Outside Fengluan Palace.
Wei Shuyi stood at the corner and watched the palace servants carry He Changzai's body out. According to the emperor's order, the body must not be left intact and must be thrown into a mass grave to feed wild dogs.
The woman who used to hang around her palace, calling her "sister" all the time, was now a cold corpse. While she felt resentment, she couldn't help but feel a bit of self-pity.
"He Changzai Liu was stripped of her title and demoted to a commoner! If a concubine commits suicide, her family members will be punished as well!"
Even though there were a few nights of tenderness and sweetness, at this moment, it has turned to ashes.
Wei Shuyi couldn't help but recall the night before when she visited the Changsheng Palace at night and handed over all the clues she had found to the emperor, and his unfathomable smile.
Is it relief? Is it disappointment? Or is it another test?
In the face of danger, she had no time to delve into it—
"Your Majesty, please do not make a big deal about calling away the witnesses, so as not to alert the enemy. I have arranged for everyone at Sang Yuxuan to spread false information. Based on my understanding of her, the best option is to search the palace after the interrogation in court."
"You've only known her for a few days, and you're so sure?"
"Big men have their own ways of dealing with people. Small men also have their own ways of observing people's words and expressions. Please, Your Majesty, consider the Dragon Heir and help me find the real culprit!"
Finally, he nodded.
There were subsequent secret investigations and evidence in front of the court. The only thing that was unexpected was that He Changzai would actually choose to commit suicide by taking poison.
The more this happened, the more frightened she became.
First it was Shoukang Palace, then Lin'an Palace. Wherever a small figure like her went, there were eyes following her and sending people to kill her. But she always couldn't find the information of the person behind the scenes at the critical moment. It was really hateful!
"What is Min-nam thinking?"
Suddenly, someone asked a question from behind.
Wei Shuyi recognized Rong Zhaoyi's voice and hurriedly saluted with her maid. "I pay my respects to Her Majesty Zhaoyi. I was just watching the group of people carrying the corpse and was so frightened that I didn't pay attention to what was going on around me. I apologize for my impoliteness."
"A death in the palace is nothing new. I don't believe you'd be scared!" The beautifully made-up woman leaned against the sedan chair, her eyes locked with hers. She added, "Even if you were truly scared, after spending so long in the harem, you'd get used to it, just like me."
"Forgive me for asking this question. I'm used to it, but am I numb to it?"
The palace maid beside Rong Zhaoyi became angry and was about to speak, but she held back because of the strict palace rules.
Wei Shuyi understood that the rules for noble ladies from military families were enough to intimidate the palace people, and the changes she was witnessing explained everything.
"I can only tell you that this is not the case. If I were indifferent, what's the difference between me and a walking corpse? Or is this the kind of person Min agrees to see me as?"
"Your Majesty, calm down. This concubine..."
"I know you have no ill intentions." Rong Zhaoyi leaned towards her, hinting, "Only when the wind moves but your heart remains still can you make everything yours."
For the first time, Wei Shuyi mustered the courage to look up at her, her eyes burning. "I wonder if this concubine of mine will have the honor of being employed by the Empress Zhaoyi?"
"you?"
"I was born a palace maid, without any relatives to rely on. It is precisely because of this that I have become a thorn in the side of some people. I have no one to rely on, and I am afraid of being plotted against again. After much thought, I have to find a concubine of higher rank to serve me as soon as possible. On the day of the Qushui Liushang, Your Majesty was so talented and neither humble nor arrogant that I already admired her. If it weren't for this incident..."
Wei Shuyi did not hide his thoughts and told them all to Rong Zhaoyi in the most straightforward way.
Simply because after guessing people's hearts, she believed that compared to artificial hints and frequent flattery, the other party should be more inclined to frank surrender.
As expected, Rong Zhaoyi ordered the sedan chair to be lowered, and personally came over to help her up. "The Empress has power, the Imperial Concubine enjoys favor, but I, alone, am incompatible with them. I was forced in as a tribute. You will not regret choosing me, will you?"
"I just said that I want to be loyal to you, Your Majesty. Loyalty is the most important thing. How could I regret it?"
"Okay! I like straightforward people!" She leaned close to Wei Shuyi's ear and said in a voice like a ghost demanding his life, "I want to hear the truth again. Why did you choose me?"
"It's true that Concubine Jin is favored, and the Empress holds the power, but I don't see it that way. The Prime Minister's entire family, whom she relies on, is composed of students of the Qing Dynasty. Civil officials don't hold much real power... I know very little about the affairs of the previous dynasty, but since ancient times, the word power has always been associated with military commanders. Therefore, in my heart, Empress Zhaoyi is the one who holds the real power, and is worthy of entrusting the rest of my life to."
This time, Rong Zhaoyi did not continue to ask questions.
She simply took off a gold hairpin from her hair and gently placed it in Wei Shuyi's palm as proof of her tacit agreement to the alliance.
The warmth of my palm ironed the hairpin, and the days of drifting freely like duckweed in the water finally saw a turning point.
——
The Flower Festival is a very ordinary festival.
According to the rules of previous years, the most that could be done was to ask the supervisor of Shanglinyuan to spend some time and effort to decorate the various palace residences.
Because of the series of "unlucky things" that happened in the past few days, the Queen Mother suddenly changed her mind and ordered the palace people to hold a grand ceremony. Even the princes and princesses who lived outside the palace had to enter the palace to celebrate.
The purpose is to add joy.
"Young lady, why are you still wearing this outfit today?" Jing Ning asked in confusion as she prepared her jewelry. "During the Flower Festival in previous years, the other ladies would wear their most beautiful clothes, and His Majesty would also personally select the Twelve Flower Gods. Young lady has a beautiful appearance. If she had the right clothes to complement it, she would definitely become..."
"Jingning! Walls have ears! Stop saying that kind of thing."
Jing'an tied up Wei Shuyi's long hair, glanced at the palace maid who was sweeping the floor in the corridor, and whispered to stop her.
"Sister, I'm telling the truth! Our young lady isn't just plain-looking. She always wears plain long skirts these days, and from a distance, it's hard for her to attract His Majesty's attention... I'm also thinking about her."
"Put aside your thoughts!" Jing An poked her forehead. "The young lady is only a promise, and she sits at the bottom of the hierarchy at the banquet. There are so many high-ranking ladies waiting to compete for her beauty. If you expect the young lady to go and make Sang Yuxuan proud, won't that harm her? We've just had a few days of peace, and we don't want to cause trouble again!"
Jingning lowered his head as if waking from a dream and nodded repeatedly.
Wei Shuyi has long been accustomed to such scenes: one of the sisters is calm, the other is simple, and there is always something to overcome.
"It's getting late, let's go."
She looked at herself in the bronze mirror again, and after confirming that her makeup was appropriate, she left leisurely.
Halfway through, a familiar figure in a dark robe appeared before Wei Shuyi's eyes: Isn't this Lu Xingzhou? Is he also qualified to attend the banquet?
After our last separation, there are still too many questions that need him to answer.
So, she quickened her pace and caught up with him.
"Doctor Lu, wait a minute!" "Oh?"
Strong arms pulled her deep into the bamboo forest, and the palace maids who hurriedly followed only saw a few bamboo leaves on the ground.
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