Chapter 277 Grievance
When Chu Jichen returned to the Regent's Palace that evening, it was already late at night.
He clearly knew what had happened during the day. As soon as he entered the bedroom, he went straight to the soft couch and gently pulled Shen Qingci, who was staring blankly at the candlelight, into his arms.
"You suffered in the palace today," he lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her hair, his voice full of comfort, "You were wronged."
Then he asked again, a hint of coldness in his voice: "Who do you think is behind this?"
Shen Qingci raised her head, her clear phoenix eyes showing no trace of grievance, but rather a calm understanding of everything.
"Your Majesty...you must know who I suspect, right?" She looked at him, a sly smile playing on her lips. "How about we both say that name together?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Jichen chuckled softly.
He looked at her, his deep phoenix eyes filled with complete understanding and doting affection.
The two exchanged a glance, and in unison, uttered that name—
"Huo Yunting".
Shen Qingci raised her eyebrows slightly, her voice carrying a hint of inquiry: "I suspect him because... I spent nearly a year in the Huo family and had contact with him."
"The person I remember now is completely different from the person I remember, both in temperament and personality."
"Regardless of which is true and which is false, his... opera singing skills are quite good."
"Moreover," a cold glint flashed in her eyes, "the timing of his appearance was far too suspicious. Upon his return, he mercilessly killed Liu Ruolan."
"Where is His Majesty?" she asked, looking at him curiously. "And why... do you suspect him? Is it because... he was too ruthless in his actions against Liu Ruolan?"
Chu Jichen slowly shook his head.
His gaze turned incredibly deep in an instant, and his voice was filled with endless sarcasm.
“Today,” he said, looking at her and emphasizing each word, “he asked me… for a royal decree to grant us marriage.”
Shen Qingci's eyes widened instantly: "A marriage decree?!"
Putting aside the fact that Emperor Yongming had just passed away and the country was in mourning, proposing a marriage at this critical juncture was utterly absurd.
What's more... he had just killed his nominal wife with his own hands!
Who is he going to marry?
"Chu Yue Ning".
Shen Qingci abruptly stood up from the soft couch, her voice filled with disbelief and horror: "Marry the Sixth Princess?! Has he gone mad?"
"Yes." Chu Jichen chuckled, but there was no warmth in his laughter. "When I heard it, I also thought it was... utterly absurd."
"I asked him why he suddenly had this idea."
“He said,” Chu Jichen’s voice was full of sarcasm, “that he admired Yue Ning. He felt that she was willing to sacrifice herself for the safety of the people of Great Zhou by marrying into a foreign power. She suffered all kinds of torment in the Northern You Kingdom, but for the sake of Great Zhou’s reputation, she endured it all without complaint. Until… that dog emperor extended his evil claws to her child.”
"He said he felt that the Sixth Princess was a good woman, worthy of his... devotion to treating her well throughout his life."
Shen Qingci's gaze instantly turned icy cold!
"He doesn't actually want to marry the Sixth Princess!" Her voice was icy cold. "He clearly... wants to use the Sixth Princess as a hostage!"
After she finished speaking, she frowned deeply and paced back and forth in the room, her voice filled with endless confusion: "I really... can't understand him anymore, what exactly is he trying to do."
She turned her head sharply to look at Chu Jichen, her voice filled with urgency: "You...you didn't agree to him, did you? You absolutely...you can't agree!"
Chu Jichen smiled at her anxious expression, his voice full of reassurance: "Of course not."
Shen Qingci finally let out a long sigh of relief. She pursed her lips, but Chu Jichen pulled her back into his broad embrace.
She frowned, hesitated for a moment, and said with a helpless tone, "By the way, I had someone send the news that Liu Ruolan had been killed by Huo Yunting to the Huo family. But... I haven't had time to ask how Old Madam Huo reacted yet."
As she spoke, she was about to call out for help, but Chu Jichen stopped her.
“No need to ask,” he said, looking at her. “I…know.”
"When Madam Huo heard about this, she was quite frightened. I heard that she fainted on the spot and had to call a doctor to treat her."
“Now,” a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes, “they have long since closed their doors to visitors, and they don’t even dare to leave the courtyard.”
Shen Qingci curled her lip, her voice full of disdain: "What a coward. Is she afraid... Huo Yunting will stab her too?"
Chu Jichen nodded: "Probably."
"However, in this way, it can be considered that... Huo Yunting has achieved his desired goal."
"Old Madam Huo took the initiative to distance herself from him and dared not go to him again. As a result, he... had far fewer troubles."
After Chu Jichen finished speaking, a hint of dissatisfaction suddenly appeared on his face.
“Alright,” he hugged her tighter, resting his chin on the top of her head, his voice full of grievance, “that’s enough.”
"I finally get to be alone with you, so stop... talking about other people all the time."
Shen Qingci blinked: "If we don't talk about other people, what should we talk about?"
Chu Jichen smiled.
He lowered his head, his deep eyes filled with an unyielding tenderness.
Let's talk about... us.
He reached out and gently placed his hand on her still flat stomach, his voice full of tenderness and anticipation.
"Baby in my belly, did you have any trouble today...?"
"What did you have for dinner? Do you still have an appetite?"
Shen Qingci couldn't help but chuckle as she looked at his cautious, wary expression.
"The child is still young, how could he have such great abilities to torment me?"
"Dinner," she thought for a moment, a hint of satisfaction in her voice, "was alright. The dishes prepared in the kitchen today were all rather light, and I ate some of them."
Chu Jichen listened attentively, his deep phoenix eyes filled with unprecedented focus.
He nodded: "I have ordered someone to find a trustworthy cook with excellent skills from outside the palace and to place him in the small kitchen under the pretext of 'protecting the Empress's safety'."
“Starting tomorrow,” he looked at her, his eyes so tender they could almost melt, “he will be solely responsible for your meals. From purchasing to cooking, the entire process… he will not delegate it to anyone else.”
“I have already given the instructions,” he said, a hint of smugness in his voice, “saying that you haven’t had a good appetite lately, and to have them prepare more sour and spicy dishes to whet your appetite.”
Shen Qingci's heart was instantly enveloped by an indescribable warmth.
This man...
He truly had thought of and arranged everything for her.
Can……
She looked at him, yet keenly sensed that deep within his seemingly calm eyes, there seemed to be a lingering sadness.
"What's wrong?" She reached out and gently touched his furrowed brow, her voice full of concern. "But... what happened? Your Majesty... seems a little down?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Jichen pursed his lips, and a deep sense of grievance instantly filled his deep eyes.
“Before,” he looked at her, his voice filled with sorrow, “when you were not yet pregnant, I longed for you day and night.”
"Now that you are pregnant, I am naturally delighted."
"But..." His voice lowered, filled with endless disappointment and melancholy, "there is also something that makes me... feel somewhat uncomfortable."
Shen Qingci was taken aback, her face full of confusion: "Is it related to... my pregnancy?"
Chu Jichen looked at her and slowly, then nodded heavily.
Then, he leaned close to her ear and whispered his accusation in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"I just secretly told me about it."
He said the pregnancy was unstable in the first three months.
“We…” His voice grew lower and hoarse, filled with suppressed desire and dissatisfaction, “We can no longer… do those intimate things.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com