Chapter 222 Past Events
That night, the morning glow was shining and dusk was approaching.
Yaohua Palace.
"Your Majesty, Concubine Xi has passed away." Nanny Kong came in from outside.
Concubine Zhao raised her eyebrows: "Did you see clearly? It's really Concubine Xi?"
Madam Kong nodded. "I saw it clearly. Concubine Xi was wearing the pearl brocade that was just delivered as tribute a few days ago. She was wearing a veil, and Wanqiu and a eunuch were following behind her. She was very cautious."
Concubine Zhao smiled in surprise: "It seems that Concubine Xi and Editor Fu are indeed having an affair."
"Have you asked Xia Ying to keep an eye on you?"
Madam Kong hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. Xia Ying is currently guarding Liuyun Terrace, watching Concubine Xi's every move. If anything unusual happens, she will report it to you immediately."
Concubine Zhao's fingertips brushed the magnolia embroidery on the hem of her skirt, and her red lips curled up slowly: "Prepare the sedan chair, and follow me to the Qinzheng Palace."
In the Qinzheng Palace, Liu Yuetang entered the palace dressed as a palace maid.
At this time, Xiao Heng was reviewing memorials. Without even raising his head, he thought it was the palace maid who came to add tea, so he said calmly, "Go and change it for a cup of chrysanthemum tea."
After he finished speaking, the person next to him didn't move at all.
Xiao Heng was a little impatient and looked up, only to find that it was Liu Yuetang.
He fixed his eyes on her, who was wearing a green palace dress. "Miaomiao, why are you here, and you're wearing a palace maid's dress?"
Liu Yuetang looked deeply into Xiao Heng's eyes.
His ink-black eyes were filled with a warm smile, as if he was very happy to see that he was a little confused.
Liu Yuetang's eyes, though bright and clear, were covered with a thin layer of melancholy. She bowed slightly and said, "I have something important to tell the Emperor. I didn't want to attract attention, so I changed into a palace maid's dress."
Seeing her expression so solemn and cautious, Xiao Heng knew in his heart that it must be a very important matter.
He asked, "What does Miaomiao mean?"
Liu Yuetang timidly lowered her eyes, pursed her lips and was about to kneel, but Xiao Heng held her back: "Why are you kneeling? Stand up and speak. I forgive you."
Liu Yuetang was stunned and looked at Xiao Heng in astonishment.
His dark eyes, which were originally filled with soft light, gradually dimmed, and he said in a deep voice: "Tell me, does this matter concern you, or does it concern someone else?"
He was not completely unaware of the intrigues in the harem, and he also understood that Liu Yuetang had been plotting something all along.
The reason why I turned a blind eye was because she never calculated against me.
Furthermore, she is a kind-hearted person. Even after entering the deep palace, she is more interested in learning how to gain a foothold and protect herself in the palace.
He believed that she was not a cruel woman, so she would not take the initiative to harm others.
Liu Yuetang took a deep breath and said, "In fact, I have wanted to tell the emperor about this for a long time, but I have always thought that those are not important past events. In addition, I hate those people, so I don't want to mention it again."
"But today, I want to be honest with the emperor. I am afraid that someone with ulterior motives will use this as an excuse to cause trouble and cause the emperor to misunderstand me."
Xiao Heng's brows slowly furrowed, his intuition telling him that this was not a good thing.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be so cautious and wouldn't have hidden it for so long.
Suddenly, he didn't want to listen anymore.
He always thought she was beautiful, his own sweetheart, and he didn't want any stain on this flower.
However, he also wanted to know what the past was and what she had done.
"Go on." Xiao Heng stared at her.
Liu Yuetang lowered her eyes, looking at the golden dragon pattern on his sleeve, and said slowly: "When I was young, my aunt and father arranged a marriage for me. That man was my brother-in-law - Fu Zhixing."
Xiao Heng's pupils suddenly trembled and he looked at Liu Yuetang in disbelief.
Then she continued, "Later, a month before entering the palace, Fu Zhixing said he liked Liu Yueyao and wanted to marry her. So, I swapped marriages with Liu Yueyao. She married into the Liu Mansion, and I entered the palace for selection. In fact, I should have told the emperor about this as early as after entering the palace, but... at that time, I was insignificant in his heart, so I didn't dare... I didn't dare tell the emperor. I was afraid that the emperor would dislike me and mind that I was engaged to someone else."
Xiao Heng never expected that the person who was going to marry Fu Zhixing in the first place was actually Liu Yuetang.
Her woman almost became someone else's woman.
He cleared his throat and asked, "When did you and him get married?"
Liu Yuetang replied, "I was still in Zhuangzi at that time, less than nine years old."
Under nine years old?!
A short sneer escaped from Xiao Heng's throat.
Liu Yuetang returned to the Liu family when she was nine years old. The Liu family and the Fu family have always had contacts.
So, they are childhood sweethearts.
Xiao Heng subconsciously clenched his fingertips, and his heart felt very blocked.
He cleared his throat and looked at Liu Yuetang scrutinizingly: "Then you and him——"
"I have nothing to do with him, Your Majesty!"
Liu Yuetang said hurriedly, "Because of our engagement, he would give me small gifts during every festive occasion. I admit that I was indeed somewhat grateful at the time, but it was simply gratitude, and I never overstepped the bounds. If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, I will swear to heaven to prove my innocence."
As she spoke, she raised two fingers high in the air. Just as she was about to speak, Xiao Heng interrupted her: "Alright, no need to swear."
As he was about to pull down Liu Yuetang's hand, and when he touched her jade-white thumb, Xiao Heng couldn't help but think that although he had never done anything inappropriate, there was no guarantee that Fu Zhixing had touched her hand and her hair...
Seeing Xiao Heng's furrowed brows, Liu Yuetang knew that his suspicions had not completely dissipated.
She took a step forward and looked at Xiao Heng's stern face tenderly.
"Your Majesty, I assure you that no one has ever touched my body, from my hair to my feet, including my heart."
She gently clasped Xiao Heng's wrist, placed her large palm against her heart, and spoke with deep affection, "Here, your Majesty is the only one. No matter before or after, my heart will only beat for your Majesty."
Even through his clothes, Xiao Heng could still feel his heartbeat like a drum shaking his palms, again and again, gradually relaxing his originally tense heartstrings.
He raised his eyes and looked at her.
Their eyes met, and Liu Yuetang's eyes were already red, with hot tears constantly filling them: "I have never understood what love is. To Fu Zhixing, it was just a piece of paper engagement. But since I met the emperor, I know what it means to like someone, what it means to love someone."
She took a deep breath, and crystal clear tears fell from her eyes, hitting the back of Xiao Heng's hand, but it seemed as if they hit the tip of his heart, making his heart feel hot.
"Your Majesty has bestowed upon me a favor I have never had before. You also taught me to please not only others but more importantly, myself. You also gave me a child and a home. To me, you are not the Son of Heaven, but my beloved husband. If I still doubt Miaomiao, Miaomiao..."
As she spoke, she couldn't help sobbing: "Miao Miao confined herself to the Yaoyue Palace to avoid upsetting the emperor."
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