Chapter 176 Chips
Fanghua Palace was originally the residence of Concubine Rong, but now everything has changed.
After Prince Ning sent Concubine Rong's body back home, the head maid Moer also went to Jinzhou with him. Some of the others were assigned to work elsewhere, and some had already left the palace. Only a young eunuch who was guarding the gate was left.
After Prince Rui came out of the Yunting, he came over and asked the gatekeeper a few words before letting him leave. He stood alone in the yard, looking at the bedroom in front of him, with half of his face shrouded in shadow, revealing a hint of sadness.
It was extremely deserted inside, weeds had grown against the wall, and no one had swept the leaves on the ground.
An uninhabited palace always decays quickly. It won't take long for it to become as desolate as the cold palace, and no one will go near it anymore.
The next day he arranged for the palace servants to clean the bedroom inside and out, and they would come to stay in the yard for a while every day before leaving.
He always came alone before, but today he brought someone else with him.
It was none other than Jiang Lan.
The emperor had summoned her once before granting her marriage to Qi Wuhan. During that time, she also came to Fanghua Palace to meet Concubine Rong. She still remembered that Concubine Rong was dressed very simply that day, and was gentle and amiable, but she did not look in good health, and looked soft and fragile.
I didn't expect someone to leave so suddenly...
Thinking of this, a trace of guilt rose in her heart. Neither she nor Qi Wuhan had intended to hurt Concubine Rong, but the end result was still the deepest hurt. She took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. Suddenly, she felt that the sky above the palace was high and deep, like a deep well covering everyone's head. No matter who they were, they could not escape this vortex of power...
"I heard that mother left at night." Prince Rui was silent for a moment, then a self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips, revealing a hint of bitterness. "I guess she was still blaming me before she left."
Jiang Lan said slowly and calmly, "A mother's greatest concern is her children. The Queen is most worried about you and the Fourth Prince. She worries about whether you have enough to eat, are warmly dressed, and are living a good life."
A touch of emotion flashed across King Rui's eyes, and he curled the corners of his lips and said, "Are you trying to comfort me?"
Jiang Lan didn't say anything.
"Even if you show your goodwill to me now, I will not let you go unless," King Rui paused and said frivolously, "you do something to please me, then I might consider it."
Jiang Lan glanced at him as if he was sick.
Prince Rui seemed to have read the word "illness" in her eyes and said nonchalantly, "Don't look at me like that. When you learn to behave yourself, I might consider giving you a status. But right now, you're just a bargaining chip in my hand."
“…”
Jiang Lan was speechless. He was like an arrogant person. Why did anyone think she would care about any damn status? She wished to be as far away from him as possible, but now she had nothing to defend herself with. The only two packets of drugs and whistle she had left were taken away.
Ever since he fell into her trap last time, King Rui was more cautious this time and asked her to hand over everything she had on her, otherwise he would search her personally.
Jiang Lan first handed over a packet of sleeping pills, and then King Rui kept looking at her with a calm look, as if he could spend the whole day with her.
Then she gritted her teeth and handed over the second packet of drugs. King Rui still looked at her with a teasing look, as if flirting with her, which made her want to rush over and beat him up, but the whistle was her last amulet, and she must not hand it over unless it was absolutely necessary.
After handing over two packets of drugs, Jiang Lan said she had no more.
Prince Rui said that she was not honest and it would be more reassuring to search her body personally.
When he came over, Jiang Lan gritted her teeth and took out the whistle, saying that it was bought for her by her eldest brother when she was a child. As long as she blew the whistle, the servants in the mansion would immediately know where she was. Because she accidentally fell into the water when she was a child, her eldest brother gave her a whistle to prevent such an accident from happening again.
After listening to her reasonable explanation, King Rui still confiscated the whistle and said that he would keep it for the time being. He would see how she performed in the future and would consider returning it to her if she performed well.
She didn't believe him at all and decided to find a chance to steal it back herself.
…
Arriving at the gate of Fanghua Palace, Jiang Lan stopped and looked up at the plaque inlaid on the gate. The last time she came here, it was Changle who brought her here. Now when she set foot here again, everything has changed.
"I thought you didn't like Mother." Prince Rui sneered, a sinister glint in his eyes. "Like the Ninth Princess, she never sets foot here."
Jiang Lan remembered that when Changle brought her here before, she said she had something to do and left first, and did not go in with her to pay a visit to Concubine Rong.
"Let's go in and take a look."
After Jiang Lan followed King Rui in, she saw that the room was very clean. There was not a single leaf on the ground. Pots of full and elegant chrysanthemums were placed under the corridor, adding a touch of vitality to the courtyard.
"Mother is gentle and doesn't fight or compete," Prince Rui's eyes fell on the pot of elegant white chrysanthemums, "She thought this would satisfy Father, but she didn't realize that the weaker you are, the more people will look down on you."
His eyes turned cold, and there was a hint of sinisterness in them.
Jiang Lan didn't say anything.
Time passed by minute by second in the silent atmosphere.
After a while, she asked, "Can I go in and burn some incense for the Empress?"
Prince Rui was slightly stunned, as if he had not expected her to ask such a question. Then he nodded and asked someone to take her there, while he stayed outside the palace.
When Jiang Lan arrived in front of the enshrined portrait of Concubine Rong, she carefully examined the figure in the portrait for a moment, then bowed deeply. After lighting incense, she knelt on the cushion in front of the portrait and said, "Your Majesty, the Marquis once told me that you took care of him when he was a study companion in the palace. Today, I offer a stick of incense to you on his behalf. I hope you won't blame him."
She bowed three times devoutly to the portrait, and after burning incense, she knelt on the cushion and kowtowed slowly.
When she came out, she saw King Rui standing at the door. After she came over, King Rui took her to the side hall in the east and let her live there first.
Jiang Lan felt it was inappropriate, extremely inappropriate.
"Since Your Highness calls me a bargaining chip, you should arrange a cell for me to prevent me from escaping."
"No need. You can't escape from my grasp. Just stay here peacefully. I won't do anything to you for now."
Prince Rui curled his lips, turned around and walked away. After taking two steps, he paused and added, "By the way, you cannot leave this courtyard without my permission. Remember?"
Jiang Lan asked, "How long do you intend to keep me locked up, Your Highness? Are you planning to keep me locked up forever?"
King Rui chuckled and walked away.
Jiang Lan stared at his back, unable to understand how he had seized power overnight, and how he had made the emperor suddenly change his mind and depose the crown prince to release him. Could it be that the previous palace coup was just a smokescreen to let the emperor relax his vigilance so that he could carry out a more secretive plan?
And he just said that she was a bargaining chip, could it be that he also knew Qi Wuhan's true identity...
She thought about it carefully and felt that the most urgent thing now was to find a way to see the emperor. Now that she was in the palace, it would be easier to see the emperor than outside. She had to find a way to sneak out without anyone noticing.
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