Chapter 288 Singing in Harmony
Looking at Huo Yunting's impassioned and loyal demeanor, Shen Qingci's eyes were full of mockery, and she sneered inwardly.
Cleaning up the palace for Chu Jichen was a pretense; he probably just wanted to take the opportunity to plant his own people in the palace, or perhaps, take advantage of the chaos to plant some shady things in the palace.
As the commander of the secret guards left by the late emperor to Emperor Yongming, Huo Yunting should be very familiar with the terrain of the palace, and even the secret passages and chambers that no one knows about.
Such a dangerous person could not possibly be given the opportunity to legitimately infiltrate the heart of the palace, especially such a sensitive place as the inner palace.
Thinking of this, Shen Qingci spoke first, seemingly casually, her voice cold yet carrying undeniable weight: "General Huo is loyal and his heart is clear. However, it is indeed somewhat inappropriate for General Huo to lead his soldiers to search the inner palace in such a high-profile manner."
"The late emperor's concubines still live in the palace. General Huo's troops entering the palace to investigate, with their murderous aura, will likely disturb them and damage the royal family's reputation."
She changed the subject, a meaningful smile curving her lips: "However, General Huo, as... as the commander of the secret guards left by the late emperor for Emperor Yongming, should indeed be very familiar with the terrain of the inner palace."
“Especially…the secret passages and chambers within the palace.”
Shen Qingci smiled faintly, her tone casual, but she immediately noticed that as soon as she said this, Huo Yunting's gaze sharpened almost instantly.
Shen Qingci showed no fear whatsoever, and didn't even flinch.
She turned her head and smiled at Chu Jichen, saying softly, "Your Majesty, I think it would be better to have General Huo draw out all the secret passages and hidden rooms in the palace in detail, and also mark out the palaces and places that may be hiding filth and need to be searched in detail."
"Then, with General Huo's painting in hand, Ye Lan led the Imperial Guards to search the palace thoroughly, inside and out, according to the map."
"In this way, we can both fulfill General Huo's sincere loyalty and make the most of his familiarity with the palace. At the same time, we can avoid the risk of a foreign man entering the harem and disturbing the concubines. It can be said to be a win-win situation."
Shen Qingci glanced at Huo Yunting, whose face was somewhat stiff, and a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes: "Of course, General Huo's drawing is of utmost importance. If we find anything with it, Your Majesty must remember to give General Huo a great credit."
Upon hearing this, Chu Jichen's eyes flashed with a smile, and then he clapped his hands and laughed: "I think what the Empress said makes a lot of sense. It takes into account the overall situation and also makes good use of your strengths."
"Then... let's do it this way."
"Your Majesty..." Huo Yunting was about to speak again, seemingly wanting to try and persuade them further.
Chu Jichen's previously gentle gaze suddenly turned sharp, and he said in a deep voice, "Hmm?"
"General Huo, do you have any objections to the arrangements made for the Empress and me? Or do you think that Ye Lan is not capable enough to handle the investigation?"
Huo Yunting gritted his teeth, feeling a lump in his throat, unable to breathe.
Looking at the emperor and empress above, who were speaking in unison, he could only take a deep breath, suppress his resentment, and lower his head: "This humble general dares not."
"This humble general... obeys the imperial decree!"
Chu Jichen nodded, waved his hand, and regained his composure: "Thank you for your concern, General Huo. The incident at the palace tower earlier did not affect me in any way. That's all for now. I will arrange for Yelan to discuss the search and mapping of the palace with you later. You may leave now."
"yes."
Although Huo Yunting was unwilling and his plan failed, he could only grit his teeth and retreat.
Once Huo Yunting's figure had completely disappeared from the palace gate, Chu Jichen waved to Shen Qingci, his eyes full of doting affection.
Shen Qingci stood up, walked to Chu Jichen's side, and sat down next to him. He then pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on her shoulder, and whispered, "Qingqing is too bold. Huo Yunting is not someone to be trifled with; he's a wolf who eats people without spitting out the bones."
