Drama
Half an hour ago,
Qi Liyuan participated in the meetings of the Secretariat.
He finally waited until lunchtime, finally free from the incessant chatter of the Vice Prime Minister and his men. Unexpectedly, he had barely picked up his chopsticks in Funing Hall when Chu Zhaoyuan arrived with a large group of Hefen, crying and begging for the emperor to intervene.
Qi Liyuan hung his head, feeling conflicted...
Let him in? It would disturb his peace. Not let him in? The Queen Mother would bring her men to kill him.
"Oh, it's so annoying. Don't these people have anything else to do on weekdays?" Qi Liyuan threw down his chopsticks and was furious.
The people before the emperor knelt on the ground in fear again.
Yu Er tilted his head to look at the scene outside, then turned to Qi Liyuan and said, "Sir, why don't you ask the ladies to come in and see what's going on? With so many people here, perhaps something really happened."
"What's the matter? What could happen to them?" Qi Liyuan leaned back on the dragon throne, unwilling to even look outside.
"Isn't it just that they're complaining about Sister Jue's harsh treatment, and that the bad little lady is helping Sister Jue bully others? I've already investigated everything I should, so why can't I find any evidence? Are they teaming up to force me to call a horse a zebra? They insist on accusing Sister Jue of something?"
"Idiot—I'm not a fool."
Although Qi Liyuan had a big quarrel with Si Kou Jue that day, his words still favored Zhaiyu Pavilion and Chengping Palace.
He hated Chu Qiyu's personality. With his mean-spirited face, it was almost as if the Empress Dowager's success had brought prosperity to her entire family. It was truly a collection of all sorts of evildoers. Fortunately, the Empress Dowager ascended to the throne late and didn't have any children.
However, Qi Liyuan felt that his life would be even more difficult than it is now, and his life might even be in danger... If it comes to being cruel and harsh, Qi Liyuan thought it was more like something Chu Zhaoyuan would do.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. So what you mean is..." Yu Er didn't dare to say more, he could only follow Qi Liyuan's words.
The crying outside the house continued, and Qi Liyuan was annoyed and overwhelmed.
Helplessly, he covered his ears with his hands and said to Yu Er, "Never mind. Let her make a fuss. I'll see how long she can make a fuss. I won't tire her out. If she gets hoarse, I'll have a few days of peace. Yu Er, go get me two balls of cotton. I can shut my ears and feel at peace!"
Yu Er received the order and found two balls of cotton and handed them to Qi Liyuan.
You know what, this is a really good idea. Qi Liyuan plugged his ears. He couldn't say he couldn't hear the crying outside the door, but it no longer bothered him. However, just as Qi Liyuan picked up his chopsticks, a tough guy came outside the door.
"Have you achieved your goal by kneeling here and crying, Chu Zhaoyuan? If I were you, if I had this much time, I would rather think about how to seize the power from me instead of being stupid enough to embarrass myself here." Sikou Jueku's golden brocade robe fell on the steps of the palace, and she looked coldly at the kneeling people.
When the others saw her, they averted their eyes and were speechless.
Qi Liyuan was eating lunch in the hall and could not hear the noise around him. He subconsciously asked, "Why did it stop outside?"
Yu Er replied, "The Jade Pavilion people are here."
Qi Liyuan sneered and took out the cotton stuffed in his ears, thinking that a more evil "evil guy" was coming, and he would have to wait and see.
Chu Zhaoyuan was a thorn in the side. She glanced at Si Kou Jue, and her petty temper came out as soon as she opened her mouth. "Hey, Madam Shuyi, what qualifications do you have to say that I'm embarrassing? I remember you just came out of Funing Palace injured a while ago. How dare you come here so quickly? Don't forget the pain after the scar has healed."
Chu Zhaoyuan did not hide anything at all, and it looked like she was not a smart person.
She spat at Si Kou Jue casually.
Si Kou Jue was too lazy to waste words with such an idiot. She turned her gaze to the people who had come to her side and angrily shouted, "Don't you know what time it is? The emperor is having a meal. You should just stay in front of him and serve him. Instead, you have come here to disturb him. What is your crime?"
The members of the Hefen group flocked over, unprepared for what would happen. They were either coerced by Chu Zhaoyuan's tyranny or bribed into coming because they wanted to take the blame for the first person to come. But no one expected that the stick would fall on them first.
