The Queen Mother's bedroom.
Shangguan Yi was crying like a pear blossom in the rain, kneeling at the feet of the empress dowager. His tears and sweat mixed together and slid down his cheeks. His black temples were wet with sweat. He looked miserable and pitiful.
"Empress Dowager, His Majesty has just discovered that Concubine Yu is allergic to chestnuts and has already severely punished her. I heard from the palace maids that before she was convicted, Concubine Yu betrayed me in order to escape punishment! Empress Dowager, what should I do now?"
"Confused!"
The Queen Mother slammed the table and stood up, angrily shouting, "How could I raise such a useless thing like you? Such a simple trick, and you actually confused hazelnuts with chestnuts! Concubine Yu deserves to be severely punished!"
Shangguan Yi wept even harder, her face filled with grievance. "Empress Dowager, it's no use saying this now. I'm afraid His Majesty is already on his way to question me. Please save me!"
The Queen Mother still looked disappointed and angrily said, "I have a great reputation all my life, but how could I raise a loser like you?"
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down, then said coldly, "What else can I do now? Of course I'll just deny it!"
"Shangguan Yi, remember this: today's events have nothing to do with you. You have never met Concubine Yu. Do you understand?"
Shangguan Yi nodded quickly, like a chick pecking at rice, "Your Highness understands..."
As soon as he finished speaking, a notification voice came from outside the door.
"Your Majesty has arrived—"
As the eunuch's sharp voice rang out, Yuwen Ran strode into the empress dowager's bedroom. Seeing Shangguan Yi kneeling on the ground, he was so angry that he almost laughed.
"Shangguan Yi, you got into trouble outside, but you dared not admit it yourself, and now you come to the Queen Mother for protection?"
Shangguan Yi was frightened by his cold words. She seemed to think that since she met Yuwen Ran, he had always been a gentle and elegant gentleman, and he had never been so angry.
Is Gu Yanyue really that important in Yu Wenran's heart?
Is it so important that Yu Wenran can change himself completely for her?
Restraining the resentment in her heart, Shangguan Yi knew that she was not qualified to delve into how much Yuwen Ran loved Gu Yanyue. It was more important to save her own life first!
"Your Majesty, I am innocent. It was Concubine Yu who spoke nonsense!" Shangguan Yi said aggrievedly.
She thought she had put on an aggrieved expression as if she was being wronged, and thought that Yuwen Ran would be shaken by this, but she didn't expect that all she got in return was a sneer from Yuwen Ran.
"Oh?" Yuwen Ran sneered, "Shangguan Yi, I haven't even told you why I'm interrogating you, and you've already confessed! When did I ever tell you what Concubine Yu just said?"
Shangguan Yi was shocked and realized that she had let the cat out of the bag!
The Queen Mother's eyes were once again filled with anger. This adopted daughter of hers was really useless!
Thinking of this, the Queen Mother felt that Shangguan Yi alone would not be able to escape the crime, not to mention that Yuwen Ran was not her biological son, and she had no idea what the young emperor's character was like.
A few years after Yuwen Ran ascended the throne, he completely eliminated the two major forces in the court. It seems that he is not someone who can be easily messed with.
After figuring all this out, the Empress Dowager also put on a tearful expression and cried, "Your Majesty, I have been lonely and desolate in this deep palace for many years. Only Yi'er, my adopted daughter, can talk to me properly. Your Majesty, must you kill us all today?"
Yuwen Ran looked at her coldly, his tone full of icy coldness: "Empress Dowager, I haven't even questioned her guilt yet, but with just a few words you've already accused me of the grave sin of being unfilial."
Hearing him say this, the Queen Mother knew that her goal had been achieved. After all, this was just the first step to soften his heart.
The Queen Mother immediately said, "Ran'er, I really like Yi'er. Think about my Yi'er. Just because she's not the Emperor's person, she has to live in the harem. How much has she suffered in the harem over the years?"
Yuwen Ran couldn't stand the emotional playing card the most. He immediately became impatient and said angrily, "Shangguan Yi has been pampered by you and me for so many years and has become a little princess. Others may not know it, but is it possible that I don't know it?"
"We should be thankful that she doesn't let others suffer injustice. When will it be her turn to be wronged?"
The Queen Mother took advantage of the situation and immediately said, "Since the Emperor also wants to raise Yi'er as a little princess, it means that the Emperor still cares about Yi'er in his heart."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ran immediately felt something was wrong.
Sure enough, the next second, the Queen Mother continued, "The position of Queen is vacant in the harem, which is not good for the country. Why not let the Emperor marry Yi'er as Queen? Then we can rule the world together as a family!"
Shangguan Yi was startled and quickly looked up at Yuwen Ran, as if she wanted to see Yuwen Ran's reaction.
However, Yuwen Ran ultimately disappointed her.
"I already have a queen. It's only a matter of time before Ah Yue becomes queen again. If the queen's position is so unstable, it will be detrimental to the country."
Shangguan Yi sighed in disappointment and sat on the ground, "Your Majesty, do you really have no feelings for your subject?"
Yu Wenran shook his head decisively.
After thinking for a moment, he added, "I have no evidence for what Concubine Yu said, so I cannot convict you. But you and I both know the truth of this matter."
"If you do it again in the future, I will personally hand you over to A Yue and let A Yue punish you."
It’s A Yue again!
It’s Gu Yanyue again!
As soon as Shangguan Yi heard the name Gu Yanyue, she suddenly felt cold all over and uncomfortable all over her body!
"Your Majesty, even if I'm not the Queen, you just need to marry me!"
Yuwen Ran sneered: "I will never marry someone who intends to frame A Yue in this life!"
After saying this, he added, "Shangguan Yi, since the Empress Dowager feels that you will be wronged living in the harem, and there is no other accommodation for women in this palace, why don't I send you out immediately?"
As soon as these words were spoken, they were a blatant threat.
He admitted that he had no way to overstep his bounds in the mother-son relationship between the Queen Mother and himself, but he could at least threaten the Queen Mother with the question of whether Shangguan Yi was in the palace or not.
Sure enough, the Queen Mother paused after hearing what he said.
"Emperor, are you going to send Yi'er out of the palace?"
Yuwen Ran said coldly: "I didn't say that, Your Majesty the Queen Mother said that."
The Queen Mother ignored his implicit sarcasm and immediately slammed the table and stood up, "Emperor, don't be so ruthless. Ai is your mother, and Yi'er is your sister in name only. Don't try to separate us!"
Yuwen Ran sneered again, having already seen all the ugly behaviors of the mother and daughter.
"Since the Empress Dowager is so resolute, I will not embarrass Shangguan Yi."
"But this is just one time. If you let my Ah Yue be wronged again, I will kill you."
After saying these words, Yuwen Ran flicked his sleeves, turned around and strode away.
The empress dowager was the only one left in the bedroom, filled with helplessness and rage. She turned around and overturned the entire table of porcelain to the ground.
"The son of a bitch is indeed a bitch too!"
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