Chapter 59 Xie Chengyan used every means at his disposal, clearly...
Xue Ningrong looked at Shen Xi with gentle calmness, and couldn't help but recall the words her younger sister had said when she came to see her a couple of days ago.
At that moment, she knelt beside him, tears streaming down her face, and pleaded, "Xie Chengyan is treacherous. Now Xie Yi and my brother both value him, but they don't care about their own child at all. If this continues, how can Wen Lang live his whole life under the thumb of outsiders?"
Xie Wenlang had often accompanied Lady Xue to visit her in the palace since he was a child. Compared to Xie Chengyan, she naturally preferred this blood relative.
As for Xie Yi and his brother...
Xue Ningrong suddenly let out a sarcastic laugh. Earlier, when she saw her sister's unrestrained attitude towards Xie Yi and Xie Chengyan, she thought that her sister was planning to make a move.
Unexpectedly, they simply let things continue unchecked until now, when they finally started to panic.
Xie Yi, a man who only got to where he is today because of the Xue family, can hardly be expected to be a kind person.
As for his elder brother, family power was what he truly loved. He didn't care whether someone was related to him or not, as long as they were a useful talent.
Xue Ningrong knew that her younger sister had no other choice but to come to her for help. As they were siblings, she couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
Moreover, Xie Chengyan truly cannot be kept alive.
Thinking this, Xue Ningrong slowly started chatting with Shen Xi about everyday matters: "The last time you came to my palace, it was because Xiao Wu invited you to the palace and you accidentally fell into the water. I was asked to help you out."
Shen Xi observed her expression and replied, "So it was Your Majesty's mercy in saving my life..."
As they were talking, Xue Ningrong slightly raised her hand to interrupt her: "There's no need for such empty words. I only want to ask you one thing: do you know who came to beg me back then?"
Shen Xi was stunned. She had fallen into the water and lost consciousness. When she woke up, she had already left the palace. There was no one to ask her about the details, so she did not investigate further.
But Xue Ningrong's sudden question today clearly has another hidden meaning.
Shen Xi, her head still spinning, considered for a moment and said, "This humble woman knows that it was Wen Lang who asked Your Majesty for help."
Xue Ningrong smiled as if she had heard a joke, but what she said was chilling: "Shen Xi, do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know?"
His voice was soft and gentle, accompanied by the sound of Buddhist prayer beads being twirled in his hands, echoing in the empty side hall.
Shen Xi's breath hitched, and when she met her probing gaze, she froze for a moment.
Xue Ningrong remained kind and gentle, and even reached out to gently stroke Shen Xi's cheek after noticing her nervousness.
She had always heard Xie Wenlang say that Xue Ningrong was an extremely kind and amiable person, but now that she had seen her, she found her to be far too kind.
His kindness was as if he wore a skin that appeared out of nowhere.
A slight chill ran down Shen Xi's face, and she couldn't help but shiver.
"Your Majesty, I do not understand your meaning."
Xue Ningrong showed no anger, but instead said with increasing meaning: "Is that so? It seems that you are not that important to him."
After saying that, she got up and left: "Alright, you're not thinking clearly right now, lie down and rest for a while."
Xue Ningrong slowly left the side hall. Outside, the sky was dark and gloomy, and the snowy weather made it even more so.
The old woman stepped forward and draped a fox fur coat over her shoulders: "Your Highness, this is quite a risky move. Do you really want to do this?"
As the elderly woman who served her closely, the nanny knew the whole story from beginning to end.
The Duchess begged the Empress for help, and through Shen Xi, threatened Xie Chengyan, hoping to eliminate him from the brink of death.
Xie Chengyan is hardly an easy person to get along with, especially in recent years when he has become more powerful, and many decisions made by the Xue and Xie families are inseparable from his hand.
If Xue Hongming and Xie Yi were to find out about this, they would definitely protect Xie Chengyan. The two sisters have lived in the deep palace for so long, how could they possibly be a match for them?
Why bother getting involved in this mess?
Xue Ningrong gazed at the snow piled under the eaves, reflecting the faint light of the sky, and sighed softly: "She is my sister, and Wen Lang is my nephew. I must help him."
She paused, then smiled and said, "Back then, I had no doubt whatsoever that Xie Chengyan has truly grown up. He actually dared to raid my Buddhist temple at night to save someone."
The old nanny exclaimed in surprise, "Does Your Highness mean that the eldest young master was the one who shot that arrow?"
Xue Ningrong clenched his hands, which were holding Buddhist prayer beads: "Who else could it be but this kid, who is related to Shen Xi and knows everything about what happened back then?"
“My sister is also stupid. Xie Chengyan used all sorts of means, clearly for that Shen Xi. But she was completely oblivious, only thinking about her good son, convinced that everything Xie Chengyan did was for revenge, and didn’t care about anything else.”
"Assassination attempts and drugging failed to kill Xie Chengyan. We were completely outmaneuvered by that girl surnamed Shen. But I should thank her. If she hadn't reminded me, I would never have imagined that Xie Chengyan, that heartless bastard, would turn around and bite me."
The old woman was still puzzled; she had clearly seen the two lines of text on the note—
The Xue family poisoned them one after the other.
Save Chenxi, do not disturb him.
This old incident happened many years ago, and she had almost forgotten about it completely. She asked in confusion, "But the eldest young master was still young back then, and all those involved were purged. How could he know about such a thing?"
Xue Ningrong was not surprised: "My brother relies on him so much, he almost treats him like his own son, so he doesn't care if he finds out about those secrets from the past."
