contradiction
"What? Is this a difficult question to answer?" Chen Run's voice suddenly became threatening.
The oriole was both frightened and flustered, its eyes fixed on the instep, hesitant and uncertain.
Chen Run didn't press the matter, but instead began to drink his tea. He tapped the teacup lid rhythmically, one cup at a time.
The more Huang Ying listened, the more flustered and frightened she became. Before long, she said in a trembling voice, "This servant cannot guess what Master is thinking."
"Oh?" Chen Run raised his eyebrows with amusement. "Didn't you just tell me that you've served Ruyi for over ten years? How could you not guess her feelings?"
Huang Ying quickly changed her tune, saying, "This servant is not sure."
Chen Run stared intently at her, his gaze sharp: "Tell me, I want to hear it."
Huang Ying unconsciously swallowed several mouthfuls of saliva and whispered, "If my mistress is in love with the prince, she shouldn't leave the palace, right?"
Chen Run's eyes suddenly brightened. After carefully considering the matter, he said, "Don't tell Ruyi about today's events, understand?"
"This servant will remember."
Chen Run stood up and walked outside: "Let's go back."
Only then did Huang Ying feel a great weight lifted off her shoulders and dare to secretly catch her breath.
Jiang Yan was absolutely furious. She was so frustrated; she hadn't done anything wrong, so why were they scolding her like that?
What do they know? They know nothing and yet they spread rumors and spout nonsense!
Jiang Yan ran back to Chen Run's mansion in one breath. After drinking a full cup of tea in her room, she suddenly realized that Huang Ying had not run back with her. She was angry with Huang Ying, feeling that Huang Ying was not on the same wavelength as her, and that Huang Ying did not support her or take her side. Then she curled up in the rocking chair, closed her eyes, and pretended to sleep.
Like a frightened bird, Huang Ying followed Chen Run back to the mansion with trepidation. She rushed to their residence and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Jiang Yan lying sprawled in the rocking chair.
Jiang Yan was so angry she felt like she was about to explode. How could she fall asleep? As soon as she heard footsteps, she held her breath and waited for Huang Ying to approach.
But Huang Ying really thought she was asleep, and sighed slightly before going inside.
"Is this your attitude?" Jiang Yan said with dissatisfaction.
"Master, you're not asleep?"
Jiang Yan opened her eyes, looked at her with annoyance, and said, "I'm not heartless, how could I fall asleep?"
Huang Ying blamed herself, saying, "Master, it's my fault. I didn't serve you well. I'm willing to accept punishment." As she spoke, she was about to kneel down.
Jiang Yan was quite surprised. She quickly jumped up from the rocking chair, pulled her up, and said angrily, "What are you doing? Kneeling again? Who told you to kneel? Didn't we agree that we're sisters? Are you trying to drive me crazy?"
Huang Ying felt even more ashamed and remorseful: "Master, that's not what I meant. I meant to..."
"What you think doesn't matter, but you must remember this: never kneel before me!!"
With tears welling up in her eyes, Huang Ying nodded her head several times in gratitude.
Jiang Yan lay back weakly in the rocking chair, slowly rocking it as she sighed, "I'm a sinner now! I feel like I'll be drowned in spittle the moment I appear in a crowd!"
“Master, they know nothing and are just talking nonsense. You don’t need to be angry about it.”
"Sigh, I wish it were like that too! But sometimes I just like to argue, especially when I'm wronged," Jiang Yan said dejectedly, then asked, "Why are you back so late? What were you doing?"
Jiang Yan couldn't help but recall what Chen Run had said, and her face paled with panic.
Huang Ying, not getting a reply, turned to look at her and saw that she was flustered and frightened. She immediately frowned and said, "Someone bullied you? Tell me who it was, and I'll stand up for you!"
Huang Ying shook her head vigorously, saying repeatedly, "No, no, no one has bullied me."
"What was that expression you were making just now?"
Huang Ying hesitated, unsure whether she should tell Jiang Yan what Chen Run had said verbatim.
Jiang Yan is an impatient person, especially when it comes to things she's curious about, she has absolutely no patience.
"Just say it already! Your stammering is driving me crazy!"
Huang Ying made up her mind and said with a steady look in her eyes, "Master, Young Master Chen asked me a few questions."
