that he knows nothing else. He has been pretending to be sick these past few days, partly to hide his tracks and partly to test his subordinates.
Rong Qianyu and Rong Pan, the master and servant, often never go out of the house, and they chat from time to time.
"I didn't expect that Aunt Fang is such a person."
Rong Pan helped her press her head, his eyes full of worry, "Yes, the Queen treated her very well, I never thought she would be so ruthless."
The two of them talked in secret, and rarely let Yuanqing Yujie come close to serve them.
Rong Qianyu looked listless, as if she had suffered a defeat. She sat quietly on the recliner, holding a hand warmer, staring blankly at something.
Wandering aimlessly in a trance.
Yujie came into the room and brought hot tea and snacks. These were delivered by the Food Department at regular intervals and in fixed quantities, and were similar to the previous supplies. However, Rong Qianyu didn't want to eat them, so the snacks these times were all given to Yujie and the others.
She'd been sighing like this lately. Rong Pan wanted to call in the imperial physician, but she stopped him. "There's nothing much to say about this. It's just a fateful calamity. From now on, I'm afraid I won't receive any more favors. The Empress will probably be suspicious."
"Don't say that, Your Majesty. The Queen will definitely still believe you."
Rong Qianyu looked troubled and haggard. "People's hearts are hidden, who knows? If you don't want to be implicated, go to another family as soon as possible. I'm afraid my position as Crown Princess will be in jeopardy."
"What are you talking about, Your Majesty? You are the Crown Princess, and you are not wrong. His Majesty and the Empress will see through everything."
"Yes, yes." Several people echoed, trying to please her, but it was of no avail.
"Everyone, leave." Her eyes were hazy and lifeless.
Yujie left the inner room, and Yuanqing came in to report that Cui Cairen had arrived.
"Your Majesty, Consort Cui is here, and she's begging to see you." She told him carefully, her voice low for fear of making her angry.
But when she heard it was Cui Rumei, Rong Qianyu's previous expression of resentment changed. A murderous glint flashed in her eyes, and an uncontrollable anger surged up. Her face, which had been bloodless, flushed crimson. "What is she doing here? Is she here to laugh at me? No, no, she's just taking advantage of my downfall!"
She glared around, seemingly using all her might, and threw the tea and snacks to the ground. Her emotions were like a trapped animal, trembling uncontrollably. She wanted to escape, to break free, but the shackles were too heavy, and she couldn't moan or break free. "What kind of person is this? She always puts me first, and now she's showing off. I can't have children, so if she can, she can have one. Why is she so disgusting?"
Right now, he was just reflecting on his mistakes in seclusion, and he was not sent back to his country to be banished to the cold palace. However, Cui Rumei could not hold back and came to see if he was dead or alive every few days.
If she died, she would have finally gotten through it, as if the position of Crown Princess belonged to her.
"Don't be angry, my lady. I'll just ask her to leave."
"Get out, get out!" She smashed the thing madly. It was the first time that Yuan Qingyujie saw her behave so inappropriately.
"My Queen, My Queen!"
Rong Qianyu cried, "I don't want her to see me in such a miserable state. Get out, get out!"
"Empress, Empress, call the imperial physician, go call the imperial physician quickly!" Rong Pan urged.
Yu Xie said with a hint of worry, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, nothing will happen to you, right? What if something happens..."
After hearing these words, Rong Pan immediately stopped her, "Shut up, the Empress is fine, what could have happened? Yuanqing, go make her a pot of calming soup, and Yujie, go get the imperial physician."
"We are under house arrest, can the imperial physician come?" Yu Xie asked nonchalantly.
"Your Highness is confined to reflect on your mistakes, not banished to the cold palace. You are still the Crown Princess, so why can't you see the imperial physician? Go find one and stop talking nonsense!"
She reprimanded Yujie very harshly, saying that she was unlucky today and was scolded one after another.
"Yes, yes, yes!" He had no choice but to bite the bullet and go ask the imperial physician for help.
She stood there dejected, feeling aggrieved. She was young, so what she said was indeed a bit serious. "I've never seen Sister Pan'er so angry before." Yu Xie was a little worried. After all, this was a big fuss, and judging by Rong Pan's current attitude, it seemed that things would not be easy to deal with.
Yuan Qing comforted him, "Yes, she is just angry. Don't take it too seriously. Just focus on doing your own thing."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