The members of the Hefen Group were terrified and kept crying out for justice.
"My lady, please forgive me. My lady, please forgive me. This matter has nothing to do with us. It was all Madam Zhao Yuan's idea."
Like a pile of loose sand, flowing in all directions, Chu Qiyu was naturally the first to appear.
"Oh? You came just because Zhao Yuan asked you to, yet you completely disregarded the emperor's feelings?" Si Kou Jue's aura was so overwhelming that no one dared to argue or shout at him. Otherwise, they would only receive a heavier punishment.
They knew Si Kou Jue, who was upright and tough.
"Everyone, headed by Concubine Zhao, listen up. They will be fined three months' salary and forced to reflect on their mistakes for five days. This will serve as a warning to others." Si Kou Jue gave the order and no one dared to disobey.
Chu Qiyu retorted, "Madam Shuyi, what right do you have to be so overbearing? We are only here to report to His Majesty, so that he can see what kind of life we are living. I advise you not to be so arrogant in front of the emperor. If you show your true colors, you won't have to argue with him in front of you—you can't explain yourself."
Si Kou Jue sneered at this. She leaned over and slowly approached Chu Qiyu's beautiful face. "Why? Because the Phoenix Seal is in my hand, and because I'm the one who assists in the management of the six palaces, not you. Chu Qiyu, do you think that with these things in your hands, you can be like a fish in water, calling the wind and rain? How about we make a bet? I'll give you three days of power. You will handle all the affairs of the harem and the six departments. After three days, we'll see if this harem can still function without me?"
"Are you serious?" Chu Qiyu fell into the trap.
Si Kou Jue stood up with a calm expression. She said, "I'm serious, Chu Qiyu. I'll wait and see."
These words caused an uproar among those present.
How could they be punished for coming before the Emperor? This idiot Zhao Yuan was not only fined, but even got three days of power? How could this be justified? Everyone turned on the person in front of them, and for a moment, Chu Qiyu became the target of public criticism.
"Jin Dianbu, go and inform the palace attendant and ask her to take the backlog of memorials and the newly submitted memorials to Pifang Pavilion. I'll be thanking Chu Zhaoyuan for the next three days." Si Kou Jue gave the order to Jin Dianbu, and she pushed the door after Jin Dianbu responded.
Before entering the door, she waved her sleeves and said sternly: "Disperse——"
No one dared to stay any longer and left with resentment on their faces. Only Chu Qiyu, who had gotten the advantage, walked down the steps of the palace complacently.
-
Si Kou Jue arrived at the palace. She had only intended to deliver a portion of newly-minted chestnuts from Yiyang. Unexpectedly, she ran into this incident, so she simply dealt with it. Just as she had the chestnuts placed on the table, she looked up and saw Qi Liyuan staring at her with surprise.
She asked, "What is that on my face?"
Qi Liyuan asked back: "Are you just going to give her the power? Aren't you afraid..."
Si Kou Jue smiled. She knew he would ask this question. "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that you can't get it back? Then let her go."
Si Kou Jue said this deliberately for Qi Liyuan to hear.
But when she turned her eyes to look outside the hall, she knew clearly that Chu Qiyu could not cause any trouble.
Qi Liyuan didn't want to get too involved in their dispute, as it was beyond his control, so he stopped talking. When Si Kou Jue turned around and handed the chestnuts in the box to Qi Liyuan, she seemed to notice something and asked, "What's going on? Does the emperor look like he's in trouble?"
"Don't hold it in, just say it."
The young man rubbed his palms together. "Sister Jue is so smart! Well, I want to ask you a favor... Sister Jue, could you help me get the deputy prime minister this afternoon? They keep talking about the same few things, and I'm so tired of hearing them. In the end, they don't let me make the final decision, which is really annoying. I figured since there's nothing for me to do anyway, I'd go out for a walk. The beginning of winter is approaching, so it's time to go burn some incense to the saint."
"Sister Jue, do you think...can I do it?" Qi Liyuan had no interest in it and would never beg for mercy from Sikou Jue like this.
Sikou Jue gently placed the chestnut on the table, silent and hesitant. She felt that as the emperor's wife, she should supervise and advise him, not indulge him. But as Jue's sister, Sikou Jue felt she had to protect his purity.
