Before they knew it, the weather had gotten warmer, and Shi Lan changed into light spring clothes. Whenever Rong came to visit, he was always curious to see her looking so calm and collected. How could she be so sure that the King of Zhao would not abandon her and would make her his queen?
Shi Lan didn't answer her questioning gaze, but simply ordered her to bring a shovel. Every day, she would plant flowers in the open space outside the palace, and occasionally pick the blooming petals to make tea.
Days passed by. One day, Shi Lan was bending down to pull weeds growing among the flowers when a blade of grass was so sharp that it cut her finger. A low gasp came from above. When Shi Lan looked up, she saw King Zhao sitting astride the wall.
After uttering that cry of alarm, King Zhao was about to turn and run away, but when he saw Shi Lan's dark and bright eyes staring intently at him, he inexplicably froze, unable to muster the strength to run away no matter what.
Shi Lan pursed her lips, looked at him for a while, and then turned and walked towards the cold and gloomy palace.
King Zhao was greatly alarmed. Disregarding his utterly humiliated state, he leaped down from the wall, hurriedly shouting, "My beloved concubine, your hand is injured. Let me send a female physician to treat it for you."
Shi Lan carried a bucket out from inside, walked to the well on the side, threw the bucket down, and said with a hint of reluctance, "No need, I'll wash myself in a bit, that'll be fine."
King Zhao glanced cautiously at Shi Lan, and seeing that she didn't seem inclined to send him away, he was secretly delighted.
"My dear consort, please stand aside. I will handle this matter."
Shi Lan obediently stepped aside and handed him the rope, saying, "Thank you."
King Zhao grabbed it with his large hand, and the smooth, creamy substance touched his palm and then disappeared before he could even hold it tightly.
King Zhao was disappointed, but dared not complain. He could only bury his head in his work, trying to fill the swaying bucket and lift it up.
When Shi Lan saw him treating the bucket with such seriousness, as if it were a matter of national importance, a smile finally appeared on her lips.
King Zhao turned his head, intending to ask Shi Lan where to pour the water, but upon seeing Shi Lan's relaxed expression and gentle smile, he was immediately stunned. At that moment, he felt that he would be willing to fetch ten more buckets of water.
Shi Lan looked at his dazed expression, gave him a playful and coquettish glance, and tossed the wooden basin in her hand. "Your Majesty, pour the water here."
King Zhao responded blankly, then mechanically poured out the water, spilling most of it outside the basin and splashing it all over Shi Lan and himself.
Shi Lan exclaimed in surprise, looked down at herself, frowned and pouted, washed her hands, and then walked back into the hall without looking back.
King Zhao looked at his damp clothes, thinking of the slender waist he had once held in his arms, and hurriedly followed, only to be greeted by a sharp slam of the door and a few specks of dust falling down.
The eunuch Yi, who had been waiting at the side gate of the Cold Palace, couldn't help but facepalm when he saw his master make a series of foolish moves and end up in a sorry state, unable to achieve his goal.
He was clearly a wise and enlightened ruler, so why did he become so dull-witted when he encountered Consort Shi?
The following evening, King Zhao arrived uninvited once again, accompanied by the eunuch Yi, who carried two food boxes.
The eunuch was quick and agile, and slipped inside as soon as Shi Lan opened the temple door.
Shi Lan was not paying attention when she saw the eunuch Yi setting out the bowls and chopsticks. Shi Lan turned her head and glared at King Zhao.
King Zhao touched his nose, knowing that he certainly wouldn't be able to enter the palace if it were him. If he wanted to take another step forward with Shi Lan, the only way was for the shameless Yi to pave the way in front of him.
After finishing his meal, Yi Zhiqu picked up the food box and disappeared without a trace.
Shi Lan stared with her dark eyes at King Zhao, who was pretending to be stupid and had his buttocks firmly glued to the couch.
"Your Majesty, it is late, and I am going to sleep."
