Chapter 76 Ruyi's Plan (Part 2)
"Your Majesty, you've arrived!"
Looking at Consort Xian, who was leaning against the palace gate with her bright red lips and smiling at the Emperor, Wang Qin couldn't help but close his eyes.
Consort Xian is as "innocent" and "unrestrained" as ever!
She suppressed a laugh and glanced at Su Xin behind Consort Xian, then met Wang Qin's eyes directly. Seeing the mockery in his eyes that seemed to say, "Haha, this is your master," Su Xin instantly lost her composure, her face turning as black as the night.
"Um."
Hongli didn't argue with her about etiquette and walked straight past her into the hall, with Ruyi following happily.
"Today is my birthday, so I thought we shouldn't have anyone else serve us. It would just be the Emperor and me having a simple family meal." Just like husband and wife.
These words reflected both Ruyi's romantic intentions and were intended to facilitate her subsequent arrangements.
Hongli raised an eyebrow and did not refuse: "Alright, Wang Qin, you can go outside and wait."
"Yes, sir."
Wang Qin and Su Xin led the servants in the hall out.
"What...what's this guy up to now?"
At the entrance of the palace, Wang Qin asked in a low voice.
Su Xin shook her head. "I don't know. They've been avoiding me lately, only discussing it with Aruo."
"Oh, so you've finally gotten a brain? You know you can't plot in public now?"
Wang Qin was somewhat surprised. To be honest, all of them, the former servants of the Prince's residence, whether masters or servants, looked at Ruyi as if she were a joke.
Su Xin rolled her eyes in annoyance, "What kind of talk is that!"
Wang Qin thought that Su Xin had developed some feelings for Ruyi, but he soon realized that Su Xin was not refuting him.
"Use your brain to consult with A'Ruo? Doesn't A'Ruo seem more rebellious than me?"
Wang Qin chuckled. Indeed, every time the Emperor came, A'Ruo's eyes were practically glued to him. Even though Consort Xian had no intention of letting A'Ruo secure the Emperor's favor, she deliberately ignored it. Who wouldn't laugh at her for raising a tiger to cause trouble?
Inside the palace, Ruyi gently served Hongli some food, saying, "Your Majesty, please try the quail crystal slices. I knew you were coming, so I specially instructed the imperial kitchen to make them."
Looking at this dish, which was ostensibly his favorite, Hongli found it somewhat amusing. Ruyi acted as if she loved him very much. But in reality, all the concubines in the harem, except for her, could see that he had long been tired of this dish and had now changed his tastes.
However, Hongli didn't say much, picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.
"How does Your Majesty find the taste?"
Ruyi was a little nervous, while Hongli thought casually, savoring the taste in his mouth.
Hmm? This is a bit too sweet. Is this what aphrodisiacs taste like? How come it's sweeter than honey? Or did Ruyi put in too much?
"good."
Hongli calmly nodded, but did not eat a second bite.
Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief and then began to urge the emperor to drink, saying, "Your Majesty, please try this wine. It is newly brewed osmanthus wine."
Hongli took a sip. Hmm, chocolate flavor? What kind of medicine is this? I really want to just ask Ruyi for it, then I won't have to travel all that way to find cocoa trees. I'll have a substitute for chocolate!
In order to keep the play going, Hongli temporarily put aside his reluctance and decided to entrust this arduous task to Suxin, believing that she would definitely be able to find the medicine!
"good."
This time, Hongli really thought it was good, and drank two more glasses. The long-lost taste of liqueur-filled chocolates reminded him of modern food.
Ruyi relaxed more and started serving him other dishes.
"Your Majesty, please try this Eight Treasure Chicken, it has a rich and delicious flavor..."
"Your Majesty, please try this exquisite lotus root..."
"This dish of bamboo shoots and bracken..."
Lemon, durian, mint...
The flavors are certainly varied, but just how much poison did Ruyi administer?
Hongli was speechless. Did she want his body or his life? Couldn't she be a little more careful? Putting him in like that, anyone else would have exploded and died long ago.
Even without the help of the imperial physician, one should at least have some common sense. Even aphrodisiacs shouldn't be mixed together like this, and in such large quantities!
Although Hongli wouldn't be poisoned, his sense of taste would be ruined. He couldn't take it anymore, so he pretended to be drowsy, supporting his forehead with one hand and pretending to fall asleep.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
Seeing Hongli's state, Ruyi gently called his name. Although she didn't know what the reaction to the medicine should be, seeing that Hongli was dazed and didn't react much, she considered her plan half successful.
Staring at his profile, she was stunned for a while. It was really hard to send her young lover to another woman's bed.
But she had no choice. The hearts of everyone else in the harem were no longer with the emperor. She was only thinking of the emperor's sake and believed that he would understand her.
"Consort Xian..."
With his arms aching from holding her up, and wondering what Ruyi was daydreaming about, Hongli took the initiative to go through the formalities.
"Your Majesty," Ruyi said, supporting his arm, "Your Majesty must have had a few too many drinks. I'll have someone help you to rest. A'Ruo!"
A'Ruo walked in from outside the palace, somewhat displeased, but upon meeting Ruyi's warning gaze, she could only step forward to help.
"Send His Majesty to a side hall to rest first."
"yes."
Upon reaching the outside of the palace, Wang Qin wanted to step forward to help her, but Ruyi refused, saying, "No need. Su Xin, you take Eunuch Wang down to rest. This palace and A'Ruo are fine here."
"Then I'll have to trouble Consort Xian."
Wang Qin readily agreed, seemingly without a shred of doubt as to why Ruyi had moved the Emperor to a side hall instead of the main hall.
Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief. In her eyes, Wang Qin's behavior meant that the Emperor was always thinking of her. Therefore, the people serving her did not dare to offend her, and their joy was evident on their faces.
Watching Ruyi and A'ruo help the "drunk" Emperor to the side hall, Wang Qin's lips twitched. Consort Xian was truly all talk and no action; everyone in the palace knew the Emperor could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk!
The plan was too crude. If the Emperor hadn't spoken up beforehand, telling him not to get involved, and even wanted to help the Emperor to the side hall, he wouldn't have been able to leave during the meal.
"So, what's inside the side hall?"
Su Xin had a hard time explaining, "There's an embroiderer, or rather, she used to be an embroiderer, but now she's an assistant in Consort Yi's embroidery class."
Wang Qin was shocked. "Ha, Consort Xian is actively seeking someone to share the Emperor's favor? Isn't she already a rival? Can A'Ruo cooperate?"
There are just too many things to complain about; even Su Xin doesn't know where to begin. Let's not even talk about the concubines on the wall—was Consort Xian ever truly favored? And what about A'Ruo? Would she dare disobey?
"Hehe," seeing Su Xin's expression, Wang Qin knew he had misspoke and quickly changed the subject, "That embroiderer certainly can't climb into the dragon bed and can't defile the emperor. I just wonder how the emperor wants to play? How should I, the chief eunuch, cooperate?"
“Deputy Chief Manager,” Xin emphasized.
Wang Qin glanced at her irritably, "The deputy is also the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, Miss Su Xin from Yanxi Palace!"
Su Xin's vision went black. Good, because of Ruyi, she could no longer look directly at the words "Yanxi Palace." Help! When would she finally be able to leave Ruyi's side?!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
