Zhen Yin
Another day passed, and under pressure from Qiankun Kingdom, Emperor Xiao Hong of Louhuang Kingdom began to organize people to collect materials.
Li Lin and his companions were still in Louhuang Country, unaware that an unexpected event had already occurred. Today, Li Lin and Chen Yun were having dinner in their room when someone from the Seven Stars Group arrived and handed Li Lin a piece of paper.
Chen Yun was still wondering what the letter was when Li Lin frowned. "Qidan's water source is polluted, and ours won't be much better. What should we do? We didn't intend to pay attention to the civil unrest in other countries. Which one should we deal with first?"
Chen Yun took the letter and quickly put it down. She moved the teacup in front of Li Lin and then put some crumbs and melon seeds into the cup.
"There are three steps to lake management. First, sediment management. We'll have Louhuang Frontier send people to clean the bottom of Lop Nur Lake and cover it with activated carbon and montmorillonite. Second, we'll mobilize nutrients, cultivate aquatic plants, and introduce microorganisms. Third, we'll address the source of pollution."
Then Chen Yun used his fingers to dig out the contents of the wine glass. "Look, isn't it seriously polluted? Those outside don't know how to purify water as well as I do. If we let them mess around, our drinking water will be in jeopardy!"
The current relationship with Lou Huang is peaceful without a war, so it is hard to imagine asking Lou Huang to deal with it. Li Lin also has no idea.
"Qing'er, I can't convince other countries to serve our country."
Chen Yan casually picked up a pot of wine and walked out of the room. "Even though it's late at night, it won't stop me from drinking a glass of wine to clear my grudges."
Chen Yun walked out, and outside the door, it seemed that a palace maid from Qiankun Kingdom had been lying in ambush.
At night, the royal study of Lou Huangguo was already lit with candlelight. Just as Xiao Hong was stretching, someone came outside the door asking to see him. It was Chen Yin.
Chen Yan came in wearing civilian clothes and holding a wine jug.
"Your Majesty, I have brought you the finest wine, the national treasure of Qiankun, and I would like to share it with you. As brothers."
Xiao Hong grinned, then said gently: "We can be father and daughter, and brothers? Besides, you are the queen of his country!"
Chen Yun didn't care about any customs at all. She came in front of Xiao Hong with her dress fluttering.
"Could it be that His Majesty dislikes his sister?"
Xiao Hong stood up helplessly: "I'm afraid there will be chaos in the harem!"
"We are sworn brothers and sisters, so can't we all drink and chat happily? There are few close friends in the palace, and all the talk is empty!"
Xiao Hong took the wine glass from Chen Yun's hand, then sat down and placed it on the coffee table. Chen Yun understood and splashed the Xiguang wine into it.
Xiao Hong only took a sip and praised it highly: "It's really wonderful! I haven't tasted this wine in a long time. The last time was when I was a prince."
So, the two of them started chatting and drinking happily.
After three rounds of drinks, Chen Yun stared at the wine glass in his hand and said, "I want to ask you something. How do you usually manage the pollution in the river?"
"Hmm? What happened to your Qiankun Kingdom?"
Chen Yun placed his wine glass on the coffee table in a bad mood. "The civil unrest in Qidan has caused the pollution of Luobu Lake. The water source is affecting our lives. Even though I have thousands of plans, I am still unable to do anything. Without an ultimatum, I can't enter to deal with the water source! It's so troublesome! Plus, I have to do everything myself. The princes and princesses are still young, and they rely on me, a woman... Brother, you know that women are the only ones in charge now, so many things are difficult for me to intervene in."
Xiao Hong smiled slightly and said sideways, "There are also talented female officials. But at that time, they were already a level higher than the common people. Other commoners may not have your intelligence, but they think their fate is higher than the sky, and vow to fight men for the victory. But the reality is also very cruel." Xiao Hong patted his face lightly. "Can they change their physical abilities and social prejudices?"
Although there was prejudice, Chen Ying's focus was not to explain the matter, but to get the foreign emperor to help him.
Chen Yun nodded, then said, "A family is like a country. When women share their husbands' worries, life will be beautiful. The same is true for a country. Men govern the country, and women assist them, and vice versa. Both are indispensable. The world is not the world of one person, the chamber of commerce is not the chamber of commerce of one person, and the family is not the home of one person."
"Does it mean that men are inferior to women?"
"We are all ants. Ants don't fight alone; each has its own role."
Xiao Hong took a breath. As an emperor, his heart was moved. He had to admire the woman in front of him. Although she said this lightly, it made his heart feel like a meteor falling into his heart, but he could only hide his feelings by covering his beard.
