Chapter 22 Confrontation "Then come over and give me a good kiss."...
The next day, Xu bid farewell to the Empress, and Ruan Zhuoyin also used the excuse of visiting relatives to keep Ruan Yang by her side.
As the eunuchs lifted the sedan chair, Xu's figure receded further and further away from Ruan Yang.
Ruan Yang lowered her eyes and twirled the handkerchief wrapped around her fingertips. Last night, she did as the man said and did return to Fengqi Palace quickly, but she should be extremely cautious about every step she takes next.
"Has the medicine been applied?" The Empress turned and glanced at Ruan Yang's knees.
"It's on, and it doesn't hurt anymore."
After hearing this, the Empress sighed and said, "It's all Zisu's fault. That's why you were frightened last night. I just made her kneel in the courtyard for half an hour."
Seeing that she was still being polite, Ruan Yang went along with her and said, "What does it have to do with Zisu? I fell down by accident."
"Aunt, the one in the secret chamber is the real His Majesty, and the one lying in Chonghua Palace is a fake, right?"
Ruan Zhuoyin was taken aback. Seeing that she was straightforward, she didn't bother with beating around the bush and smiled, "Yangyang is really smart. However, I noticed that you didn't come back for several hours. What happened between you two?"
Ruan Yang understood: "Grandpa Rat only said a few words to me and asked me to give you my regards. That's all."
The purpose of letting Ruan Yang into the secret chamber was to test the emperor's attitude. Now that she has even called him by the nickname "Grandpa Rat," it means that the emperor at least does not dislike her.
If the emperor succeeds in regaining the throne, the Nguyen family will be credited. She will then secretly arrange for the emperor to take Nguyen Yang as a concubine. Only after Nguyen gives birth to another imperial child will the Nguyen family's life become richer and richer day by day.
"We've been standing for so long, let's go back and rest."
Ruan Yang watched the sedan chair disappear around the corner, then lowered her eyes and touched her empty wrist: "Okay."
After spending three peaceful days with the Empress in Fengqi Palace, Ruan Yang remembered her promise to Grandpa Rat, and went to the Wine Pavilion alone at 3:45 a.m. after nightfall.
"Grandpa Mouse, I'm here to pick up the bracelet..."
The girl's voice echoed in the secret room. She saw that there was no one by the table, only a jade bracelet lying quietly on the table.
"So, are you satisfied?"
The man suddenly appeared behind him, and Ruan Yang turned around and smiled at him, "You actually fixed it? I thought you were just bluffing me."
The man raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh, you thought I was lying to you? Then why did you come?"
"Aren't you afraid I'll hurt you? For example, today I'll help your aunt fulfill her wish."
Ruan Yang shook her head and said, "If you wanted to bully me, you would have done it long ago. Why wait until now? Besides, you are the proud son of heaven, the supreme ruler. What kind of beauties haven't you seen? You probably wouldn't like my plain appearance."
"Perhaps I am of even greater use to you."
Seeing that the girl was clever and quick-witted, the man saved himself a lot of trouble. He took something out of his sleeve and said sincerely, "Young lady, can you do me a favor? If you do it, I will guarantee you a life of wealth and honor."
Under the candlelight, a tiger tally lay prominently in the man's palm.
Ruan Yang was startled, and her heart began to pound violently in her chest.
"My relationship with the Crown Prince is destined to be a bloody battle, and it will soon be revealed who will live and who will die."
"Follow the route on the map to Hexi Pass, and find an inn called Wind and Snow located in the southwest corner. General Ye Xiu will meet you there. Please make sure you deliver the Tiger Tally to him safely."
Ruan Yang said, "But there are so many people in the Empress's palace, why is His Majesty looking for me? Isn't he afraid I'll betray the Crown Prince?"
"You won't, because your surname is Ruan. If I fall into the hands of the Crown Prince this time, your Ruan family will be wiped out very soon."
“I don’t trust outsiders with this matter. Fengqi Palace is surrounded by the Crown Prince’s men, so my men can’t get in. Only if you go in disguise will it be less likely to arouse suspicion.”
The man looked at the jade bracelet Ning Xian had given her on the girl's wrist and sneered, "Unless you're willing to sacrifice the lives of hundreds of members of the Ruan family for the sake of romantic love."
