Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Why is he panting?
The next moment, Chang Zhong's delirious expression slowly froze on his face:
"My lady, why aren't you smiling?"
Nan Qiongshuang turned around, held her chest and breathed, forcing herself to remain calm, while putting on a smile again.
Before he could speak, Gu Huaijin took a sip of tea and put it down, saying calmly, "General Chang, you've lost your composure."
Across from him, Li Xuanbai folded his hands behind his head, slumped in his chair, and sneered, "You're quite picky."
Chang Zhong didn't know why the two adults at the table were speaking so coldly to each other. He glanced left and right, scratched his head and looked at Emperor Jiaqing.
Emperor Jiaqing, however, lifted his teacup and smiled until the wrinkles under his eyes burst open. "General Chang, it was just a joke. It was just a joke at the card table. General Chang doesn't take it seriously, and I certainly won't take it seriously either. Come on, play your cards, play your cards!"
As he spoke, he picked up a few cards from his hand and threw them in front of him.
Chang Da chuckled dryly, leaned forward to take a closer look, and after a quick glance, he realized that the Jiaqing Emperor had dealt him a hand aimed at him. He slapped his own round head, "Your Majesty, you are very lucky. Today is a very auspicious day for Your Majesty. I beg you to show some mercy."
After saying this, he sighed and spread out the remaining cards in his hand on the table.
Li Xuanbai sneered across the card table, rubbing his chin and glancing at her with a hint of meaning:
"No, I mean, whoever sits next to you today loses."
Chang Zhong laughed: "It has nothing to do with the Empress. I can't compare to the fortune of the saints."
Li Xuanbai sneered and pointed at the most difficult person to approach opposite him.
Nan Qiongshuang's heart suddenly tightened.
"Mr. Gu has always been the Jiaqing Emperor's right-hand man. In my opinion, the three of you should sit together." He smiled, crossed his arms, and raised an eyebrow at her with interest. "It will also help to suppress the dragon energy at the table. Otherwise, the others will lose their teeth, right?"
Nan Qiongshuang was speechless for a moment.
Did he suddenly go crazy?
She knew very well that she was most uncomfortable seeing Gu Huaijin. When he was around her, she even stopped talking and laughing, and felt uncomfortable all over.
But he deliberately transferred Gu Huaijin to her side?
Before she could react, Gu Huaijin had already stood beside Chang Zhong with a cup in his hand, waiting for him to stand up.
She suddenly didn't even dare to turn her head, and sat up straight.
Now, as long as Gu Huaijin is in the same room with her, she can tell where he is at a glance even if there are crowds of people around.
Not to mention, it's so close.
She heard him sit down calmly in a panic.
The scent that he could smell when he snuggled in his arms from the Four Elephants Tower suddenly lingered at his nose.
She gasped.
"Let's continue playing, come on." Li Xuanbai smiled proudly and spread his hands. "Come on, draw the cards again and play another round. I must see if I can win today."
Gu Huaijin said nothing.
Redraw the cards.
She sat obediently in her seat, biting her lips between her teeth for a long time, and finally sat up straight like a tree stump.
Don’t even mention peeking at Gu Huaijin’s cards.
She didn't even bother to look at Emperor Jiaqing's cards.
This person, who knows how much he just learned from Wu Dao, is probably full of bitterness, and he has been unable to see her many times, so I wonder how resentful and angry he is now.
If she were in the Four Symbols Tower, her hiding here and there these past few days would have been enough for him to smile strangely and torture her for a whole night.
Whenever she thought of the days when he would sit beside the couch in neat clothes, with a smile on his face as he penetrated deep into her body and even called her "Mother", her head would buzz.
"My Lady."
No response.
"Empress." Gu Huaijin called again.
She shuddered: "What?"
Li Xuanbai smiled deeply on the opposite side, feeling both triumphant and proud.
"Your round fan." Gu Huaijin picked up her fan and handed it to her. "It fell on the ground. How come you didn't see it?"
She took it, lowered her head and didn't look at him, her voice as weak as a mosquito: "Thank you, Mr. Gu."
On the fan handle, perhaps it was her illusion, there was still a hint of the warmth of his fingertips.
She clenched the thin handle of the round fan tightly, causing her fingers to hurt slightly.
The feelings were still there, but she wanted to cut it off completely. She shouldn't have gotten close to him at all.
"Eunuch Wang, prepare a plate of melon seeds." Gu Huaijin instructed Wang Rang and tilted his head toward the window. "What's that noise outside?"
Everyone at the table looked up.
Emperor Jiaqing was full of suspicion: "There was no sound. Maybe Mr. Gu heard it wrongly."
Nan Qiong Shuang didn't hear anything either, and she leaned sideways to peek out the window.
She moved.
Gu Huaijin immediately stared at her.
He was staring at her in front of everyone at such a close distance, even though there was a ribbon between them, even though it was only for a moment, she was so shocked that she lost her breath.
She watched his Adam's apple roll twice, and then he couldn't help but gasp.
Why is he panting?
Gu Huaijin turned back as if nothing had happened and took a sip of cold tea.
