Chapter 41 I will definitely take you with me
When he realized what he had done, Xiao Shenjing was stunned.
He quickly realized what was happening, stiffly brushed her hair away, and stood up.
He quickly went to the outer room and had the palace maids help Yunxi up.
When Yunxi finished washing up and was led out, Xiao Shenjing was preparing to have breakfast.
Her eyes lit up as she stared at the table laden with delicacies. She volunteered, "Your Majesty, isn't it my turn to test for poison again?"
Without waiting for Xiao Shenjing to refuse, he took the initiative to sit down and tried every dish.
Even when they come across something they like to eat, they don't consider saving any and just eat it all by themselves.
Unlike the leisurely and refined manners of other noble ladies, she ate with a rather unrestrained and bold manner, without showing any restraint despite being in the presence of the emperor.
Such actions were naturally considered vulgar and crude by Xiao Shenjing.
He should have reprimanded her, but seeing how much she enjoyed her meal and how bright her eyes were, he ultimately said nothing.
For a moment, only the faint sound of porcelain clinking could be heard in the room.
After court, he dined at the same table with the two men.
This was completely foreign to Xiao Shenjing, who had lost his mother at a young age.
Staring at Yun Xi sitting opposite him, Xiao Shenjing felt a strange feeling he had never experienced before.
Yunxi quickly finished eating, put down her chopsticks, and said, "Your Majesty, I have finished testing, and there is no poison. Please continue eating. I will take my leave now."
It was said in such a grand and dignified way that no one could find a single fault with it.
Having eaten and drunk her fill, she should make her way.
Martial arts training cannot be neglected.
"Sit down." Xiao Shenjing said without raising his eyes, and then slowly scooped up a fish ball.
Yunxi could only force herself to sit back down in her chair and drink a few mouthfuls of sweet soup in a half-hearted manner.
Xiao Shenjing didn't know why he kept her around.
I just felt that it was a bit boring to sit here and eat alone.
Of course, he believed it was just an illusion.
After Xiao Shenjing finished his meal, Yunxi disappeared from the Qianqing Palace almost without stopping.
They looked incredibly impatient, as if they were afraid of being left behind again.
A short while later, Gu Wenqian requested an audience.
As soon as Xiao Shenjing sat down on the sandalwood chair in the East Warm Pavilion, Gu Wenqian bowed and reported, "Your Majesty, all the palace maids, guards, and eunuchs in Nanjing have been captured. The false empress dowager hanged herself in the temporary palace, and the false emperor was hidden and taken away by his close attendants. Your subordinates are now doing everything in their power to search for them."
"I have already let them live long enough. I want to see them alive or dead," Xiao Shenjing said indifferently. "As long as the false emperor lives, there will always be people in the court who are restless."
"What should be done with those people from the puppet regime?" Gu Wenqian asked.
Xiao Shenjing remained silent for a moment, then uttered only one word: "Execute."
The palace had hundreds of maids and eunuchs, as well as a group of guards, totaling at least a thousand people.
A single word from an emperor can take the lives of a thousand people.
Following the bloody purge of officials in the capital who colluded with the puppet regime, Nanjing will also become a blood-soaked hell overnight.
Small compassion is the thief of great compassion.
If temporary leniency allows some people to take chances, leading to turmoil in Jing Sheng, it will only cause more people to be displaced and suffer hardship.
He already bears the reputation of slaughtering the emperor, and he is not afraid of adding more charges.
Some things can only be accomplished through a ruthless and decisive approach, achieving lasting results.
"What is it?" When Xiao Shenjing picked up his pen again, he found that Gu Wenqian was still standing there.
As the commander of the Supervisory Bureau, he was also considered part of Xiao Shenjing's think tank.
Gu Wenqian always felt that he understood the young man's status to some extent, but he could never see through Yun Xi's situation.
Now, the court and the public are in an uproar because of her existence, and Xiao Shenjing is not afraid of being labeled a tyrant for her sake.
As his subordinate, he naturally had to be aware of the situation.
He then bowed and asked, "This subordinate dares to ask Your Majesty what arrangements Your Majesty intends to make for Miss Yunxi?"
Thin wisps of smoke rose from the incense burner.
Through the thin mist, Xiao Shenjing slowly glanced at Gu Wenqian.
He didn't think he liked Yunxi, but he would never let her leave the palace.
However, with the wedding just around the corner, it's a turbulent time, and some things still need to wait for the right opportunity.
After a few breaths, he said, "Once everything settles down, I will naturally take her as my concubine."
