Chapter 14 Chapter 14 How can this pair of dogs and bitches be compared to each other...
After Li Che was dragged out of Wenhua Hall, the screen separating them was removed by the palace servants.
At the same time, Chu Yuanhe stood up suddenly with a wave of the wide sleeves of his black dragon robe, instantly covering most of the light and shadow behind him. The five-clawed golden dragon on the hem of his robe swam with his steps, as if it had the momentum to break through the clouds, restrained but hidden edge.
The eunuch Fugui hurriedly followed his footsteps, "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"
Your Majesty was not very happy before summoning Li Che, so why did he become even more angry after meeting him?
Chu Yuanhe pursed his lips tightly. He was only twenty-two years old, but his handsome eyebrows were filled with a murderous aura that could not be shaken off from years of fighting on the battlefield.
He couldn't explain it to anyone. Should he say that his anger came from a vague dream?
Thinking of those fragmented dreams, Chu Yuanhe could no longer suppress the anger in his heart. It was crazy and violent, as if it was about to burst out at any time and destroy the world.
But the one who dominated all his emotions was just one person, someone he had been thinking about for many years.
Before this, he had tried every possible way to give her enough honor and dignity, and tried his best to promote her husband, but Chu Yuanhe found that he was not as generous as he imagined.
On his wedding night, he couldn't help but summon the man into the palace, kept him there all night, and then sent him away.
Three years later, he thought he had let it go, so he agreed to the cabinet's transfer of the person back to Beijing.
He thought that he couldn't be selfish, he should hope for her well-being, and hope that she and her husband would love and live in harmony.
But in the end, she died without any warning in his dream.
He was killed by Li Che, his mistress, and that illegitimate child!
Li Che didn't know that the current emperor had already harbored murderous intentions towards him. He returned home with a nervous heart. As the carriage just entered the alley of the mansion, someone blocked the way. The driver was the servant Qingshi, who recognized the man.
"Master, it's the Third Miss."
Li Che was still trying to figure out the emperor's intentions when he heard these words. He was almost frightened to death and quickly lifted the curtain to look around.
Your Majesty knows everything that happens in his house, but you must never let anyone find out about what he and Zhao Manyi are doing.
Li Che was on guard, and Zhao Manyi clung to the edge of the carriage to prevent him from leaving, with tears as big as beans rolling down her cheeks.
Li Che knew what she wanted to say, so he got off the carriage and urged Qingshi to go forward. While there was no one around, he dragged Zhao Manyi into a narrow, dark alley.
"Don't come to see me recently."
Zhao Manyi's tears stopped. She thought Li Che's first words would be to comfort her.
"What's the meaning?"
In the dim light, the man's expression was gloomy and unclear. Zhao Manyi felt aggrieved. "You lied to me, and you're going to kick me out?"
"I didn't lie to you."
Seeing that she was about to cry, Li Che pulled her into his arms and said, "Man'er, don't think too much. You are Jun'er's mother. I will not drive you away even if I drive anyone away."
Nestled in his arms, Zhao Manyi's day-long anxiety finally found a place to rest. She wrapped her arms around the man's waist and sobbed, "But when you were with me, you didn't tell me you had a child with another woman..."
Li Che knew she came to him to ask about this matter. He suppressed his temper and explained, "It's not what you think. Yuxiu was a maid arranged by my family to accompany me when I was young. Later, she got pregnant without telling me, so my mother sent her away. I never thought of recognizing this child."
Zhao Manyi didn't believe it, "If you didn't want it, then why did she and the child come back?"
"I've already said it all. I was kept in the dark. If I had known in advance that they were going to take Yuxiu and her son back, I would definitely not have agreed to the adoption."
"But what's the point of saying this now?"
Zhao Manyi was not comforted. She felt uncomfortable whenever she thought about her son staying in the Li family without any status and no one liked him.
"Our Jun can no longer be the eldest son, and he may be sent away at any time. As a mother, when I think of him being all alone, with no one around to care for him, my heart breaks..."
"Alright, alright." Li Che hugged her, gently stroking her back with his big hand, and said gently, "I know you feel wronged, and I also know that you are worried about your status as a concubine. You are afraid that he will be bullied by the legitimate son like you. Don't worry, I will not let our son suffer this injustice again. I will also hire the best wet nurse to take care of him."
Zhao Manyi bit her lip, tears welling up in her beautiful, clear eyes. "Then, how long will it take?"
Li Che was slightly stunned, "How long?"
Zhao Manyi immediately became angry and pushed him away, "Okay, so you didn't even want to let me in!"
