Chapter 251 Gone Mad?
The next day, Shen Qingci was awakened by Wan Qing's urgent voice.
The moment she opened her eyes, she heard Wanqing hurriedly report, "Miss! Something terrible has happened! Old Madam Huo has gone mad!"
Shen Qingci slowly turned her head, her voice still carrying a hint of languor from just waking up: "What happened?"
“Yesterday,” Wanqing’s voice was filled with disbelief, “didn’t we knock Old Madam Huo unconscious and send her back?”
"When she woke up, she seemed to have gone mad! She rushed out of the Yongning Marquis's residence, crying and laughing outside, repeatedly saying that Huo Yunzhan was dead!"
Shen Qingci raised her eyebrows slightly: "Huo Yunzhan was already dead."
“Yes!” Wanqing nodded. “That’s what the onlookers said too. But Old Madam Huo insists that Huo Yunzhan was killed by you, Miss!”
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci smiled.
“That’s truly insane.” Her voice was full of innocence. “How can you say I killed her? Although I was the one who stabbed her in the last time, didn’t she and Liu Ruolan stab her twice before that?”
Wanqing laughed along with her: "That's true. But Old Madam Huo insists that the person didn't commit suicide in the prison out of fear of punishment, but was killed by you, Miss."
"Fortunately, the onlookers were all reasonable. They said she must be crazy, and that Huo Yunzhan was going to be beheaded anyway, and no matter how he died, he was destined to die sooner or later."
"But Old Madam Huo hurriedly shook her head, repeatedly saying, 'No! My Zhan'er shouldn't have died! He should have been saved by His Majesty! He should have been sent to the border to make a name for himself!'"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci scoffed, "Since she's going to pretend to be crazy and ruin my reputation, then I might as well add a little more pressure to her."
She said to Wanqing in a deep voice, "Go find someone, pretend to be an ordinary citizen, and tell Old Madam Huo... say that the Regent's Consort seems to have ordered a statue of Huo Yunzhan to be made. His friend's shop took the order, saying it's an iron statue, and it's kneeling!"
"The Regent's wife also said that Huo Yunzhan's kneeling statue should be placed in front of the Shen family's grave, so that Huo Yunzhan can forever apologize to the Shen family!"
Wanqing's eyes lit up instantly!
"This is going to be interesting! I'll go and give the orders right away." She immediately agreed and hurried out.
As she reached the door, she turned back and added, "I don't trust anyone else; I have to go and keep an eye on things myself!"
Shen Qingci couldn't help but laugh. This maid wasn't worried at all; she clearly wanted to watch the show.
Shen Qingci slowly sat up, only to find that Chu Jichen was not in the room.
He is currently recuperating, and since he had already returned power to Emperor Yongming, he is usually too lazy to attend court.
I wonder where he's gone off to.
Shen Qingci stood up and slowly walked into the bamboo grove outside the courtyard, where she found him.
He was actually practicing his sword while leaning against a green bamboo?
He was dressed in a neat black outfit, his dark hair was tied up high, and his figure was as upright as a pine tree.
Although he needed to hold onto the bamboo pole with one hand to maintain his balance, the sword strikes he wielded with the other hand were still incredibly sharp and fast, like lightning! With each flash of sword light, a chilling sword wind was generated, swirling up fallen leaves on the ground, causing them to dance and swirl in the air.
His posture and demeanor showed no trace of the weakness and helplessness he usually felt when sitting in a wheelchair.
He is clearly... a peerless swordsman who looks down upon the world and is proud of all heroes!
Shen Qingci stood quietly in place, staring at him, somewhat mesmerized.
She never imagined that... when he stood up, he would be so... breathtakingly handsome.
Hearing the noise, Chu Jichen abruptly withdrew his sharp sword strike and slowly plunged the longsword in his hand into the soil.
He turned around, sat back in his wheelchair, and looked at her with a smile: "Awake?"
Shen Qingci responded and asked, "Why did you suddenly decide to practice swordsmanship?"
"Get some exercise."
Shen Qingci nodded, her gaze falling on his legs: "Do you feel any discomfort?"
“Compared to before,” Chu Jichen’s voice was filled with joy, “you are much stronger.”
“I can stand for a while without support now. And,” he looked at Shen Qingci with a glimmer of hope in his eyes, “the acupuncture I received these past two days from the old acupuncturist didn’t hurt as much as before.”
"The old doctor said," he said, a slight smile playing on his lips and a gentle curve in his eyes, "that pain indicates blockage, and free flow indicates no pain. The relief of pain means that the blood vessels are gradually becoming unobstructed."
Shen Qingci stepped forward and massaged his legs. When she pressed certain acupoints, Chu Jichen's legs visibly moved. Her voice was full of genuine joy: "The reaction is indeed stronger than before, that's good! That's great!"
Just then, Yuanbao's figure appeared silently behind the two of them, like a ghost.
He hesitated, but Chu Jichen had already glanced at him, her voice carrying a hint of smugness: "The princess is worried about my legs and is massaging them for me. Just say it. There's nothing the princess can't hear."
Yuanbao suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and bowed, replying, "Yes."
"Your Highness, Your Highness," he finally spoke, his voice filled with the excitement of watching a good show, "Consort Shu is claiming to have an upset stomach and is making a scene in the Cold Palace, demanding to see Emperor Yongming!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci raised her eyes, her voice carrying a hint of understanding: "Is Liu Wenyuan... currently hiding in that cold palace?"
"Yes." Chu Jichen nodded, a playful smile curving his lips.
Shen Qingci asked again, "Your Highness said before that you would reveal the news that Liu Wenyuan was hiding in the Cold Palace to Emperor Yongming, but... has it already been revealed?"
Chu Jichen's gaze fell on her face, revealing a hint of nonchalant laziness: "It's already been revealed."
Shen Qingci's eyes flickered slightly.
“Liu Wenyuan is in the Cold Palace,” she said slowly. “At this critical juncture, Consort Shu… is using her unborn child as leverage to demand an audience with Emperor Yongming. This… is rather suspicious.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Jichen nodded and smiled.
He looked at her, his eyes full of approval: "I had the people I placed by Emperor Yongming's side tell him that Liu Wenyuan... had his people in the palace send some poison into the Cold Palace."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci laughed, a laugh filled with endless scheming and pleasure.
"Therefore, Emperor Yongming learned that Liu Wenyuan was hiding in the Cold Palace, and... he even arranged for someone to secretly put some poison into the Cold Palace. After that, Consort Shu made a fuss about wanting to see him."
"What will Emperor Yongming think after hearing this?"
“Of course…” She curled her lips into a smile, answering her own question with a hint of mockery in her eyes, “The reason Consort Shu is making such a fuss is actually because Liu Wenyuan wants to see him. It’s Liu Wenyuan who wants to poison him!”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com