She didn't dare to act rashly. She sat up straight with her whole body stiff, even putting her feet under the table.
This move.
Gu Huaijin immediately turned his head slightly, not looking at her, but just staring at the plate of rose cake in front of her, trying to hide his feelings.
She finally understood.
It's the golden bell on her foot.
"I heard it too. It seemed like someone was crying." Emperor Jiaqing turned around and called Wang Rang over. "Go and see who's crying in the palace. I've already ordered that on such an auspicious day, no sad things are allowed."
Wang Rang responded repeatedly, "Hey, I'll go chase this unlucky guy away right away!"
"Don't chase him away. Call him over. I want to ask him why he's crying on such an auspicious day."
Wang Rang agreed and went down. The palace maid brought a plate of melon seeds, and everyone resumed their card game. Except for the two of them, everyone at the table was chatting and laughing, and the room was bustling with activity.
Soon, people were brought up.
Wang Rang said, "In reply to your Majesty, the one crying is Xiao Dezi, a eunuch from the Imperial Kitchen. It's said his mother passed away three days ago, and since he's still young, he's having trouble controlling himself. He's been wailing outside the Laughter Garden, startling your Majesty."
After saying this, he glared at the crying eunuch and kicked him on the butt: "Go over there and apologize!"
Little Dezi was kicked so hard that he stumbled repeatedly. After two steps, he fell dizzy on the golden brick floor of Xiaole Garden, and knelt on the ground and kowtowed:
"Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me! I have only been in the palace for half a year and do not know the rules. I have offended Your Majesty. My mother passed away suddenly due to illness, and I am deeply saddened..."
"Died of a sudden illness?" Emperor Jiaqing put down his cards. "Raise your head and speak slowly."
"I am from Wanjiang. My family is poor. My mother is seriously ill but we have no money for treatment, so I castrated myself and entered the palace to serve. I originally wanted to earn more money to supplement the family income and pay for my mother's treatment! Unexpectedly, after only six months in the palace, I received a letter from home three days ago saying that..." The more he spoke, the more he couldn't continue. He cried so hard that his eyes were pinched between his eyebrows and cheeks, and tears flowed out, "They said... they said my mother had passed away..."
"Your Majesty, I wanted to be filial to her, but she didn't wait for me, Your Majesty..." He knelt on the ground and kowtowed, "But she refused to wait for me..."
Wang Rang raised his eyebrows and swung his whisk towards his buttocks again, "Hey! I told you to see the emperor, and you're not done yet, are you? I told you to apologize to the emperor, and you come to mourn for him! Take him away, take him away!"
Nan Qiong Shuang was confused and looked around at everyone at the table.
Emperor Jiaqing has never had a good temper. In the past, he would kill his favorite concubine after getting drunk and use her thigh bone to play the pipa. Why is he so good-tempered today, putting down his cards and patiently listening to a eunuch crying?
Li Xuanbai had no idea what these people were up to, so he supported his chin with one hand and listened with his legs crossed.
Gu Huaijin is peeling melon seeds.
Beautiful, slender hands with distinct joints peeled the seeds one by one. Although she was right-handed, she placed all the peeled seeds on her left hand, using her handkerchief as a cushion underneath.
She went back to listen to the fun.
But suddenly, I felt someone rubbing the back of my hand slowly and gently.
She felt a shiver running up from the joints of her bones, feeling cold, soft and a little numb.
He pushed the melon seeds toward her hand.
She was so frightened that she didn't even dare to blink or glance. She placed her hands on the table, curling her knuckles and biting her lips slightly.
On the other end, there was a sudden wailing sound, as if an animal had eaten something and couldn't swallow it, choking on its neck while swallowing.
She ignored him and turned back in confusion.
Just one look and I was shocked.
Emperor Jiaqing's face suddenly flushed crimson, and he covered his face and wept bitterly. As he wept, he pounded his chest in agony. He was already thin, and the sound of his pounding could be heard throughout the room:
"The pain of losing a mother is shared by the whole world! It's not just you, even I, the emperor, feel the same way! Wang Rang, get out! Let him talk!"
Wang Rang said yes repeatedly and quickly retreated.
"Your Majesty, a few days ago, I dreamt that she appeared to me in my dream... She said that she wanted me to burn more paper money for her!" Xiao Dezi looked up, tears streaming down his face. "But we are not allowed to burn paper money casually in the Forbidden City..."
"I grant you special permission to leave the palace for one day to attend to the funeral!" Emperor Jiaqing waved his wide, bright yellow sleeves, then covered his face with his hands and wiped away his tears. "You, a slave, are already so heartbroken over the loss of your mother. As the Emperor, how can I not feel pain? My biological mother, Concubine Chang, has been framed by thieves for seven years and has been confined to the Jingsi Pavilion for seven years. How could I have endured these seven years?"
Li Xuanbai listened attentively for a while with great interest. After hearing this, he finally understood and sneered knowingly, leaning his hand on his cheek.
Nan Qiongshuang also has a heart as clear as a mirror.
For some reason, Emperor Jiaqing had recently been obsessed with releasing his mother, who had become a living dead during the time of his predecessor, from the cold palace. To this end, he had exerted a lot of energy and pulled everyone to act in front of Li Xuanbai.