"Didn't you promise me that you would make Jun the eldest son and marry me in a grand sedan chair? These were all the promises you made to me back then. Have you forgotten them all now? Or do you despise me? Do you dislike the fact that I'm a widow and think marrying me would be shameful for you?"
Zhao Manyi became increasingly excited and her voice became louder. Li Che hurriedly covered her mouth and nose, "I haven't forgotten my promise to you. I just returned to Beijing, so I still need time..."
"I won't listen!"
Zhao Manyi broke free from him and cried bitterly, "Jun'er is only three years old. He needs his parents right now, but you can't give him the best. You're separating us mother and son. If you don't divorce that woman as soon as possible, you'll just make me wait..."
Zhao Manyi felt that no one in the world was more frustrated than her. "Think about how much hardship I went through to give birth to Jun'er. I lived alone in a house outside, raising Jun'er alone, day and night..."
She began to chatter about the past days. Whenever she talked about this, Li Che would hug her with a distressed look on his face, and this time was no exception.
Li Che was really helpless and squeezed out two tears, "I'm sorry, Man'er, it's all my fault. I made you and the child suffer, but I promise, when I enter the Imperial Academy and everything is stable, I will definitely compensate you double, okay?"
Zhao Manyi was still worried, "But Jun brother..."
"Don't worry, I'll find a chance to confess to my mother. As long as she knows the child is mine, she will take good care of him." Li Che thought he had considered it carefully.
Zhao Manyi's emotions finally calmed down a little, and she snuggled up to the man's chest, sobbing, "Brother-in-law..."
Finally he was coaxed.
Li Che breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhao Manyi suddenly thought of something and asked seriously, "By the way, His Majesty summoned you to the palace. Is it about your admission to the Hanlin Academy?"
At this point, Li Che's handsome face fell, "Your Majesty has deliberately warned me about the rumors in the capital, asking me to suspend my duties at home and postpone my admission to the Imperial Academy."
Zhao Manyi panicked, "How could this be?"
With Li Che's career blocked, what hope can she and Jun Ge'er have?
Li Che was more upset than anyone else at this moment. "That's why I told you not to come to me again. Now you have to avoid suspicion to avoid unnecessary trouble..."
Having said that, he suddenly hugged her gently again and softened his tone, "Of course, if it's convenient, you can talk to your aunt and see if she can persuade your father to speak a few good words for me in the court. Didn't you say that it was your father who lobbied for me behind the scenes that allowed me to be transferred back to the capital?"
Zhao Manyi twitched the corner of her mouth, feeling a little guilty, "This... let me give it a try."
She couldn't tell him now that the reason he was able to be transferred back to Beijing was because of Zhao Qingyi's help behind the scenes, right?
Li Che said to himself, "I actually suspect that the rumors are just superficial reasons. Perhaps the real reason preventing me from joining the Imperial Academy is because of Zhao Qingyi's father. I heard that her father supported the Ten New Policies proposed by Prime Minister Zhang, which aroused the jealousy of many powerful people. I am his nominal son-in-law, so those people naturally don't want me to have the opportunity to join the Imperial Academy and become a close minister to the emperor."
Zhao Manyi covered her lips and exclaimed, "So, it is like this..." She was also very scared. If something really went wrong with Li Che's career, the rest of her life and Jun Ge'er's life would be over.
She twisted her body and rubbed it, saying coquettishly, "I was wrong. I won't make trouble with you anymore. I'll talk to my mother later."
"This is my good Man'er." Li Che couldn't stand her like this, so he lowered his head and kissed her lips. But just as he kissed her, Zhao Manyi turned her head away, "By the way, brother-in-law, there is one more thing..."
"What's the matter?" Li Che caught her lips and kissed her tightly.
Zhao Manyi pretended to struggle a few times, "I wonder if you can find an excuse to let me live in the Li family first?"
Li Che's increasingly frenzied movements froze.
Zhao Manyi quickly hugged his neck, "Brother-in-law, just think of it as me coming to the mansion to accompany my elder sister. I can also see my brother Jun every day. It won't affect you..."
"No." Li Che wasn't yet so lustful that he'd lost his mind. After three years away from home, he was no longer familiar with the Li Mansion. He never knew where His Majesty might be spying. "We need to think this over carefully..."
"It's a long-term plan again!"
Seeing that Zhao Manyi was about to lose his temper again, Li Che said helplessly, "Why don't you think about Jun Ge'er? What if our affair is exposed and people know about Jun Ge'er's relationship with you? Jun Ge'er's life will be over. Do you want everyone to know that Jun Ge'er is a shameless illegitimate child?"
Speaking of her son, Zhao Manyi calmed down, and tears of grievance overflowed from her eyes again.