Ruan Yang shook her head: "I won't make such a mistake."
He was right. The Ruan family and the Crown Prince were irreconcilable enemies. Only by choosing to stand on the side of the Crown Prince's enemy could they temporarily protect themselves.
She looked up and said, "This humble woman is willing to give it a try."
...
Ruan Yang followed the winding path of the secret passage for almost half an hour before finally breathing in fresh air.
What came into view was no longer red walls and green tiles and hurried palace servants, but a lush forest.
This journey was extremely dangerous; a moment's carelessness could cost her her life. There were bound to be many of the Crown Prince's spies along the way, so she couldn't act rashly. Therefore, in the secret room, she changed into the human skin mask that the Emperor had left for her.
Ruan Yang changed into the clothes of an ordinary commoner, and her long, black hair was half-wrapped in a bun. She also rubbed some plant ash on her cheeks to cover her original appearance.
Seeing many pedestrians hurrying along ahead, she followed them. Around noon, the sunlight shone through the tree canopy, making her feel dizzy, so she sat down against the tree trunk to rest for a while.
"Halt! I am here on the orders of the magistrate to search for enemy spies!"
Ruan Yang paused, holding the steamed bun. She looked up and saw several people in official robes riding horses stopping one after another in front of them.
At the signal of the leader, soldiers immediately dismounted and prepared to search everyone present.
"How could spies from an enemy country be among us? We are all fellow villagers, fleeing famine to the north. We all know each other very well. How could there be any spies?"
“I see you corrupt officials who do nothing but take advantage of the court’s name to plunder the savings of our people!” A woman holding a child stood up and said loudly.
Ruan Yang clenched her fists, her heart pounding.
She knew that according to the rules of Daye, local officials had to wear official robes when carrying out orders and performing official duties, but the clothes of the people in front of her were not only not official robes, but the materials used for their clothes were also definitely not those of ordinary people.
There's only one reason they did this: they weren't looking for an enemy assassin at all, but rather the person who might be delivering the tiger tally.
That is, her.
But the Crown Prince's actions were far too swift.
"Exactly! You ignore all the bandits who have caused trouble along the way, but you insist on suspecting poor people like us who can't even afford to eat. I bet the spies are infiltrating the mountain stronghold, fighting fiercely with the bandits!"
A burly man rolled up his sleeves, pulled out his usual butcher knife, the blade gleaming in the sunlight. Seeing that there was a leader, the others followed suit, pulling out their own weapons and beginning to fight back.
"That's right! Why should we, these corrupt officials, search us? Get out of the way! We common folk are poor and have nothing to lose. We're not afraid to die. At worst, we'll all die together!"
The scene became chaotic, and a few of the bolder ones even rushed forward and swiftly beheaded one of the men.
Blood splattered.
It was clear that the situation was about to spiral out of control.
Ruan Yang breathed a sigh of relief and pretended to shout along with the crowd. She thought that if she could escape in the chaos, it would be a close call.
The leader quietly retreated to the back: "If things get out of hand, it will be hard to handle. We have limited time and cannot stay here any longer. Go and inform His Highness quickly."
"yes!"
After arguing for a long time, both sides were exhausted, but even so, the soldiers refused to release the people. At this moment, the sound of horses' hooves coming from not far away made everyone fall silent.
Please be patient.
Everyone looked over at the sound and saw a young man dismounting from his horse.
The man chuckled softly, “I am an attendant of the local magistrate. I was ordered by the imperial court to capture spies from the enemy country. I followed the clues and finally found this place.”
"Don't worry, I will never plunder your money."
Why should we believe you?
The man said, "If you cooperate with our search, I will send someone to return these boxes of silver to you one by one. If you are still stubborn, don't blame the court for being merciless."
Nobody turns down money; it's just a body search, it won't cost you anything.
After a moment's thought, the group slowly threw the weapon in their hands onto the ground.
Ruan Yang stood frozen in place, staring at the man not far away. Her blood rushed to her head, and her heart felt as if it had been hit by a huge rock.
She couldn't help but shiver.
How could she forget that her former husband was from the Ji family, and that they were in the same boat as the Crown Prince?
