The night grows darker.
In another hour, it will be dawn.
Ling Shumo gently patted Lu Jinshu's back and said, "You should go and rest first. I'll be here to look after Xihe. If she wakes up, I'll notify you immediately."
Lu Jinshu wiped the tears from his face and shook his head. "No, Your Majesty will be attending the morning court soon. I'll stay here and you can go and rest first."
Ling Shumo gave a helpless smile and said, "Since you don't want to rest, let's stay here together."
Shangguan Xu had been sitting quietly beside Ling Xihe's bed. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he stood up abruptly. "Although Xihe is naughty, she knows what's important. If you say she was playing by the lake, I'll believe you. But if you say she ran to the center of the lake alone, I won't believe you. Just yesterday, I specifically warned her not to step on the thin ice in the center of Qiongyu Lake or else fall. Xihe promised me then that she would pay attention to her safety."
Because Ling Xi and the child had always been mischievous, Lu Jinshu had already formed a fixed mindset, thinking that Ling Xi and her playfulness must have caused them to fall into the lake. But Shangguan Xu's words now opened up another possibility.
Ling Shumo's brows furrowed even more. "What you said does make sense. But, if Xihe was really pushed into the water on purpose, who on earth would have such a deep grudge against Xihe that they were determined to put a little girl like her to death?"
The expression in Lu Jinshu's eyes kept changing, but he finally shook his head helplessly, "In this palace, I have offended too many people. There are dozens of people I suspect."
The atmosphere in the room returned to silence.
Outside the window, it was already dawn.
Pei Jiuyan took the sewn outer robe from the hanger and walked to Ling Shumo's side. "Your Majesty, please help him change clothes and wash up. It's time for your Majesty to attend the morning court."
Ling Shumo changed her clothes in silence.
Pei Jiuyan knew Ling Shumo was in a bad mood, so she only asked the imperial kitchen to prepare a simple breakfast. After breakfast, she went back to comfort Lu Jinshu for a few words before leaving, looking back every few steps.
Because Ling Xihe was still unconscious, Ling Shumo felt a little listless throughout the morning court session.
But the troubles she faced today didn't stop there. Officials reported that the mighty General He Huiyuan, in his greed for merit and reckless advance, had lost nearly half his 200,000 troops. He was completely routed by the enemy and fled back to the border of the Chisha Empire like a stray dog. It was truly a disgrace.
Before the morning court was over, the news spread throughout the harem like legs.
When He Huiyuan returns to the imperial capital after his defeat, he will inevitably be subjected to the emperor's wrath, and his demotion is a foregone conclusion.
Originally, He Huaichen was already upset enough because Ling Xihe was not dead. Now he heard the bad news that his sister had lost the battle, and his mood became extremely angry.
In the Yaotai Palace today, the servants dared not even breathe too loudly, for fear that He Huaichen would find any fault with them and whip them to death like Luoluo.
Lu Yi took several deep breaths before he mustered up the courage to push open the door. Before he could say anything, a teacup flew towards him.
He Huaichen roared, "I said I want to be alone and no one is allowed to disturb me. Do you want to die?"
Lv Yi was hit by the broken pieces of the teacup, her head and face covered in blood, but she didn't dare to beg for mercy. She knelt straight on the ground and said, "The chess player beside Queen Fu is here. He said that the Queen has something important to discuss with you."
He Huaichen suppressed the anger on his face and raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Fengyi Palace is no different from the Cold Palace now. I have no friendship with that old man who has fallen from favor. What does he want from me?"
Lu Yi shook her head in fear, "I don't know."
"Go tell that chess master that I'm busy with my business and don't have time to go to Fengyi Palace." He Huaichen refused, but he wasn't done yet. He snorted in disdain. "His mother has already been demoted from the position of Prime Minister. Now she only has the empty title of Empress. How dare he think he's such a big shot that he even ordered me here? He's really clueless."
Lu Yi didn't dare to persuade him any further and immediately left.
He Huaichen picked up the teapot and poured himself another cup of tea. He had just taken a sip when the door was pushed open again. He looked up and saw that the person who came was still Lvyi.
He Huaichen didn't throw the teacup this time. He threw the teapot directly and yelled, "Are you turning a deaf ear to what I said?"
Lu Yi knelt on the ground in fear and trepidation. "Even if I had ten thousand guts, I wouldn't dare disobey my master. But the chess master said... he said that the Queen already knew what happened by the Jade Lake that day..."
Lu Yi's words were almost trembling. After hearing what he said, He Huaichen's face changed completely. He stood up from the leather seat in shock. "What did you say? Say it again. Did Fu Yijing know what happened on the banks of the Qiongyu River?"
Lu Yi nodded desperately in fear.
He Huaichen no longer dared to show arrogance at this time. His face was gloomy. "Come here, help me dress up. I want to go to Fengyi Palace to pay my respects to Queen Fu."
…
Fengyi Palace.
Although Fu Yijing had lost a lot of weight, he was still in good spirits. He was even in the mood to sit by the window, enjoying the snow and drinking tea.
Initially, when the Emperor was about to confer the title of Queen of the Western Palace upon Lu Jinshu, he was indeed depressed for quite some time, even despairing enough to contemplate suicide. However, the Immortal Xuanming found an opportunity to send a message to the palace, saying that as long as she remained in the position of Minister of Rites, he still had a chance to turn the tide.
Although his aunt Fu Rong was no longer the prime minister, she was still a renowned scholar in the capital, highly respected and esteemed. Fu Rong had countless disciples, many of whom held important positions at court and had close ties to the Fu family.
In the words of his biological mother, Xuanming Fairy, he is not in a desperate situation, but there is hope everywhere.
Zhiqi lifted the door curtain and walked in, "My Lord and Queen, He Fanghua is here."
Fu Yijing smiled and said, "Please invite him in."
Soon, He Huaichen walked in, followed by the attendants. He knelt and saluted Fu Yijing, who was sitting in front of him, and said, "Your servant greets the Queen."
Fu Yijing had no intention of embarrassing him, and the smile on his face became even gentler. "He Fanghua, you are so polite. Please stand up quickly. I just got some excellent West Lake Longjing tea recently. If you don't mind, come and try it."
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