Chapter 381 He Calls You Ah Rong
Song Zhuran stood up, walked to Zhou Shi, and slowly circled around her.
Zhou sensed something was wrong and held the child tightly. "I wonder why Your Majesty summoned me here?"
Song Zhuran stopped in front of Zhou Shi, bent down slightly, and gently lifted Zhou Shi's chin with her fingers, making Zhou Shi look into her eyes...
"I want to know if this is yours." Song Zhuran took out a handkerchief and threw it in front of Zhou Shi.
Looking at the embroidery stitches and patterns, Zhou was referring to the same stitches and patterns she had been using for years.
“How could Your Highness possess something belonging to a humble servant?” Zhou said. “However, the stitches look like they’re from a long time ago.”
Back then, our female workers weren't very good, so their stitching wasn't as good as it is now.
Song Zhuran turned around, "Are you sure this is yours?"
"It is indeed my wife's."
Song Zhuran smiled wryly, "You and the Prince Consort knew each other before?"
Madam Zhou looked up at Song Zhuran, "This happened many years ago. I wonder why Your Highness is asking about this?"
"I'm telling you to speak, to tell me everything in detail."
Seeing Song Zhuran's reaction, Madam Zhou panicked and revealed that she and the Imperial Son-in-Law had known each other for a time: "Your Majesty and I were just friends."
“After my marriage, I have had no contact with my husband, not even a single word.”
Song Zhuran asked, "Just friends?"
"Just friends from when we were young."
"If he's a friend, why has he kept your things for so many years?" Song Zhuran said coldly. "Do you really not know why the Grand Princess is making things difficult for you at every turn?"
"Why would you try to win his heart if you don't like him?"
Madam Zhou looked completely bewildered. "This humble woman doesn't know what Her Highness the Imperial Noble Consort is talking about."
"If Your Majesty has nothing else, I will take my leave now," said Madam Zhou, getting up to leave.
"Do you think you can leave today?" Song Zhuran said calmly. "Do you know what he calls you? How can he call you Arong?"
"You shouldn't have entered his heart; you shouldn't have let him like you or fall in love with you."
"Also, your daughter, Jiang Wan Ning, shouldn't have gotten involved in my affairs with the Empress. If you want to blame someone for all this, blame your daughter and yourself."
"Otherwise, I wouldn't have wanted to kill you."
Song Zhuran quietly looked at Zhou Shi.
Zhou was in a panic and tried to open the palace door, but it was locked from the outside. She kept banging on the door.
Song Zhuran said calmly, "Save your energy. No matter how much you scream, no one will come to save you. This entire harem belongs to me."
Song Zhuran sat lazily on the chaise lounge, watching Zhou Shi, who was like a mouse being caught and toyed with by a cat, filled with fear and panic, thinking about how to escape death.
She is like the cat that catches the mouse, giving it a paw when she's bored, and then eating it when she's had her fill of playing with it.
“Xiao He is just too soft-hearted. That’s why she didn’t send anyone to kill you, but instead watched you suffer.” Song Zhuran said, picking up a dagger from a small table next to her and slowly approaching Zhou Shi. “But I am different.”
“I know perfectly well that with someone like you alive, my master can never belong to me.”
“So, you deserve to die.” Song Zhuran said, quickening her pace as she walked towards Zhou Shi.
Zhou turned around, leaned against the door, and trembled all over. "Kill me if you want, but please spare my child. He is still young, and these things have nothing to do with him."
Song Zhuran said coldly, "Haven't you heard the saying 'to cut weeds, you must pull them out by the roots'?"
Song Zhuran raised the dagger and plunged it fiercely into Zhou's heart. "I will send you all down to reunite. Isn't that better?"
As the dagger approached her, Zhou instinctively protected the child in her arms and closed her eyes.
Just as the dagger was about an inch away, a teacup struck Song Zhuran's wrist, causing the dagger to fall to the ground.
Chen Jie emerged from the secret room, stood protectively in front of Zhou Shi, and slapped Song Zhuran hard across the face. "I told you, you're not allowed to touch A Rong."
Song Zhuran covered her slapped cheek and looked at Chen Jie in astonishment. "Master, what brings you here?"
Song Zhuran glanced in the direction of the secret chamber again. "Hmph, the secret chamber I built, and you actually thought of using it to save her?"
"Master, she doesn't even like you, so why are you protecting her?"
"She's dead, and you'll belong to me alone."
Chen Jie said coldly, "All of this has nothing to do with her. I told you not to touch her."
"If you touch her again, I will kill you."
Song Zhuran felt as if her heart had suddenly plunged into an ice cave, an indescribable feeling of suffocation, and she couldn't even feel sadness in her body. "Master... what did you say?"
“I can tolerate everything, except this.”
"Isn't Master afraid?" Song Zhuran asked.
Chen Jie knew that Song Zhuran was referring to their shared experience of living and dying together. Chen Jie said coldly, "What is there to fear in death?"
“From the moment I started doing all this, I’ve already disregarded life and death. Do you think I’m afraid of dying?”
"What about Master's grand project?"
"Compared to her, the grand cause is not important."
Chen Jie's words stunned Song Zhuran. She took two steps back and looked at Chen Jie in disbelief. "Does Master really think she can let go of everything?"
"Then why didn't you step in when the Grand Princess bullied her like that?"
Chen Jie glanced at Zhou Rong behind him and said, "I had my own difficulties at that time, and I couldn't protect him."
“She’s not in any immediate danger, but you’re going to kill her now, and that’s something I can’t allow.”
Song Zhuran slumped onto a stool beside her. "Master...you really made Ranran so sad."
Chen Jie didn't say anything more, but turned to look at Zhou Rong, "Rong, are you alright?"
Zhou Rong, holding the child in her arms, mechanically shook her head. "It's nothing, I'm going back."
"Okay, I'll take you back." Chen Jie pulled Zhou Rong, trying to leave from the direction of the secret room.
Zhou Rong dodged Chen Jie's outstretched hand. Chen Jie was taken aback. "We're leaving from there. I'm an outsider. If I appear in the inner palace with you..."
"I'm afraid this won't be good for you or the Princess of Langya, not only for me."
Zhou Rong said, "Thank you, Lord Chen. You only need to help me get out of this Bright Moon Palace."
"Okay." Chen Jie agreed without thinking.
He kicked the door open, and after Zhou Rong left, Chen Jie slowly stepped forward and reached out to touch the cheek where Song Zhuran had been hit. "Did Master hurt you just now?"
Song Zhuran was still throwing a tantrum, turning her head away and refusing to let Chen Jie touch her.
"Alright, Master has his reasons for doing this."
Song Zhuran looked up at Chen Jie, "Master, what do you mean by this? Are you sending her away and then lying to Ranran?"
Chen Jie reached out and patted Song Zhuran's head. "Since we've already exposed some things, let's expose more of them."
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