Chapter 228 The Focus of Everyone's Attention
Wen Wanqin knelt hurriedly on the ground, her body trembling slightly with fear.
"I deserve death, Your Majesty. I leave it to you to deal with. I only ask that you do not implicate innocent people."
Yan Shixu's eyes darkened slightly.
It is hard to find true lovers in this world, but this woman's deep love for me that has remained the same for years is even rarer.
He reached out and helped her up, smiling, "Don't worry, Wen Xiurong. I'm not such an arrogant or dictatorial person. You and him were in love before entering the palace. How could I punish you for such a past?"
Wen Wanqin breathed a sigh of relief, and her trembling heart finally calmed down.
Yan Shixu continued, "Back then, your father and brother forcibly separated you and Gu Xiuzhuan, lovers who could not be together. If you can help me eliminate those who oppose me, I will grant you your wish in two years. During these two years, I will also support Gu Xiuzhuan and help him grow stronger. When you leave the palace, I will send him to a provincial government in the south. You two will be away from home, and when you return to the capital in twenty or thirty years, who will even remember Wen Xiuzhuan now?"
At this moment, an unprecedented light burst out from Wen Wanqin's eyes.
The most painful thing in this world is to love someone but not be able to be together. Even though their hearts are together, they are physically and mentally separated.
Back then, he was just a poor scholar who studied hard.
Her father and brother were unwilling to marry her to him, and even threatened his life to force her to enter the palace for selection.
She could only obey and cut off all ties with him from then on.
Later I learned that he had won the top spot in the imperial examination and was appointed as a sixth-rank editor in the Hanlin Academy.
She was really happy for him. After enduring for so many years, he finally made it.
But they are destined not to be together in this life.
I only hope that he can find another lady, marry her, and meet someone who is a thousand times better than her.
But why, suddenly, did the emperor give her such extravagant hopes?
She entered the palace at the age of sixteen and is now twenty-one.
When they parted, she said: "Although the old alliance still exists, it is difficult to entrust a letter to you. You should find someone else and don't keep empty promises."
After five years of separation, why did she think he was still waiting for her?
Wen Wanqin closed her eyes, feeling a dull pain in her heart.
Yan Shixu seemed to have seen what she was thinking, and said to her, "Gu Xiuzhuan is not married yet."
Wen Wanqin suddenly opened her eyes, and the light of hope rekindled in her eyes.
"really?"
Yan Shixu nodded.
"Ever since Gu Xiuzhuan won the top spot in the imperial examination, many officials in the court have wanted to marry him. He said he wanted to establish himself first before starting a family, so he rejected many women. I guess he hasn't let go of his feelings for you two yet."
For a moment, tears wet her cheeks and Wen Wanqin cried like rain.
She raised her hand to wipe away her tears, and looked at Yan Shixu with a firm gaze: "Your Majesty, I promise you. But will Your Majesty allow me to write him a letter?"
Five years have passed, and I thought he had remarried, but I didn't know that he was still so deeply in love with me that he kept his promise to me until now.
How could she have deserved such a king?
She had to write to tell him, and that was what she felt.
Yan Shixu nodded: "Of course."
After saying that, he clapped his hands.
Ten secret guards in black appeared beside them in an instant.
Yan Shixu continued, "From today on, I will assign them to you. Firstly, they can protect your safety, and secondly, you can assign them to do anything, including delivering a message to Gu Xiuzhuan. You can tell him about our agreement, and don't let him misunderstand you."
Wen Wanqin bowed her head to the ground, tears streaming down her face as she said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
Yan Shixu nodded with satisfaction. "From now on, I will often summon you to the Purple Palace. Tomorrow, someone will send you the identities and background information of the other concubines. Once you remember them, it will be easier for you to act. It's getting late, so you should go back first."
Wen Wanqin bowed again: "I will definitely fulfill your mission."
After saying that, she bowed and walked out.
The next day, the news that the emperor summoned Wen Xiurong to sleep with him spread throughout the harem like a gust of wind.