At the moment, Chang Zhong would naturally help Concubine Chang if he called her "Auntie"; Gu Huaijin was also present, and no matter how furious Li Xuanbai was, there was always someone who could calm him down and make him fear him.
Considering the presence of both parties, no matter how unrestrained Li Xuanbai is, he has to be constrained by both sides.
I'm afraid that this little eunuch who cried for his mother's death was a move that Emperor Jiaqing had already placed on the chessboard.
She held her breath, glanced over quietly, and glanced at the silent person beside her.
Gu Huaijin was still peeling melon seeds for her.
She coughed lightly as a reminder.
Gu Huaijin continued to do as he pleased and was still too lazy to care.
On the other side, Emperor Jiaqing cried even more miserably:
"In ancient times, Wang Xiang lay on the ice to catch carp, and today, you weep for your mothers. But I! I am above all people in the world, and my humble filial piety is so difficult to fulfill! Back then, thieves plotted and framed my loving mother; it was my incompetence that has prevented me from redressing her grievances for years! My mother has always been frail, and the quiet meditation room is cold and secluded. For so many years, I don't know if she is well. As the Son of Heaven! How unfortunate it is that I want to see my loving mother but cannot!"
As he cried, his wide, bright yellow sleeves fluttered in the air.
Inside Xiaoleyuan, the palace maids knelt on the ground. Wang Rang was also in tears, his lips trembling as he tried to appease Emperor Jiaqing, "Your Majesty, please stop crying and take care of yourself..."
"The late emperor ordered the Concubine to reflect on her mistakes in the Quiet Meditation Hall. You've only been on the throne for a few years, and you're already thinking of disregarding the late emperor's order?" Li Xuanbai casually picked up a piece of snowflake crisp and chewed it, leaning lazily in his chair, tapping his fingers on the table. "It's not me who forbade it, it's the late emperor who forbade it. Don't blame me."
"I don't mean to blame the Prince Regent." Emperor Jiaqing wiped his face with his sleeve. "It's just that when my mother entered the Jingsi Pavilion, there were many doubts..."
"Suspicions abound?" Li Xuanbai scoffed, tapping the table twice with his index finger, then crossed his arms. "The maids around Concubine Chang tampered with the Imperial Kitchen and poisoned my mother's food. There's witnesses and evidence, including the testimony from back then, written down in the documents from the Palace Administration Office! What's the matter? Now you're bringing these influential people here to force me?"
The more he spoke, the more he laughed, his eyes pressed under his eyebrows, and he looked more and more like a gorgeous but ferocious beast:
"I'm telling you, since I won't allow it, no one in the world who can force me to change my mind has yet been born. Not to mention the late emperor's will, even if the late emperor crawled out of his mausoleum and pardoned her—!"
His voice suddenly softened, and he said softly:
"This king is here, and Chang Chuxiu must die in Jingsixuan."
Chang Zhong quickly stood up and clasped his fists:
"Prince Regent, the events of that year are indeed shrouded in mystery. No matter how spoiled my aunt was, she wouldn't have asked her maid to tamper with the Imperial Kitchen. Such manipulations would be easily uncovered with a simple investigation. If I don't help my aunt overturn this case, the true culprit behind Concubine Xie's death will remain at large! If that continues, your mother's grievances will truly remain unrevenged, Prince Regent!"
"Frame-up? The testimony from back then is crystal clear in the official documents from the Palace Justice Department! You're all just saying it out of thin air!?" Li Xuanbai picked up the teacup from the table and slammed it to the ground, sending shards of porcelain flying. Wang Rang and Wu Shun both exclaimed, "There's no need to mention this anymore! Anyone who still feels sorry for that vicious woman can go to Jingsi Pavilion and keep her company!"
Emperor Jiaqing wailed and winked at Wang Rang.
Wang Rang understood immediately and ran out with his robe in hand.
Li Xuanbai has always been arrogant and sharp-tongued, and difficult to restrain. Today, he was forced to break up in front of both Chang and Gu. If he doesn't succeed now, I'm afraid there will be no room for him in the future.
No matter what, Emperor Jiaqing had to give it a try.
Li Xuanbai saw his look and immediately sneered through gritted teeth, "Forget about going to find Wang Maoxing. Even if that old man mobilized all the civil servants to kneel at the gate of Cheng'an Gate and make a suggestion! I have said no, and it is still no! Anyone who dares to make such a suggestion will be executed under the guillotine!"
Nan Qiongshuang listened for a long time and knew what was going on. As a concubine who had just been in the palace for two months, it was not appropriate for her to say anything. However, if the matter continued to escalate, it would be difficult to resolve.
She stood up and spoke softly to the furious Li Xuanbai: "Regent, you..."
"Regent." Gu Huaijin patted the melon seeds and sawdust on his hands and finally spoke.
"Why?" Li Xuanbai sneered, "You have something else to say."
"Toffee..."
Before he finished speaking, Wang Rang hurriedly pulled aside the curtain of the Fun Garden.
"Your Majesty, Concubine Sheng requests an audience."
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