Chapter 75: Lift Her
In late autumn, the ground is covered with golden fallen leaves. When the breeze blows, the fallen leaves dance in the wind like a few dancing butterflies.
Even though Wen Wanyu was not feeling well, she was still stunningly beautiful. Her face was fair, her cheeks were a little flushed from the fever, and her eyes were as clear as autumn water.
A ray of rising sunlight shone on her fair little face, adding a touch of gentleness and grace.
She was wearing a peach-colored dress with a waist-cinching design that accentuated her slender figure. When the breeze blew, her sleeves fluttered, making her look like an otherworldly fairy. She was pure and elegant, with a peerless grace.
The passing eunuchs and palace maids couldn't help but take a second look at this scene, then lowered their heads and hurried away. The most favored Concubine Ling was actually punished by the Empress Dowager to kneel outside Shoukang Palace.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps and Wen Wanyu subconsciously turned his head to look.
Concubine Zheng came in gorgeous attire. As she walked with light lotus steps, the pearls and jade on her head sparkled in the sunlight. It was obvious that she had dressed up specially.
"Why, did you think it was the Emperor?"
Wen Wanyu: "..." She just had a fever, not stupid. She could still distinguish the footsteps of a woman and a man.
Wen Wanyu supported himself on the ground with his hands, hanging his head in great discomfort. Concubine Zheng sneered, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is not here, why are you pretending?"
She replied, "I have a fever, a headache, and a stuffy nose. I'm not acting."
Concubine Zheng stroked the golden hairpin on her head, her every move showing gracefulness. "I never thought that Concubine Ling would end up like this. In the past, Concubine Ling was best at using her beauty to charm the emperor, making him make exceptions for you time and time again. But you've been kneeling for almost an incense stick of time, and the emperor still hasn't come. I'm afraid he hasn't forgotten you."
Wen Wanyu chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling. "My Lady, are you sure you want to tell me this at the gate of Shoukang Palace? Aren't you afraid of the Queen Mother?"
Yesterday, Concubine Zheng walked from Shoukang Palace to Chengqian Palace with a bitter face. More than half of the harem knew about it. Compared to Wen Wanyu, the Empress Dowager seemed to dislike Concubine Zheng even more.
Wen Wanyu seemed to hear the sound of water shaking in Concubine Zheng's head.
Concubine Zheng curled up her fingers and looked at her delicate and pretty face, feeling a strong disgust in her heart.
"I was just passing by. I wanted to offer you some words of comfort, but unexpectedly, you refused to accept. You continue to kneel as punished."
Concubine Zheng walked away gracefully.
As soon as she left, Wen Wanyu fell limply to the ground.
Bai Su supported Wen Wanyu and asked worriedly, "Young Master, can you still hold on?"
"You have to hold on even if you can't."
About a quarter of an hour later
When Wen Wanyu felt dizzy and was about to collapse, she heard someone calling her.
"Wanwan——"
Cheng Shuyi trotted over, squatted beside her, and let her lean on him.
"Shuyi, why are you here?"
Xie Junyao frowned and glanced at Wen Wanyu. There were crystal tears in her eyes, clean, clear, and aggrieved.
"Help her up."
Cheng Shuyi nodded and used the force to help Wen Wanyu stand up.
Only then did Xie Junyao walk towards Shoukang Palace.
When the Queen Mother saw Xie Junyao, she was stunned, and then she heard him ask, "Mother, what do you mean?"
Her delicate eyebrows were tinged with anger, and she couldn't help but raise her voice, "I heard that Your Majesty stayed at Concubine Ling's Changli Pavilion last night. I immediately thought that Concubine Ling must have used some tricks again. Such a disaster..."
Before he finished speaking, "Mother."
Xie Junyao said coldly: "You mean, I am a foolish and incompetent emperor?"
"That's not what I meant."
"But I think this is what my mother meant."
The Queen Mother's eyes widened, her anger rising. Her good son actually thought of her like this because of a "troublemaker".
Then, her brows furrowed, her cheeks flushed with anger. "Emperor! I'm just worried that you've been misled by the 'water of trouble' and have gone astray. She's still under house arrest. Do you still remember the ancestral palace rules?"
Hearing this, Xie Junyao's clear voice was tinged with anger, and he sneered twice. Every time this happened, his mother would always bring up the ancestral precepts to pressure him, completely forgetting that he was the emperor.
He didn't want to give in this time: "Have you forgotten, mother, that I am the emperor?"
"You...you are an unfilial son."
Aunt Liu quickly acted as a go-between, patting the Queen Mother on the back and comforting her, "Don't be angry, Queen Mother."
Then he said to Xie Junyao, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is also worried about you."
The Queen Mother leaned over the table and sat down, her cold gaze falling on the sachet on his body. "That Concubine Ling, while seemingly well-behaved, is actually scheming. Was it her who encouraged you to leave the palace that time?"
Xie Junyao calmly turned the ring in her hand. It turned out that her mother knew that they had left the palace, so she made things difficult for her.
Xie Junyao's eyes were full of scrutiny: "Mother, how did you know?"
The Queen Mother pursed her lips tightly and said, "If your fifth brother sees this, tell me."
It turned out to be his fifth brother. Xie Junyao's pent-up anger flared up. Who was this scheming person? Knowing that the Queen Mother would be displeased if she knew, and knowing that he was secretly disguising himself, his fifth brother still chose to tell her.
Fifth brother did it on purpose.
The Queen Mother changed the subject: "She's still running a fever, and you still dare to ask the Emperor to stay overnight? If anything happens to your health, can she, a concubine, bear the responsibility?"
She was afraid that he would investigate further and blame her fifth brother. The Queen Mother was still as partial as ever.
Xie Junyao felt inexplicably chilled: "It was I who insisted on going to Changlixuan."
The Empress Dowager's face was tense. "...The daughter of a fifth-rank official, she's so scheming. Emperor, are you really planning to honor her?"
Xie Junyao raised his eyes and looked at her.
"You're not afraid of the Queen Mother finding out, really."
"I just want to elevate her."
Hearing this, the Queen Mother was obviously angry. Her lips trembled, her breathing became increasingly rapid, her chest rose and fell violently, and her voice trembled: "You...you, Emperor..."
He left behind a sentence, "Mother, please take good care of yourself. I'm taking the person away." Xie Junyao turned and left without hesitation.
Outside the palace,
Wen Wanyu whispered softly: "Thank you."
Cheng Shuyi smiled and said, "Are you so polite to me?"
"Wanwan, since that day, I have thought a lot and have carefully observed the Queen."
She stopped talking, and Wen Wanyu looked at her with questioning eyes.
Cheng Shuyi said softly, "The emperor is here."
Wen Wanyu: “…” You came at the perfect time.
Outside Shoukang Palace, the others were still there. Wen Wanyu's face looked better than when she was kneeling on the ground. The moment she saw him, she perked up and smiled brightly.
Xie Junyao said to Cheng Shuyi, "You should go back first. Thank you for your hard work today."
Cheng Shuyi let go of Wen Wanyu's hand and bowed: "Yes, I will take my leave first."
Wen Wanyu couldn't help but say, "Come see me tomorrow."
Cheng Shuyi immediately put on a smile: "Okay."
Xie Junyao glanced at Wen Wanyu indifferently.
accurate.
He carried her onto the sedan chair. Xie Junyao asked her, "Are you okay?"
Wen Wanyu said gently, "Your Majesty has arrived just in time."
"But, I don't understand..."
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