Chapter 336 Wei Yanwan 76
In April, the emperor returned to the palace. The empress, who had announced that she was in seclusion due to illness, unexpectedly sent someone to deliver a letter to the emperor. No one knew the content of the letter. All we knew was that the emperor sent someone to take back her seal and imperial seal that day, and all her treatment was downgraded to that of an imperial concubine.
Wei Yanwan completely took over the entire harem and became a true imperial concubine. Her eldest son, the fifth prince Yongqi, was also canonized as Prince Rong, and her daughter, Princess Hexiao, was engaged to Fu Kang'an, the son of Fu Heng, by the emperor himself.
At the end of April, the day before everyone set off for the Old Summer Palace, Wei Yanwan finally got permission from the emperor to visit Nara.
"Yanwan, you're here."
Pushing open the heavy door, bright sunlight came in, forming a sharp beam of light.
An excessively quiet atmosphere can easily activate one's brain. Wei Yanwan walked in, looking at the light reflecting on herself, and inexplicably began to think about the name of this phenomenon:
Daliyuan Effect or Pythagorean Theorem?
[…Tyndall effect, hopeless illiteracy.]
Wei Yanwan raised the corners of her lips: "Long time no see."
"Yeah...it does feel like a long time ago."
【haven't seen you for a long time. 】
The voices of Ruyi and the system sounded at the same time. Yanwan looked up and saw the woman sitting next to Rong Pei.
She now looks very harmonious with the Yiku Palace, both of which exude a decadent and old atmosphere, empty and obscure.
"Didn't Jiang Yubin treat you well?"
Wei Yanwan sat directly in front of her and looked at her unscrupulously: "You look like you are about to die."
Rong Pei hadn't expected the Imperial Concubine to speak in this way in private. She was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage: "How dare you, the Imperial Concubine, speak to the Empress like this!"
Wei Yanwan didn't even look at her, but just sneered: "Look, if these people around you leave you, I'm afraid they will be chewed to pieces here in no time."
Ruyi's expression, which had been dull all this time, finally changed. Her expression suddenly became lively and vivid, just like Qingying in her youth. "Are you trying to persuade me to live well?"
"I just don't want to take over your mess. Look at the people around you. Either they are ignorant of the ways of the world because of you, or they are as stubborn as a donkey as you are."
"That's all I can do. How about I give you the position of Queen? After I'm gone, please give them something to eat."
The elegant woman pointed at Ruyi and then at herself with her cardamom-dyed nails. "You're giving it to me? I'll get what I want myself. You can't protect yourself right now, so take care of yourself first."
"But I have nothing to give you."
Ruyi blinked, as if apologizing but also blessing: "You will definitely be a better queen than me."
"Who knows?"
Wei Yanwan looked at her, and the deep meaning in her words made Ruyi unable to understand, but she was too lazy to pay attention to it. A dying person, who has lost the will to live, will no longer take anything to heart.
In this life, without Wei Yanwan, her enemy with whom she shares a deep blood feud, Ruyi has completely lost the will to live and now only wishes to die quickly.
"Yan Wan,"
Ruyi squinted her eyes, still not quite used to the sunlight outside, but she still tried her best to open her eyes, and even when the sun dazzled her to the point of tears, she did not close her eyes:
"May you get what you want and everything goes well in the future."
"……The same to you."
Wei Yanwan did not look back, allowing the servants to close the door again, and walked into the daylight alone, leaving Ruyi in the past to die alone.
………
On May 3, Hongli, who was having fun with Concubine Mao in the Old Summer Palace, received the news of the Queen's death.
Hongli dismissed everyone and stayed alone in the house, refusing to eat or drink and refusing to see anyone.
On May 4th, the emperor issued an edict that a banquet would be held at Jiuzhou Qingyan on the fifth day of the fifth month, the Dragon Boat Festival, to entertain the empress dowager, clan members, and concubines, but he still refused to allow anyone to visit.
All the attendants in the Old Summer Palace were immersed in the emperor's incomprehensible mood. No one paid attention to the strange weather for the past four days, nor did they notice that after the emperor learned of the death of the Queen Mother of the Yiku Palace, part of the Taiping tank near Jiuzhou Qingyan had not been replaced with new water for a long time.
Meanwhile, Wei Yanwan, who had already checked into the Changchun Immortal Pavilion, looked at Yongqi who had arrived and smiled gently, "You've had a hard time on this journey. Have you paid your respects to your Royal Father?"
"My son went there early this morning, but the Emperor still didn't want to see anyone and just asked Eunuch Jinzhong to bring my son here."
Yongqi is already in his twenties this year. Two years ago, he and his wife gave birth to their eldest son, Mian Yi. He has completely shed his youthfulness and become a reliable adult.
"Your Royal Father is sad. Since he doesn't want to see you, you don't have to bother him. Go settle down and have a good rest. Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, and your Royal Father will naturally appear at the dinner."
"My son knows."
Wei Yanwan slowly exhaled as she looked at her son's tall and straight back. Chunlei approached quietly and looked at her nervously, "Master..."
"Is Ling Yunche the one on duty tonight?"
"Yes, my Lord, I have already told Zhao Jiuxiao what you ordered. I told him to wait until the right time to tell Guard Ling."
"Well, well done."
Chunlei was delighted at first, but then became a little worried. "But Your Majesty, will Guard Ling really agree? Isn't your plan too risky?"
"Do you know how a weak man can shoot a tiger?"
Chunlei's face showed a bewildered look: "My Lady, I don't know much about these hunting matters."
"Hide in the shadows, slowly wear away his will and strength, and wait for the right moment to find his most vulnerable spot."
"One hit and it hit the target."
Wei Yanwan touched the black rabbit that was curled up in her hand, and looked out at the scorching sun outside. The gentle curve at the corner of her mouth gradually widened, and then widened...
Until, it froze on a smile that made Chunlei's heart beat like a drum.
"The so-called palace fighting is a political struggle from beginning to end."
"Those who deserve to die must die when they deserve to die."
Wei Yanwan stretched out her slender fingers and covered her face with them. When she put her hands down again, she turned into the gentle and dignified imperial concubine again.
That night, the eunuch on duty was extremely sleepy. Although he knew he couldn't sleep, the years of peace had already softened his heart. In addition, he had secretly drunk a few sips of the good wine he had hidden away today. After struggling for a while, he still couldn't resist the call of Zhou Gong and slowly fell asleep.
Lying alone in bed, Hongli found it difficult to fall asleep, but thinking of tomorrow's banquet, he had to drink a bowl of thick calming soup and ordered Jinzhong to light benzoin. Only then did he fall into a deep sleep with the help of the medicine.
Crackling——
The faint sound did not attract anyone's attention. Ling Yunche, who was originally alert, was pulled aside by Zhao Jiuxiao and said something.
No one noticed that a weak, tiny flame that could be easily extinguished slowly ignited a wisp of smoke in a place where it shouldn't have.
(The fire in the Old Summer Palace was checked and it should have occurred in the 28th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign. It was moved back two years to facilitate the advancement of the plot.)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