"Okay, Man'er, just think of it as Jun'er and bear it." Li Che lifted her chin and kissed her again. In the dark alley, there was only the rapid breathing of men and women...
Inside the Lanyue Pavilion, Zhao Qingyi had already bathed and changed her clothes. Holding a clean handkerchief in her jade sleeves, she twisted her hair for her. "Grandma, you said His Majesty suddenly summoned me today. Could it be that I have finally found my job?"
"I don't know." Zhao Qingyi's face was indifferent. "The emperor's mind is hard to predict. How can I know what His Majesty is thinking?"
Yuxiu looked worried, "Even the wise grandma wouldn't have thought of this, so I have no idea either."
Zhao Qingyi saw the worry on Yuxiu's face through the bronze mirror in front of the dressing table and smiled, "Don't underestimate yourself. You are a smart person. You don't need to ask me about many things in a roundabout way."
Yuxiu paused and chuckled, "After all, nothing can be hidden from Grandma..."
She wanted to find out the news about Li Che from Zhao Qingyi. It wasn't that she cared about this person that much, but now that she was Li Che's concubine, they would prosper and suffer together. She always had to make plans for herself and her son.
"But today I have also seen clearly that in this family, the eldest grandmother has the final say. As long as I serve her wholeheartedly, I don't have to worry about anything else."
Zhao Qingyi liked her straightforwardness, so she also said directly, "You just need to know that I have no conflict of interest with you."
"I saved it." In front of her, Yuxiu was very flattering. She rolled her eyes and asked the question in her heart, "But there is still one thing I don't understand. The third sister of the eldest grandmother's family seems to be..."
Not innocent.
As Yuxiu spoke, she carefully observed Zhao Qingyi's expression. Seeing that she was very calm, without any surprise or annoyance, she understood. "It seems that I am worrying too much. Nothing can escape the eyes of Grandma. I think you have already made up your mind."
Now her whole mind is on the mistress Zhao Qingyi. Only when everything goes well for the mistress can she and Jiao'er live a good life. She has to find ways to remind people and things that may affect the mistress's status. Fortunately, this mistress is more powerful and patient than she imagined.
Zhao Qingyi understood what she was thinking. Thinking of Yuxiu's skilled crying and making a fuss during the day, he knew that she was not a good person.
It is best to use such people for your own benefit.
"I let you into the mansion so that you can serve the master well. You don't have to worry about other things, including Jiao'er. But I also want to remind you that a man's love can never compare to tangible benefits."
In her previous life, Zhao Manyi blamed all the grievances and misfortunes on herself, thinking that she was caught between her and Li Che's relationship.
In this life, she wants to see how the love between this couple can remain as strong as gold without her.
"Thank you, Grandma, for your advice. I'll keep it in mind."
Yuxiu was the first woman who accompanied Li Che and was ruthlessly abandoned. No one knew Li Che's coldness better than her.
If this man really had feelings for her, he would not have married the noble lady for the sake of his status, leaving her and her child to wander outside for many years without caring about their life or death. If she turned against her mistress for this man, she would be hopelessly stupid.
"It's getting late, grandma, please go to bed early. I will come to pay my respects to you tomorrow." Yuxiu bowed respectfully and took her leave.
Before leaving, Zhao Qingyi reminded her, "Master should be here later. Find a way to bring him to your courtyard."
Even though Yuxiu had given birth to a child, she blushed when she heard this. "Yes, I will do my best."
After she left Lanyue Pavilion, the maids Tanyue and Qiaoyue came back in. Tanyue held a letter sealed with beeswax in her hand. "My cousin sent it in secretly. It should be a reply from the master and his wife."
Zhao Qingyi suddenly perked up, carefully opened the envelope, and took out the letter inside. It was definitely her father's handwriting. After reading it, she folded the letter and finally laughed from the bottom of her heart.
"Father has received the imperial edict and will be leaving soon. Although he doesn't know what I want to do, he is willing to listen to my advice and change the route back to Beijing via Shunde Prefecture."
The two maids didn't know what Zhao Qingyi was thinking, but seeing Zhao Qingyi happy, they were happy too. "So this is what you've been worrying about recently. But, how did you know in advance that the master would be transferred back to the capital?"
Zhao Qingyi realized she had slipped up, but she trusted the two maids, so she half-said, "It was just a hunch. I only confirmed it after my last encounter with Wanyan. Plus, Shanxi has been a bit uneasy lately, with robbers appearing all the time. For safety's sake, it's best to have Father take a detour."
Now that she had received a definite reply, Zhao Qingyi's heart was barely at peace. However, just as she put the letter into the box, Zhao Manyi's voice came in from outside the door.
"Big sister, can I come in?"
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