After all, she knew that life in the palace was really boring.
So, after a struggle between duty and friendship, Si Kou Jue finally chose the latter. She told Qi Liyuan, "There won't be a next time. I'll definitely be back before sunset."
After saying this, the young man happily stood up, peeled the chestnuts on the table, and attentively brought them to Sikou Jue's mouth. He said, "Of course, you are not joking. Sister Jue, these chestnuts are fresh, please try them~"
Si Kou Jue stared blankly at the boy's intimate appearance, hesitated for a long time, and finally opened his mouth.
Qi Liyuan asked, "Is it delicious?"
Si Kou Jue stared at the person in front of her and said in a deep voice, "Hmm... delicious." She had actually used chestnuts before, but for some reason, the one he fed into her mouth was unusually sweet... It made Si Kou Jue blush.
-
Later, Qi Liyuan went around in circles and came to Jingling West Palace.
He had originally wanted to relieve his annoyance at their annoyance, but unexpectedly, he ran into Taishi Zheng and his unlucky new husband. Thus, Qi Liyuan's heart was completely blocked by Cui Zhijun.
In the corridor, Zheng separated from Cui Zhijun. She looked away and denied, "How could it be possible? Why would I ask him to come?"
After hearing what Taishi Zheng said, Cui Zhijun was even more confused.
But now that everyone is here, it would be impolite for them to sit like this. Cui Zhijun stood up first, then pulled his wife next to him, "No matter what, stand up first. After all, you are my wife's relatives, and we can't let others feel that we are being neglected."
Zheng nodded to show that it made sense.
But just as she put her hand into Cui Zhijun's palm, Qi Liyuan came over with a swift step as if to explode the sky, and shouted angrily: "Jingling Palace is a key place, what are you doing——"
Cui Zhijun was so frightened by the noise that he couldn't hold the person tightly. Zheng had just stood up when he was thrown hard on his butt.
This made Qi Liyuan very distressed. He climbed up the stairs and pushed Cui Zhijun aside, who was still unaware, and tried to help him up. At this moment, until Qi Liyuan came to him, Cui Zhijun finally saw clearly that the man Taishi Zheng called the tenth brother was actually the emperor!
But Cui Zhijun didn’t have time to think too much. He had to take care of Tai Shi Zheng first.
"You two, why is one of you yelling and the other one being so careless, what are you trying to do—" Tai Shi Zheng was sitting on the ground complaining, but when she raised her eyes, she found two different arms appeared in front of her at the same time.
"Madam, is there anything wrong?" Cui Zhijun looked concerned.
"Zheng, are you okay?" Qi Liyuan's face was full of worry.
Zheng was stunned by their reactions, her hand hovering back and forth, half-raising it. She felt a strange rage simmering in the corridor. Qi Liyuan deliberately squeezed Cui Zhijun, moving his hand closer to the man before him, seemingly confident in his plans.
Tsk, how many days has this guy known Zheng?
Zheng and I have known each other for more than ten years, and they even slept in the same bed when they were young.
Choi Shik-kyun, huh? Nothing special! Just wait for the embarrassment.
Unfortunately, Qi Liyuan's triumphant gesture was too early, only making him feel so embarrassed that he had to find a hole to hide in. He turned his head, and before he could finish feeling proud, Tai Shi Zheng was pulled up by Cui Zhijun. The couple was married, and if they didn't choose my husband, who else could they choose?
"Sorry, I didn't mean it." Cui Zhijun was worried.
Zheng shook her head and said, "I know. Look, I'm fine. My dear, don't worry about it."
“…”
The way Tai Shi Zheng treated Cui Zhijun so tenderly made Qi Liyuan feel like a thousand arrows pierced his heart. He knew that she had never been so gentle to him before. But Qi Liyuan still refused to give up and snatched Tai Shi Zheng from Cui Zhijun's hands, "Let me see, where did you fall?"
After being teased by Qi Liyuan, Cui Zhijun finally remembered to greet him: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. I did not know it was you who came to visit me. I am truly rude. I hope you will forgive me."
Forgive? No.
He dared to marry Taishi Zheng! This is an unforgivable crime—
Qi Liyuan pretended not to hear Cui Zhijun's words and continued to stare at Tai Shi Zheng.
