Chapter 2903: What a Sigh
The entire harem was in darkness, as if covered by a huge black cover. There was only a little light where Nan Yan and his group were. Tingfu was walking in front holding a lantern.
Although it was just a faint light, at this moment, it was dazzling, as if it could dispel all the darkness around it.
After a while, they arrived at a very remote and quiet place in the harem.
The door is closed.
Nan Yan raised her chin towards the front and said, "Go knock on the door."
This time Ruoshui ran very fast. She walked forward and knocked on the closed door a few times. Immediately, she heard a panicked commotion inside.
Obviously, no one from the harem would come here so late at night.
Soon, the door was opened a little.
A palace maid poked half her head out, took a look outside, and said timidly, "Who is it?"
Ruoshui said, "The Imperial Concubine is here, open the door!"
“……!”
The palace maid was so frightened that she subconsciously retreated backwards without even bothering to open the door. However, Ruoshui pushed the door open and Tingfu immediately led his men in.
The servants and palace maids inside were also awakened and hurried over. When they saw that it was the imperial concubine, they were so scared that they all knelt down.
Nan Yan said calmly, "Stay still."
After saying that, he looked up and walked inside.
There was a noise in the room, the sound of someone putting on shoes and walking, obviously woken by the noise outside. When Nan Yan walked over, the door just opened. A thin figure, only casually draped in a coat, with even his hair a little messy from sleep, stood inside, looking at Nan Yan in panic.
"Mother...? Why are you here?"
Ruoshui immediately said, "How dare you not kowtow and pay respects to the Imperial Concubine?!"
The person was startled and quickly knelt on the ground: "I pay my respects to the Imperial Concubine!"
The room was dark, and even the person's appearance could not be seen clearly. However, when Nan Yan slowly walked forward, Tingfu also hurried forward with a lantern. The faint light shone on the person's pale face, and also reflected the panic-stricken expression on her face clearly.
Nan Yan lowered her head and looked at her thin figure, then turned around and looked at the bed beside her. Even the curtains were slanted down. It was obvious that she had fallen asleep and was awakened by herself.
Nan Yan smiled and said, "Lady Ling, you must be scared."
The person kneeling on the ground was none other than Ling Shansi, the nobleman who lived alone in Jingyixuan after Yao Ying left.
She knelt on the ground, lowered her head, with a look of bewilderment and panic on her face, and said softly, "I didn't know your majesty was coming. I'm sorry for not coming to greet you. Please forgive me."
Nan Yan smiled and said, "What kind of crime is this?"
“…”
"It was I who came here suddenly and disturbed your sweet dream."
Although she said this, there was no trace of guilt on her face. Instead, she walked slowly to the table and sat down, with a relaxed look on her face, as if this place was her Yonghe Palace.
Ruoshui immediately walked in and lit several candlesticks in the room.
Immediately, Jingyixuan became brightly lit.
The light illuminated every corner of this simple and plain room, and naturally, also illuminated the table next to Nan Yan.
There are some pens, ink, paper and inkstone on the table.
It was obviously used, but the paper was white and there was nothing on it.
Nan Yan smiled and said, "It seems that Concubine Ling is also a literate person. Does she like to recite poems and paint?"
"No,"
Ling Shansi trembled slightly and immediately said, "I, I just know a few words. I have nothing better to do, so I just wrote something."
"Write something? What?"
“…”
"I see you have the four treasures of the study here, but not your calligraphy."
“Well, there’s nothing much to write about.”
"Nothing to write about? Is that right?"
Nan Yan looked at her with a smile. As she spoke, she reached into her sleeve, took out a folded piece of paper, and slowly unfolded it. She said, "Didn't you write this heartfelt eulogy?"
Ling Shansi, kneeling on the ground, felt a little stiff.
She lowered her head, her loose hair hiding the expression on her face. In a place where no one could see her and even the light couldn't illuminate her, cold sweat broke out on her face.
Nan Yan said, "Check it to see if it was written by you."
Ruoshui immediately took the paper and handed it to her.
Ling Shansi lowered her head even lower, but the piece of paper and the words on it were still right in front of her. Nan Yan asked, "Did you write this?"
Ling Shansi said softly: "...Yes."
Nan Yan nodded and said, "So, Concubine Li really didn't lie to me. This eulogy was something you 'had nothing better to do,' and you suddenly proposed to write for the Imperial Noble Consort, who was in mourning. The content is exactly the same because you two came up with it together, and you each wrote a separate copy."
“…”
"But for some reason, you two took each other's by mistake. Yours was on hers, and hers was on yours. Is that right?"
"……yes."
"So, that eulogy that the Emperor found in Jiyan Hall that day, although it was written by Concubine Li, it was 'lost' by you, right?"
"……yes."
"I see,"
Nan Yan winked at Ruo Shui, who handed the eulogy back to her. She took it, read it again, and said with a smile, "A heartfelt eulogy earned the Emperor's attention and favor. You're lucky. It's a pity that it was Yao Ying who was favored, and it was Lipin who was canonized. Don't you feel a little sad?"
Ling Shansi knelt on the ground, his mind in a mess.
Although the questions asked by the imperial concubine seemed to be just ordinary questions and had no specific direction, cold sweat was already dripping down her forehead.
The whole person was as tense as a bow stretched to the limit.
She said softly, "It is Sister Lipin's blessing to be favored by the Emperor. I—I don't have this blessing, so I can only sigh in despair."
Nan Yan smiled and said, "What a pity!"
“…”
"But what are you sighing about?"
“…”
"Are you sighing that you can finally get rid of suspicion?"
Ling Shansi shuddered again.
She lowered her head and said softly, "I don't understand what your Majesty means."
"Oh? You don't understand?"
"……yes."
"Then I will make you understand better."
After saying that, Nan Yan raised her head and said to Ting Fu who was standing at the door, "Bring the person in."
Tingfu took the order and waved to the outside. Several young eunuchs immediately came in escorting a person. Ling Shansi subconsciously turned his head to take a look and his face suddenly changed.
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