After hearing his words, Gu Wenqian nodded, understanding.
But he also knew that Yunxi was not the type to easily obey.
The fact that she dared to plan such a desperate act as jumping off a cliff reveals her true nature; she is definitely someone who would fight to the death. So, I tentatively asked, "Then this turmoil in the harem might involve Miss Yunxi in the future."
"If you want to live a life of wealth and honor, you must put in tremendous effort," Xiao Shenjing said slowly.
Realizing something, Gu Wenqian's eyelids twitched and his heart skipped a beat as he looked sharply at Xiao Shenjing.
The young emperor, seated on the dragon throne, had already casually changed the subject.
“Yunxi is tough and daring, and she also has martial arts skills. She will never suffer a loss. There is no more suitable candidate than her.”
Gu Wenqian composed himself and dared not ask any more questions.
I just hope that by then Miss Yunxi will have figured it out.
All under heaven are subjects of the king; no matter how vast the world is, it all belongs to the emperor.
Around noon, a young eunuch came to report that Princess Yong'an requested an audience.
As if he knew she was coming, Xiao Shenjing showed no surprise whatsoever, and without even looking up, said, "Let her in."
Princess Yong'an bowed to "Brother Yin'an".
After offering him a seat, he put down his calligraphy brush and asked, "How have you been feeling lately?"
Xiao Shenjing sat upright behind his desk, the warm sunlight seeping in from the window and illuminating his profile.
He had almond-shaped eyes, a high nose, and a face as beautiful as jade.
Cen Yuwei was initially filled with grievances, but upon seeing the concern in his eyes, her grievances vanished instantly.
“Brother Yin’an, I’m much better now,” she said, fiddling with her handkerchief. “These days, you’ve been working hard for the country, so you must take good care of your health.”
Xiao Shenjing nodded and instructed, "Your health is weak, so don't think too much." After a pause, he asked, "If the wedding preparations are too tiring, let the servants of Chengqian Palace do it. I'm not supporting them for nothing."
Hearing this, Cen Yuwei felt as sweet as honey in her heart.
A restless heart finally settled down.
In any case, her wedding with Yin'an will not be affected in any way.
As lunchtime approached, Cen Yuwei left, turning back every few steps.
Xiao Shenjing couldn't explain why, but he didn't invite her to dine with him.
But he knew that he would marry her no matter what, and nothing and no one would stop him.
He has always been a person with firm goals.
No wavering is allowed, and everything must be sacrificed to achieve the goal.
Otherwise, I will not give up.
As autumn arrives, the rainfall becomes increasingly abundant.
The next evening, Yunxi was summoned again.
The sky was dark, and the clouds seemed to be falling down.
Yunxi had nothing more to say about having to grind ink for Xiao Shenjing every night.
She had to endure it as much as possible. As long as she could hold out until Xiao Shenjing and Cen Yuwei's wedding, that would be the best time for her to escape.
She had already visited many parts of the palace, and the map in her hand was becoming increasingly detailed.
As she ground the ink, thinking about the changing of the guards she had witnessed that day, a sudden, unexpected thunderclap struck.
She was so startled that her hand trembled, and the ink splattered out.
Xiao Shenjing turned his head and glanced at her, asking with interest, "It is said that only those who have done something wrong are afraid of thunder. Yunxi, it seems that you have done a lot of wrong things."
“Who said I’m afraid of thunder?” Yunxi glared at him.
No sooner had she finished speaking than thunder roared in her ears, startling Yunxi so much that her eyelashes trembled.
Okay, she is indeed a little afraid of thunder.
It's not anything else, but every time there's lightning and thunder, I feel like I'm about to be struck through.
There was nowhere to hide.
But how could she possibly let Xiao Shenjing see this weakness?
So she forced herself to stay focused and pretended to concentrate on grinding the ink.
But the lightning and thunder always struck so suddenly, tearing through our vision.
When a thunderclap suddenly sounded, even though Yunxi had made ample preparations, her hands still trembled from the shock.
A mocking chuckle echoed in the room.
Xiao Shenjing seemed to particularly enjoy seeing her get the short end of the stick.
Yunxi dropped the ink stick and leaned on the imperial desk with one hand.
Suddenly, he bent down and got a few inches closer.
Xiao Shenjing didn't move when she suddenly approached him. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and stared at her, a mocking smile on his lips.
Yun Xi smiled sarcastically, tilting her head to stare at him. "Xiao Shenjing, you've killed so many people, aren't you afraid of going to hell after you die?"
Xiao Shenjing stared back at her, "Don't worry, if I go to hell, I'll definitely take you with me."