King Zhao nodded, deftly kicked off his shoes, and hurriedly moved to the inside of the couch. He casually unfolded the neatly folded bedding, clumsily spread it out, and looked up at her, "My beloved consort, I have already made it for you."
Shi Lan kept a straight face and glanced at him coldly, "Your Majesty, I am now a disillusioned person in the cold palace and cannot bear Your Majesty's favor."
King Zhao nodded repeatedly with a shameless smile, saying, "I can take it, I can take it. From now on, I will only love you. My beloved consort, please don't be angry with me anymore."
Shi Lan squinted at his expression, seemingly trying to determine the truthfulness of his words.
King Zhao knew she was overly cautious after being bitten once, so he quickly explained his true feelings: "I have already thrown Yuan Yun into the dungeon and ordered her to be beaten with ten strokes of the cane every day. I did not execute her because I still have some affection for her. This wretched woman has schemed against my beloved concubine in many ways. I wanted to hand her over to you to deal with, which is why I spared her life. As for Duan Yang, I have already ordered her legs to be broken to prevent her from colluding with others to harm my beloved concubine."
After hearing his explanation, Shi Lan finally felt much better.
Although this incident happened with her tacit approval, she still felt uneasy, which is why she staged this whole thing.
Seeing that Shi Lan's expression had eased slightly, King Zhao quickly grabbed the brocade quilt, hugged it to his arms, and looked at Shi Lan pitifully, "My beloved consort, please let me stay. Since you left Linquan Palace, I haven't had a single night of restful sleep."
Shi Lan glanced at him sideways, then turned and snorted, "I'm not watching you all the time, so who knows if Your Majesty is just trying to make me happy?"
When King Zhao heard Shi Lan's soft voice and her slightly pouting red lips, he knew that Shi Lan had forgiven him. He quickly reached out and tugged at the hem of her skirt as she leaned against the couch. "I am a man of my word and would never lie to my beloved consort. Come here and let me hug you."
Shi Lan blinked her big, bright eyes, which were like two clear, sparkling springs, making Zhao Wang, who hadn't tasted meat for months, itch to move. With a sudden movement, Shi Lan cried out and lunged forward, immediately falling into the arms of the man who was holding her.
On the third day of the third lunar month, the Shangsi Festival, Shi Lan officially became the Queen of Zhao.
Before the investiture and coronation, the court was in an uproar over whether Shi Lan's identity was suitable for a queen. However, after the usually low-key head of the Ji family stepped forward to admit that Shi Lan was a descendant of his family, the Zhao court became quiet.
Although the Ji family is far away in the Yue Kingdom, it has a long history and its wealth and power are second to none. The fact that Shi Lan can be recognized by the Ji family means that the Ji family recognizes her and will stand behind her from now on, sharing weal and woe with her. For the Zhao Kingdom, which is about to start a war, having such a queen is equivalent to increasing the chances of victory on the road to hegemony.
In mid-June, King Zhao launched an attack on the Jiang Kingdom on the grounds that Princess Duanyang of the Jiang Kingdom was arrogant and cruel, and had harmed royal children. After confession, it was found that King Zhao had instigated the attack. Enraged, King Zhao immediately ordered the entire Shi family to be killed. Ji Lang had arrived in the Zhao Kingdom earlier and, following Shi Lan's advice, stayed there to continue his research on witchcraft, which interested him.
In September of the same year, the Jiang Kingdom fell. Shi Lan, dressed in a magnificent robe, arrived at the dark and damp dungeon. Passing through a series of cold and heavy prison doors, she stood before Duan Yang, whose legs had been broken, and Yuan Yun, who was screaming in agony.
Looking at Duan Yang, disheveled and struggling to crawl with his two crippled legs, and Yuan Yun, covered in blood and oozing pus from wounds left untreated due to the hot weather, Shi Lan gently clutched her chest, a surge of anger slowly dissipating within her.
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