It's just that she was also fooled, never suspecting her own family, and prejudicially assuming that Xie Chengyan was really just there to clean up the mess after being reprimanded by His Majesty that day.
It wasn't until Lady Xue entered the palace, tearfully recounting how Xie Chengyan had retaliated against her and her son, and begged for her help, that she gleaned a clue from the story.
Given the circumstances, if he had genuinely come to plead with her that day, she wouldn't have stood idly by. But Xie Chengyan insisted on using this method to force her to take action, so his intentions are worth considering.
Taking this opportunity to get rid of him in one fell swoop would not only help my sister, but also eliminate a potential threat.
But Xue Ningrong couldn't help but sigh: "My sister has been overprotected by me and her brother since she was little, and she doesn't understand anything. It was wrong of us to keep her in the first place."
The old woman comforted him, saying, "This is just like Her Highness's nature. She spared his life because she was kind-hearted. Who would have thought that she would raise such an ungrateful wolf cub?"
Xue Ningrong's eyes darkened slightly as he twirled his prayer beads: "It's a pity that kind-hearted people don't live long."
Upon seeing her expression, the old woman immediately understood that she had once again thought of what had happened.
So he stopped talking and quietly accompanied Xue Ningrong to the Buddhist hall.
Meanwhile, after Xue Ningrong left, the bed curtains fell again, blocking out the outside world, and the side hall was silent.
Shen Xi tried to move her body, but to no avail. She could only resign herself to her fate and wait on the bed for the effects of the medicine to wear off quickly.
But the medicine was really potent. After waiting for a long time, my hands and feet were still weak and sore, and I even felt dizzy again.
She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her flesh, using the pain to keep herself from falling asleep.
Just as Shen Xi was about to drift off to sleep, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the palace, accompanied by disordered footsteps, enveloping the entire Jiaofang Palace.
A stern command rang out: "Search thoroughly! Don't let a single one escape!"
Immediately afterwards, the door to the side hall where Shen Xi was located creaked open.
She struggled to lift her eyelids and look outside.
In the dim light, a heavily armored imperial guard stepped in and went straight to the bed where Shen Xi was lying.
Shen Xi's heart skipped a beat. Although she didn't know what the situation was outside, it was definitely not good for her, who was currently unable to move.
The man strode forward, his armor clanging as he moved.
Suddenly, the bed curtains were pulled back, and Chen Xi met the eyes of the newcomer.
Upon seeing an unfamiliar face, she frowned slightly, but as her gaze moved upwards and landed on those eyes, Shen Xi was taken aback.
Hurried footsteps came from outside again. Before she could speak, he had already picked her up and carried her horizontally. He then looked around, used the momentum to leap up, and hid on the roof beam.
Shen Xi nestled in his arms, weak and listless.
She took a deep breath and clearly recognized Xie Chengyan's scent. She was immediately relieved. Then she gently raised her hand and touched his ear, as if trying to examine his face.
Xie Chengyan pressed down on her wrist, his gaze focused on the situation inside the hall, and whispered in her ear, "Don't move."
Shen Xi closed her eyes, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier, and could only wrap her arms around his neck to prevent herself from falling.
Hearing his voice again after this ordeal, her eyes reddened, and she buried herself in his arms.
But the armor on her body was digging into her skin and causing her some pain. Xie Chengyan was also tense all over, paying close attention to the situation.
He only relaxed slightly after the Imperial Guards who had come to search for him left.
The commotion, which seemed to turn the Empress's Palace upside down, naturally alerted Xue Ningrong. She stepped out of the Buddhist hall and was startled to see who it was. She quickly greeted them, "Your Majesty, what brings you here?"
Over the years, the emperor has enjoyed the favor of all his concubines, but he has not been very close to Empress Xue Ningrong. Unless absolutely necessary, he never sets foot in the Jiaofang Palace.
Xue Ningrong knew that he was reminiscing about the past and was afraid that the sight of the scene would trigger his emotions, while she was devoted to Buddhism and with the Xue family backing her up, she didn't need to exert herself to compete for even a little bit of the emperor's favor.
The emperor, his face grim, strode into the Jiaofang Palace, glanced down at the hastily kneeling crowd, and said in a deep voice, "The empress has been living in the palace for a long time and has not paid attention to the affairs of the inner palace. I have come here today to visit her."
Xue Ningrong frowned slightly, her expression impassive, and asked, "Why did Your Majesty bring so many imperial guards to my palace? Has something happened?"
The emperor looked down at her for a while, then noticed the string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand. He bent down and placed them on her hand.
But his tone was cold: "The Empress has been a vegetarian and a Buddhist for so many years, she should have developed a kind heart."
Having said that, he used force to snatch the Buddhist beads from Xue Ningrong's hand.
Xue Ningrong paused for a moment, then looked up: "Your Majesty?"
Suddenly, the emperor looked into her eyes, his face darkened, and he slammed the string of beads to the ground.
The string of beads snapped instantly, and with a loud crack, they rolled to the ground.
Startled by the scene, Xue Ningrong leaned back and fell to the ground, her eyes filled with confusion: "Your Majesty, please calm down! Have I done anything wrong to offend Your Majesty?"
Before she could speak, her chin was gripped tightly by a hand, and before her stood the emperor's furious face: "A mistake? You really dare to say that! How could years of quiet Buddhist practice produce such a poisonous woman like you!"
"His Majesty!"
"Shut up! Ah Nian used to treat you with utmost care, how dare you lay a hand on her! How could you possibly lay a hand on her!"
Ah Nian.
These were her maiden names.
Xue Ningrong was instantly struck dumb, his face turned pale, and his eyes glazed over.
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