"Heh." Yun Xi sneered, "If you weren't in the palace, I could have taken you in an instant."
A dog's life.
Before he could finish speaking, a clap of thunder suddenly rang out.
This completely shattered Yunxi's words.
Sure enough, Xiao Shenjing's mocking laughter was heard immediately.
“Yunxi”
That night, Xiao Shenjing wasn't busy until very late.
He returned to his palace shortly after the heavy rain began.
In this kind of weather, Yunxi couldn't possibly torture herself by sitting in the courtyard getting rained on and freezing. She brazenly went to rest in the East Side Room right under Xiao Shenjing's nose.
After the court session.
When Xiao Shenjing was having breakfast, Yunxi had already gotten up. She unceremoniously pulled out a chair and sat down opposite him.
If she liked the dishes presented by the eunuchs, she would say so and keep them, completely disregarding Xiao Shenjing's opinion.
In contrast to her hearty meal, Xiao Shenjing could only eat a little of each dish, and even his favorite foods could not be eaten in large quantities.
Recalling the man's mockery from the previous night, she immediately gloated and sneered, "Xiao Shenjing, you can't even eat a little more of what you like to eat, how pathetic."
Xiao Shenjing.
“Unlike me, I can eat meat in big bites and drink wine in big bowls.” After she finished speaking, she deliberately took a bite of a crystal shrimp dumpling.
"One should not speak while eating or sleeping." Xiao Shenjing stared at her.
“Oh, that’s true. After all, it would be too pitiful to talk about something so painful.” Yunxi nodded knowingly. “You are the ruler of a country.”
"Don't forget where you are." Xiao Shenjing.
This time, Yunxi scoffed and deliberately glanced at him from head to toe with undisguised contempt.
Xiao Shenjing.
Having won a point so early in the morning, Yunxi was in a great mood and deliberately said, "It smells so good, it tastes so delicious."
The noise made Xiao Shenjing's forehead twitch.
Surprisingly, he did not order Yunxi to leave.
In the past, Xiao Shenjing usually ate alone.
Even when he was with the concubines, they were all well-mannered ladies from noble families and would never talk while eating.
That would be far too vulgar and indecent.
Yunxi chattered away like a sparrow, breaking the deathly silence of the Qianqing Palace, which was like a tomb.
It's like mountains and rivers that have been silent for thousands of years encountering a lively spring.
Just as Yunxi was finishing her meal, a young eunuch came to report that Consort Xue was requesting an audience.
Upon hearing this rank, Yunxi stood up without saying a word.
I'm full.
Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Shenjing glanced at her indifferently.
Yunxi immediately changed her words, "The poison test is finished, Your Majesty, please enjoy it. This servant will take her leave now!"
After saying that, he slipped out through the side door.
Just kidding. A concubine of the rank of Imperial Concubine must have a powerful family behind her. She doesn't want to offend such a woman for Xiao Shenjing's sake.
Although Yunxi was very clever.
But to her utter surprise, the head maidservant of Consort Xue hurriedly walked in through the side door.
The two passed each other.
The palace maid noticed the sugar stains remaining on Yunxi's lips and stopped abruptly in her tracks.
Yunxi was quite famous in the palace, and the palace maids naturally knew her.
The only way out from this gate is through the Qianqing Palace.
This was the time when His Majesty was having his breakfast.
So Yunxi was actually dining with His Majesty?
Very few concubines would come to the Qianqing Palace without being summoned.
Consort Xue was also a little apprehensive when she arrived, but if Yunxi could do it, why couldn't she?
Xiao Shenjing did not reprimand her. He even drank a few sips of the soup she brought and offered a few words of praise. Only then did Consort Xue leave with a blush on her face.
I just walked out of the Qianqing Palace.
The palace maid lowered her voice and reported what had just happened to her.
"You mean she dined with His Majesty?" Consort Xue's expression twisted for a moment.
No wonder she waited outside for so long.
She had originally planned to dine with Xiao Shenjing, but that plan fell through because of a lowly servant.
"His Majesty hasn't even taken her as a concubine yet, and she's already so favored. Once she has a title, won't she be able to ride roughshod over us?"
Consort Xue twisted the handkerchief in her hand.
The palace maid immediately reminded her, "Your Highness, Princess Yong'an must not know about this yet."
Their eyes met.
Soon, Consort Xue arrived at Chengqian Palace under the pretext of paying her respects.
Princess Yong'an is not yet married.