“I knew he harbored ill intentions and had a plan. I was hoping to take advantage of the situation to lure him into a trap, but I didn’t expect you to speak first.”
“Qingqing directly refuted him, ruining his plan. He will probably hold a grudge.”
Shen Qingci curled her lips, looking completely unconcerned: "So what if he holds a grudge? Who's afraid of him? None of the Huos are any good people."
She snuggled closer to Chu Jichen, finding a comfortable position to lean against him, and snorted, "Besides, I don't think he would dare to really do anything to me."
“You already held a grudge against him when he kidnapped me. If anything happens to me again, whether he did it or not, you’ll probably blame him and make him regret it.”
"He hasn't gotten what he wants yet, and his goal hasn't been achieved, so he doesn't dare to make any rash moves. If he's smart, he should know that offending me now is the most unwise choice."
Listening to her confident analysis, Chu Jichen couldn't help but chuckle. The vibration of his chest made Shen Qingci feel exceptionally at ease.
He tightened his arms around her, placed a kiss on the top of her head, and said in a deep, gentle voice, "Yes, my queen is the smartest."
"However, one should always be wary of others. If we see him in the future, we should be extra careful."
Shen Qingci obediently agreed, and was about to say something when she heard a high-pitched voice from an eunuch outside the palace report that several important officials were requesting an audience outside the palace, seemingly to discuss important matters.
Shen Qingci knew that he was now the emperor and had many affairs to attend to, so she did not linger any longer. She stood up, straightened her clothes, and said softly, "You go ahead with your work. I don't have anything else important to do today, so I'll head back to my residence first."
Chu Jichen nodded, and though he didn't get up, his gaze gently fell on her lower abdomen.
He reached out and gently patted Shen Qingci's lower abdomen through her clothes, a smile curving his lips and eyes full of tenderness: "Okay, let's go back."
Although Chu Jichen didn't say much because there were still palace servants in the hall, Shen Qingci inexplicably understood what he wanted to say in his eyes and actions—he was telling her to take good care of herself and their child.
Shen Qingci felt a warmth in her heart, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she left the main hall surrounded by palace servants, then boarded a carriage and left the palace.
The carriage wheels turned as it traveled along the wide palace road, before turning onto the bustling Suzaku Avenue.
Before long, the carriage, which had been moving smoothly, suddenly stopped again.
A soft sound of horses' hooves came from outside the carriage, followed by Huo Yunting's voice: "Your Majesty, please wait. This humble general has something to discuss with you."
Inside the carriage, Shen Qingci lifted her eyelids slightly, a playful smile curving her lips.
It has to be said that Chu Jichen's prediction was quite accurate; Huo Yunting indeed couldn't hold back and came knocking on his door.
However, this is the main street, in broad daylight, with people coming and going, so Huo Yunting probably wouldn't dare to do anything out of line.
Shen Qingci slowly straightened her sleeves before reaching out to lift the curtain on the side of the carriage. She looked calmly at Huo Yunting, who was riding on horseback: "General Huo, what urgent matter requires you to stop my carriage in the street?"
Huo Yunting dismounted and walked to the carriage. He lowered his head, his posture seemingly respectful, but his tone carried a hint of probing: "This humble general just felt that Her Majesty the Empress's attitude towards me in the main hall just now... seemed somewhat targeted."
"I suppose it's because of the outrageous things Huo Yunzhan did before that Your Majesty has developed some prejudice against me as well."
He raised his head, looking directly at Shen Qingci, his eyes seemingly filled with sincerity: "This humble general has never been one to beat around the bush, and cannot keep things to himself. So I came here specifically to have a talk with Your Highness in person and clear up any misunderstandings."
"Although I am born of the same mother as Huo Yunzhan, our personalities and character are completely different. I hope Your Majesty will see this clearly and not misunderstand my sincere heart because of such a villain."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com