Jiang Yan was surprised and paused for a moment before asking curiously, "Ask you questions? What kind of questions are they?" He sat up from the rocking chair.
"Master, shall we go inside and talk?"
Jiang Yan went inside without hesitation.
Huang Ying looked around the yard again and again, making sure no one was eavesdropping, before going inside and closing the door.
"Go ahead and ask," Jiang Yan said, sitting at the round table, waiting for her question.
Huang Ying walked to her side and said, "Master, Young Master Chen asked me whether you like the Prince or not."
Jiang Yan wasn't surprised by the question, but she was curious about Huang Ying's answer.
"What did you reply?"
Huang Ying seemed a little uneasy.
Jiang Yan: "You wouldn't mean to say......"
Huang Ying timidly glanced at Jiang Yan and whispered, "This servant said that if you liked the Prince, you wouldn't have left the Prince's mansion."
As expected...
Huang Ying hurriedly explained, "At the time, I wanted to say that you like the prince, but then I thought that if Young Master Chen knew that you liked the prince, it might not be good for you."
Jiang Yan murmured, "Yes, he really wasn't good to me, but..." Does this mean Chen Run thinks she likes him? And will he really pursue her relentlessly afterward?
Seeing that Jiang Yan hadn't finished speaking and looked uneasy, Huang Ying felt that she had made a mistake again and quickly blamed herself: "Master, I was wrong. I shouldn't have answered this question without my permission."
Jiang Yan sighed helplessly and looked at her: "You're not wrong. This question needs to be answered either way. Either you answer it or I do. There are only two answers: like it or dislike it. Whether you say you like it or you say you dislike it, the result may not be good."
"Then what should we do, Master?"
"Well, it's already like this, let's just take it one step at a time."
The Emperor successfully captured Shangguan Zeyu and imprisoned him in the imperial prison, torturing him day after day. His mood was so good that words could not describe it, and the court officials also benefited from this.
Previously, whenever a minister presented a matter that differed from the emperor's ideas, the emperor would fly into a rage and punish the minister.
But from then on, the emperor was no longer like that. He was very tolerant and patient with his ministers, palace maids, and eunuchs.
On this day, after returning to the Hall of Mental Cultivation from the prison, he discussed the matter of the banquet with his personal eunuch.
In the Emperor's words, he has regained absolute power over the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, which should be a cause for universal celebration and applause.
The Emperor's intention was that this time, it would not be just court officials attending the banquet, but all the officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty could attend.
Upon hearing this, the eunuch knew that this was a bad thing. If all the officials of the Great Zhou came to the palace for the banquet, not to mention anything else, it would be difficult to control the security situation. However, he did not dare to directly point out the inappropriateness of the emperor's decision, so he informed the empress dowager, Lady Lezheng, when he had some free time.
Upon hearing this, Empress Lezheng slammed her fist on the table in anger, and then, surrounded by palace maids, went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to find the Emperor.
The emperor was drunk at the time, playing music, with scantily clad singers dancing beside him.
When Empress Lezheng heard the music coming from the Hall of Mental Cultivation from afar, her face darkened. So when she entered the room and saw the extravagant and chaotic scene, she immediately shouted angrily, "Get out!"
The singer was so frightened that she huddled together like a startled rabbit.
The emperor's mood was ruined, and his face was very unpleasant, but he still stood up and greeted Empress Dowager Lezheng: "Your son greets Your Majesty."
"Do you still have any respect for me as your mother?" Empress Dowager Lezheng said angrily, then glanced at the few singing girls who were still cowering together pitifully, "Why aren't you leaving?"
Several singers hurriedly lifted their skirts to leave, but the emperor slowly said, "Wait."
Empress Dowager Le Zheng was even more annoyed. She looked at him with a dark face and asked, "What does Your Majesty mean?"
"What does the Empress Dowager mean?"
Empress Dowager Lezheng gritted her teeth in anger, staring intently into the Emperor's eyes, and said, "You dare to disobey your mother's orders?"
The Emperor, with a disdainful smile, said, "I wouldn't dare, how could I dare? Even if I were the Emperor, even if I were the Son of Heaven of this Great Zhou, I would absolutely not dare to disobey my mother's orders!!"
Empress Lezheng understood the emperor's implied meaning and laughed angrily: "Very well, then everything will be as Your Majesty wishes!"
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