Ruan Yang couldn't help but touch her face. Fortunately, she had a different face, so Ning Xian shouldn't recognize her. But she probably couldn't escape being searched by them today.
Ning Xian leaned against a tree trunk, casually picked a foxtail grass from the roadside and waved it around. He looked at the people being inspected one by one, and then fixed his gaze on a woman.
A smirk appeared on his lips.
The soldier pulled Ruan Yang to his side, his hands about to touch the girl's skin, when Ning Xian interrupted loudly: "Wait."
“I will search this person myself.”
"You, come here." Ning Xian beckoned to Ruan Yangchao.
Ruan Yang's heart, which had just been at ease, jumped into her throat again in an instant. She had no other choice but to obediently walk up to Ning Xian.
Seeing that the little girl was dirty and had some blemishes on her face, Ning Xian pinched Ruan Yang's chin and examined her carefully, then glanced at the girl's wrist.
It was completely empty.
His brow furrowed, and even his breathing began to tremble.
That wicked woman, Ruan Yang, dared to throw away his most precious possession!
Ning Xian wanted to lose her temper on the spot, but for the sake of the bigger picture, she had to suppress it for now. But it wasn't good to just hold it in; she had to find a way to vent.
His angry eyes couldn't help but move downwards; the girl's figure was still exquisite and shapely, and her waist was so slender that it could be encircled with one hand.
After that hasty encounter, before he could even make any progress, the woman turned her back on him and insisted on breaking up with him.
But this separation lasted for almost half a year.
He hadn't seen Ruan Yang for a long time, and to be honest, he missed her terribly. He wished he could pull her into his arms right now and say "I'm sorry" to her.
Ning Xian pulled the person aside, let out a soft hum, and then his rough palms began to get restless.
He first tentatively caressed Ruan Yang's neck and waist, and then continued until he couldn't help but touch that soft spot, at which point he paused for a moment and immediately withdrew his hand.
It's been changed to character customization.
Ruan Yang: "..."
This person isn't conducting a search, he's clearly groping me!
She could no longer contain herself and forced a smile, saying, "Sir, you've searched me, and there's nothing suspicious on me, right?"
Ning Xian met Ruan Yang's starry eyes and suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
If it weren't for that scoundrel Lu Wenjin speaking ill of Ruan Yang and sowing discord between them, she would be giving birth right now.
He indeed found nothing he was looking for on Ruan Yang, but that did not prove her innocence. Otherwise, it would have been very strange for a young woman to be sneaking around here.
I have no idea what this stupid woman is up to.
Ning Xian didn't want to let her go: "Miss, why is your voice even more unpleasant than a man's?"
Ruan Yang coughed and said, "I caught a cold, that's why my voice is so hoarse."
"Are you married yet?"
"Um."
While chatting idly, Ning Xian suddenly bent down slightly and poked Ruan Yang's nose a few times with the grass in her hand.
Ruan Yang instinctively flinched, pushing against Ning Xian's chest: "Let go of me...."
Ning Xian frowned, then deliberately squatted down, his expression one of extreme pain, making it seem as if he had been shot with an arrow: "You! How dare you! You actually plotted to harm me!"
"I don't...."
Ruan Yang was startled, and then she realized that she had clearly pushed his right side, but he was covering his left chest. This was obviously a staged accident.
"....sorry."
Ning Xian resorted to shamelessness, coldly snorting, "What's the use of saying sorry? You've hurt me now, how are you going to make amends?"
"No, I don't know..."
"You don't know?" Ning Xian asked, exasperated.
Ruan Yang nodded.
“I’ll tell you.”
Ruan Yang reluctantly complied: "Is the official going to hit me?"
Ning Xian suddenly said, "Come here properly and give me a proper kiss."
Ruan Yang was taken aback: "...Wh-what?"
Ruan Yang was extremely surprised. Was this really the kind of person her husband was? He casually harassed respectable women, accepting all comers and being intimate with any woman he met?
During that year in the small bamboo house, he didn't show her any favoritism at all; she was just one of the most insignificant women among his many women.
Ruan Yang's eyes welled up with tears. The last line of defense she had against Ning Xian collapsed completely after today.
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