Chapter 45 Don’t be afraid, I’m here
The lake water was turbid, and Yue Li couldn't see who it was, but the familiar ambergris indicated that it was He Yanchen who came to save her.
Yueli suddenly felt like crying, and she actually cried.
The man held her in his arms and floated to the surface. The place where they fell into the water was not far from the shore. Soon, the imperial guards swam over and helped them to the shore.
"Your Majesty..." Yue Li's throat was sore because she choked on water.
She hugged the man's neck tightly and didn't want to let go. He Yanchen didn't push her away, but stroked her back again and again. His voice was the gentlest that Yueli had ever heard:
"It's okay, Jiaojiao."
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
The man's black eyes were filled with a coldness so thick it couldn't be dispelled. He stroked the woman's back with a hint of panic that he himself didn't even realize.
Yueli curled up in his arms and cried, her pink little face turned pale, her messy hair stuck to the sides of her face, looking very disheveled.
He Yanchen wanted to take off his coat and put it on her, but suddenly realized that he was also wet. He looked at Ji Ming, and Ji Ming quickly took out a clean cloak for him.
Wrapping the woman tightly, He Yanchen said softly, "Get up first and ask the imperial physician to see you, okay?"
Yueli's shoulders were trembling slightly, and her eyelashes were covered with what looked like lake water or tears, as if they would roll down at any moment.
"Your Majesty, Concubine Yi doesn't seem to be feeling well..." The Queen's anxious voice came from the side.
He Yanchen felt the person in his arms stiffen for a moment. He stroked her head and then instructed the Queen, "Send Concubine Yi back and call the imperial physician for treatment."
The man looked at Concubine Yi with a dark and unclear look, full of suspicion, anger, and everything in between, but no pity.
Everyone present took in this scene and couldn't help but sigh.
It is rumored that Yu Ronghua is the most favored concubine in the harem, and now it seems to be true. Even the crown prince cannot compare to her position in His Majesty's heart.
Even though the Queen Mother was angry about Concubine Yi's behavior at the banquet, she was still concerned about the child in her womb. She said in a voice that was a little angry: "Why don't you take Concubine Yi back to the palace quickly!"
The palace maids hurriedly carried Concubine Yi back to Cuiwei Palace in a sedan chair.
The empress dowager took the concubines to Cuiwei Palace first, and the empress stayed behind to take charge of the situation. With so many court officials and royal relatives present today, it would not be good if the news of two concubines falling into the water got out, so the empress had to stay behind to clean up the mess.
He Yanchen picked up Yueli horizontally and stood up to leave.
Looking at the man's cold and hard profile, feeling his strong arms holding her, like a big tree, allowing birds beaten by wind and rain to rest in peace.
Yueli's heart skipped a beat.
She stared at him blankly. The man's dragon robe was stained with water plants and mud, his hair was slightly disheveled, and his brows were cold and stern, but it did not diminish his dignity at all.
She was always abandoned and was used to being abandoned.
Yueli knew that He Yanchen was just doting on her, without any sincerity or love.
But unexpectedly, the first person who chose her was He Yanchen.
......
The queen looked at the man's departing back, and all the bitterness and jealousy seemed to reach the extreme at this moment.
When she was initially betrothed to He Yanchen, he hadn't made a name for himself in the court, and she was disappointed. Her father was a high-ranking official, and the empress was unwilling to marry a prince with an uncertain future. Their marriage was uneventful, with mutual respect.
It was not until the second year of their marriage that He Yanchen went on an expedition to the Western Rong, which changed the situation in the court in one fell swoop. As a result, her status as a princess also rose, and she was praised by the noble ladies in the capital.
After that, she had a smooth journey. He Yanchen did not favor anyone in the harem. As the late emperor's health deteriorated, he rarely returned home, and everything in the harem was decided by her, the princess. When He Yanchen ascended the throne, she became the empress, and she also firmly grasped the power of the palace in her hands.
She no longer desired any love, because she knew that this man was not sincere at all.
She doesn't need to be obsessed with things that no one else can get. At least she is the woman with the highest status and power in the harem.
But now, someone broke all this.
Yue Li made her realize that He Yanchen could also lose control sometimes.
No one knew that when she saw the man jump in without hesitation to save the person, she felt like a huge rock was pressing on her heart and she couldn't breathe.
Even if he saved Concubine Yi, it would not matter to the Queen, but it happened to be Yueli.
The Queen watched the two men disappearing from view, her nails digging deep into her palms.
*
Jade Palace.
Although the weather in the capital was getting warmer in April, the wind was strong at night. Yue Li was shivering from the cold all the way and leaned closer to the man's chest.
"The hot water is ready." When Zi Su heard the news, she hurriedly asked the kitchen to boil more hot water.
He Yanchen carried her into the bathroom, took off her wet and dirty clothes, wiped her with hot water first, and put her in the bathtub after she adapted.
"Your Majesty..." He was about to go out when he felt resistance on his sleeve.
Yueli leaned over the edge of the tub and tugged at his sleeve pitifully, "Where are you going, Your Majesty?"
"I'll go wash up." He couldn't stand the sticky feeling on his body.
Yue Li had to loosen her grip a little, but there was still a small piece of clothing in her hand. He Yanchen could have left with just a slight pull, but he didn't.
He bent down and touched the woman's face. "I'm washing up over there. This tub is too small for me to join you."
Yueli sniffed: "I know..."
He Yanchen quickly went to shower and change clothes. When he came out, he saw Yueli standing at the door waiting for him with eager eyes.
She snuggled into his arms like a little fish, her slightly cool cheek pressed against the side of his neck.
Seeing the fragility in the woman's eyes, He Yanchen did not push her away, but picked her up and placed her on the couch.
"I can't swim. If it weren't for Your Majesty, I would have died..." Yueli sobbed, her words incoherent, "I heard that they all went to save Yipin, only Your Majesty..."
"Only His Majesty still remembers me..."
"How could I not remember you?" The man hugged her and kissed her forehead. "They didn't dare to ignore you, but..."
His voice stopped abruptly, he knew it was not appropriate to mention Concubine Yi in front of her at this time.
He could vaguely sense that Yueli cared a lot about being ignored.
No one likes to be ignored.
"Your Majesty..." Yueli said in a low voice, "Your Majesty is the best person to me."
She was the only one who knew what it felt like to be chosen.
She likes him so much.
The corners of the woman's eyes were still a little red. He Yanchen coaxed her for a while before asking her, "Do you want to go to Cuiwei Palace?"
Cuiwei Palace is probably in chaos now.
The man's eyes darkened. Concubine Yi's pregnancy was unexpected. She shouldn't have had a child. Was she thinking about something she shouldn't have, or was someone manipulating all this?
Yue Li nodded and said, "It was Concubine Yi who bumped into me today, causing me to fall into the water. Why would Concubine Yi bump into me for no reason when she was so pregnant? Someone must be playing tricks on me."
Yueli didn't care who harmed Concubine Yi, but the person who caused her to choke on water and be frightened deserved to die.
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