The concubines in the harem naturally didn't need to pay their respects to her, so Princess Yong'an naturally knew that she had ulterior motives.
When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it. As the future empress, she naturally needs to have the demeanor of an empress.
As soon as the two met, after some small talk, Consort Xue put down her teacup and said casually, "Sister, I just came out of the Qianqing Palace and unexpectedly ran into Yunxi."
“Oh, she has been serving His Majesty all day, that’s normal,” Princess Yong’an retorted calmly.
"I don't know how a lowly servant like her could have such power, summoning His Majesty every day," Consort Xue said with a smile. "When my sister saw her today, it was breakfast time, and there was still sugar residue on the corner of her mouth."
Princess Yong'an was taken aback.
Seeing this, Consort Xue covered her mouth and chuckled softly, "Not only can you share a bed with His Majesty, but you can also dine at the same table. It's truly enviable."
Princess Yong'an held back until Consort Xue had left for quite some time before pressing her hand to her chest and asking Aunt Xueyu beside her, "Did you hear that?"
Princess Xueyu was also speechless.
In that instant, a sharp glint flashed in Princess Yong'an's eyes.
"I will not let anyone stop my wedding with Brother Yin'an."
Yunxi is very busy during the day, taking care of her vegetable garden, practicing martial arts, and scouting locations around the palace.
But seeing that Zhu Ju was having difficulty fetching water, Yun Xi couldn't bear to watch, so she rolled up her sleeves, picked up a bucket, and went to the largest pond in the inner garden.
Although the pond is a bit far away, the advantage is that there's no need to use a stirring rope to pump water.
She was just trying to save herself trouble, but she never expected that someone would come looking for trouble.
She had just squatted down and put a bucket into the pool.
Then they vaguely heard a high-pitched voice say, "Princess, she's the one who manages that vegetable garden."
She turned around and saw a group of people walking towards her.
And the one surrounded in the middle was Princess Yong'an.
Carrying the bucket of water, Yunxi frowned almost imperceptibly.
Even though she wasn't well-informed, she knew that Xiao Shenjing's actions these days must have attracted a lot of hatred.
Just as she was about to get up, the head maid who was bowing at the front strode over and glared at her, scolding her sharply: "Is the soil in the palace more precious than your life? Weeds grow better than vegetables. Don't you even want your hands, you lowly servant?"
Yunxi didn't want to cause trouble, so she picked up the bucket, stood up, and smiled as she took the initiative to admit her mistake, "Auntie, please consider that this is my first offense, and I will pull out all the weeds tomorrow."
After saying that, she glanced at Cen Yuwei and her group.
"Trying to run away?" Seeing her carrying the bucket of water and about to leave, the head maid grabbed her by the collar. "Anyone who neglects their duties shall be punished by kneeling on a brick, being slapped, or being whipped. You, this lowly slave, should suffer all of these punishments."
"Are you ever going to stop?" Yunxi said impatiently, slamming the wooden bucket down.
The water in the bucket rippled and swayed.
The head maid couldn't dodge in time, and her embroidered shoes were instantly soaked by the splashing water.
These are her newly embroidered shoes.
Princess Yong'an and her entourage had already walked up behind the two.
The head maid angrily ripped off a handful of weeds and stuffed them into Yunxi's mouth, saying, "Since you love weeds, then you can eat your fill."
But Yunxi grabbed her wrist and held her vital point in an instant, causing the head maid to gasp in pain, "Ahhh, it hurts, it hurts, let go of me, let go of me!"
"Auntie, just speak your mind, why resort to violence?" she said gently, suppressing her displeasure.
"You audacious servant, why do you not kneel before the princess?" Aunt Xueyu, seeing her so arrogant, could no longer suppress the anger that had been building up over the past few days, and stepped forward to question her directly.
Yunxi shook off the head maid's wrist, loosened her wrist joints, and asked, "If I kneel down and bow, will you stop causing trouble?"
After speaking, she glanced at Princess Yong'an through the crowd.
As the future empress, how could Yunxi believe that it wasn't intentional for her to come to such a remote place?
If bowing could resolve her current predicament, she wouldn't hesitate at all.
But it's clear that even if she kneels today, she won't be let off the hook.
really.
She had barely finished speaking.
"Insolence!" Aunt Xueyu said with displeasure, taking a few steps forward and scolding, "You good-for-nothing who can't even take care of a few vegetables, yet you dare to be so arrogant and disrespectful. If we don't teach you a lesson today, won't you ride on your master's head and act like a tyrant in the future?"
As she spoke, she raised her hand and slapped Yunxi across the face.
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