The palace where Wen Wanqin lived was filled with all kinds of rare treasures, and everyone was stunned.
The woman who was originally unknown in the palace became the focus of everyone's attention overnight.
Inside Qichun Palace.
Chen Yian frowned slightly, his expression full of loneliness.
She thought the emperor would summon her to sleep with him last night, but she never expected that the emperor summoned Wen Xiurong instead.
She couldn't help feeling a sense of loss.
She fell in love with that handsome and elegant man at first sight.
But he didn't seem to like her.
She couldn't help but wonder inwardly, why did he reward her with so many precious items just for her dance yesterday?
At this time, Wan Suihuan came to Qichun Palace and was indignant for her.
"Sister Chen, it was clear that the Emperor had taken a fancy to you yesterday, but that Wen Xiurong intervened. I really feel sorry for you!"
Wan Suihuan's face was filled with indignation, as if the emperor had wanted to favor her yesterday, but the opportunity was snatched away by someone else.
Chen Yian frowned even more tightly.
She warned, "Sister Wan, be careful with your words!"
Wan Suihuan was stunned, his eyes widened in disbelief, staring straight at Chen Yian.
"Sister Chen, I'm just standing up for you, why are you still angry at me?"
Chen Yian also realized that his tone just now was too harsh, so he quickly lowered his voice and apologized to her.
"Sister Wan, it's really my fault. I didn't mean to be angry with you. But the Emperor is the Son of Heaven. It's not for us to say who he wants to favor. Sister Wan, please don't say that again next time. If others hear it, we will both be punished."
Wansui Huan hurriedly covered his mouth with both hands and nodded continuously.
"Don't worry, Sister Chen, I will never say that again."
However, although Wan Suihuan agreed quickly, he was full of disdain in his heart and sneered secretly.
In her opinion, even if Chen Yian was a stunning beauty, so what? Even if she was the empress's cousin and Princess Taiping's sister-in-law?
Even with a distinguished family background and noble status, he still couldn't get the emperor's favor?
Wan Suihuan couldn't help but feel suspicious. She felt that her piano might have been tampered with by Chen Yian.
Everyone knows that Wan Suihuan's piano skills are comparable to Chen Yian's, and Chen Yian's dancing is even better than her piano skills.
If it was her first performance in the palace, Chen Yian would definitely choose her best dance.
Perhaps Chen Yian was worried that her piano skills would be appreciated by the emperor first, so she secretly tampered with her piano.
It would be fine if I didn’t think about it, but the more I think about Wansui Huan, the more I feel this way!
At the same time, Xie Zhenrong found out that the person who tampered with Wansui Huan's piano was Xiangxue, the palace maid beside Wansui Huan himself.
The person who bribed Xiangxue was Liao Chongyi, Liao Mingzhu, the daughter of Liao Jinyuan, the Minister of Revenue.
The Liao family and the Wan family had a feud over their children's marriages.
Liao Mingzhu's biological sister Liao Minghua married Wan Suihuan's cousin Wan Shaohuai a few years ago.
However, Wan Shaohuai favored his concubine over his wife and forced his first wife Liao Minghua to death.
Therefore, the Liao family and the Wan family became enemies and fought each other to the death in the court over the years.
Now that the daughters of the two families have entered the palace at the same time, how can this situation remain peaceful?
But Liao Mingzhu is really a brainless person, so there is no need to rush into taking action.
People who lose their patience often die quickly.
A sneer appeared on Xie Zhenrong's lips.
She had to keep Liao Mingzhu, after all, Liao Mingzhu's father was Wen Li'er's father's immediate superior.
Thinking of this, Xie Zhenrong asked someone to summon Liao Mingzhu and gave her a good beating.
Liao Mingzhu didn't expect that the Queen would see through her plan the first time she took action.
She was so ashamed that she knelt down and admitted her mistake.
Xie Zhenrong only punished her by making her copy the Women's Rules ten times, and did not make the matter public.
…
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