Zheng suddenly shook Qi Liyuan's arm off. If she had met Qi Liyuan before, she would have refused to politely greet him. But now that she was with Cui Zhijun, she decided to follow his example and perform the rituals of ruler and subject.
But Qi Liyuan didn't give her any chance at all. When he saw the person in front of him ruthlessly shake off his arm, he was afraid that Cui Zhijun would look down on his relationship with Zheng.
He immediately changed direction and cupped Zheng's face into a ball.
I only heard Zheng's words, but before they were finished, they turned into a few mumbling words: "Your Highness, I bow... Woo..."
Taishi Zheng looked at Qi Liyuan in confusion, feeling that he was going crazy. Qi Liyuan gently rubbed her face and said, "Zheng, it's been a long time since we last met. Look at you, you've lost weight. Tell me, did they bully you? Did the Bo family not let you eat enough?"
Zheng's little face is chubby, and Qi Liyuan is really lying with his eyes open.
He's just finding fault.
But Cui Zhijun was always dull. He just felt that Taishi Zheng, the emperor's cousin, was actually quite caring about his family. He thought it was a blessing to have such a relative, so he didn't think too much about it.
Taishi Zheng desperately tried to break free from Qi Liyuan's restraints. Seeing that she didn't respond, Qi Liyuan said again: "Wow, Zheng, why do you have dark circles under your eyes? Tell me the truth, is it Cui Zhijun who didn't let you sleep at night? And tortured you day and night!"
Alas! Where do you get that from? The ancestors of the Heavenly Family are watching us!
Cui Zhijun stood by in astonishment, afraid he wouldn't be able to explain himself even if he jumped into Jinming Lake. Taishi Zheng's face was filled with shame. Qi Liyuan saw something was wrong with the person in front of him, and then he realized what was going on and froze in his place.
He actually hurt the enemy by a thousand and himself by eight hundred.
Tai Shi Zheng took the opportunity to push Qi Liyuan's arm away and rubbed his sore cheeks. "Oh, that's enough. I'm eating well and sleeping well in the uncle's mansion. I won't bother you, tenth brother. Tenth brother, what are you doing here in Jingling West Palace today? You can't just come to look for me, right?"
"I... came to burn incense for the saint..." Qi Liyuan replied dully. His mind was filled with the shamefaced expression of Taishi Zheng after hearing those words. At this moment, Qi Liyuan stood there dejected.
It's over, it's over...
They are passionate and inseparable.
This, this, this is unjust!
Qi Liyuan looked up in shock, stealing a glance at Cui Zhijun, a man a head taller than him, strong and sturdy, handsome and elegant. His face grew uglier.
Tai Shi Zheng was always afraid that Qi Liyuan would cause trouble again.
This man is an official. If he says or does anything, Cui Zhijun will not be able to bear it! For the sake of her own happiness, she must leave this place as soon as possible to maintain peace. "Since Tenth Brother is going to burn incense to the saint, we just happen to go to pay our respects to father, so let's each do our own thing and not disturb him too much."
"Tenth brother, we say goodbye, goodbye."
After Tai Shi Zheng finished speaking, without waiting for Cui Zhijun to go through the formalities, he hurriedly pushed him away.
Unexpectedly, just as the two of them walked down the stairs, they heard Qi Liyuan's deep voice behind them saying, "Wait a minute, it won't take long to burn incense to the Saint. It just so happens that I haven't seen my uncle for a long time, so why not go with you two——"
Tai Shi Zheng was suddenly startled, and with a stiff neck, he turned around and glared at Qi Liyuan.
Uncle? What kind of uncle is he looking at?
Qi Liyuan squinted his eyes and looked back with a triumphant air. Run? Where to? He'd lost to Tai Shi Zheng, so he had to win back against Tai Shi Zhengjiang. If he returned to the palace in disgrace, he wouldn't be able to sleep for three days.
In this case, the emperor’s order is difficult to disobey.
On the cramped carriage heading to Huaiqingfang, Taishi Zheng sat stiffly in the middle, with the calm Cui Zhijun to his right and the gritting Qi Liyuan to his left. This fraught scene left Taishi Zheng feeling uneasy and miserable.
Her eyes moved between the two of them, and she only said: Dad, save me——
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