Seeing Xiao Hong remain silent, Chen Yun stood up and lingered in front of him, "Brother, are you silent because you hate your sister? Yes, we are wrong. We shouldn't have brought a large army into the country without permission. But that was all done by the concubines vying for favor and the ministers vying for power. We also want to be on good terms with you, even if it's just a little bit. No one wants to make enemies everywhere!"
"The Queen is joking."
Seeing that Xiao Hong was unable to address each other as brother and sister, and realizing that the other party still had not let down his guard, he stopped in front of him and raised his glass.
"I don't ask for your forgiveness, brother, but please allow me to drink ten cups as punishment."
Seeing Chen Yan pouring down one cup after another and drinking one cup after another, Xiao Hong started to make plans in his mind.
"Can you even deliver the city?"
Chen Yun raised his hand and said, "Stop. If Your Majesty can't resolve my concerns, let's talk about our hearts today, not politics. As I just said, we're already worried about Qidan's water problem, and we don't want to discuss it any further tonight. We want to change the status quo! We want to scold those officials who only talk nonsense!"
"Change the status quo?"
"Yes, brother, are you satisfied with the current situation?"
Chen Ying swung his arms capriciously and continued to drink by himself, while Xiao Hong was thinking about what Chen Ying said.
The Louhuang Kingdom was indeed declining, and he didn't want to destroy the country because of himself, but he was unable to find a solution.
Then his eyes fell on Chen Qian's feet. His unsteady steps showed he was drunk. Xiao Hong stood up and said, "Brother, you are drunk today. We will talk again tomorrow. Come! Help Empress Chen back."
Chen Yun retreated with the support of the nanny, but he did not forget the gentle and unsteady salute.
After everyone left, Xiao Hong called the eunuch: "Eunuch Bai, notify the three ministers to come to the palace to discuss the water problem of Qidan."
Chen Yun was walking along the palace road with the help of a palace maid from his state, when she suddenly collapsed. The maid's back was pierced by an arrow. Chen Yun looked around but could not find any trace of the murderer.
Soon, the news spread. First, Chen Yun was placed under house arrest, and then the two emperors worked together to interrogate the suspect in a palace somewhere.
Under the night sky, the flickering candlelight in the palace illuminated the dimly lit furniture. Repeated interrogations yielded no results. During this time, Li Lin took a sip and soon experienced severe pain and vomiting blood.
Inside Chen Yun's bedroom, Nanny Ming rushed in. "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! His Majesty was poisoned during the interrogation! He is still receiving treatment."
The book in Chen Ying's hand slipped, he stood there in fear, and walked tremblingly towards Nanny Ming.
Chen Yun paced back and forth, thinking about how to rescue the victim. Suddenly, he woke up from his dream.
"First, they harmed me, then His Majesty. This was not Lou Huangguo's doing. Nanny Ming, continue to assist Emperor Xiao in handling the interrogation. You must continue."
It wasn't until the hour of Xu that Nanny Ming returned. Chen Qian, who had already taken his seat, had reddened eyes, evidently having been waiting for a long time.
"Your Majesty, the person has been found. It's Concubine Zhen Shu. She's outside the door now."
"Bring it up."
Two guards brought Zhen Yin in. The candlelight reflected the two people's opposing expressions.
Chen Yan's distant eyes flickered, and he exhaled a sinister wind, but it had no effect on Zhen Yin.
"Concubine Zhen Shu, how did you sneak into the team?"
"Human skin mask."
"Leaving the palace without permission, killing people, poisoning the emperor, and framing the royal family. Zhen Yin, do you admit your guilt?"
Until now, Chen Yin's apathy had failed to intimidate the person in front of him. Instead, Zhen Yin turned away.
Seeing the other party's unconvinced look, Chen Yun stood up and slowly walked over to Zhen Yin. "We treat you well, don't we? We provide your daughter with an education as the Prince's Junior Tutor in the Imperial Academy. We also provide you and Dou Gu and Dou Fei with fine clothes and delicious food. What else can you complain about?"
"Dissatisfaction? Your existence is dissatisfaction to me! It goes against the will of heaven!"
With a "pa" sound, a slap came to Zhen Yin's face.
"I've always felt sorry for your plight, so I've been compensating you. Isn't it good to be alive? Do you think I'll take your lives?"
"I don't even care about death!" Pointing at Chen Yun, he said, "Chen Yun, no, should I call you Changsun Yun now? Your ambition is known to everyone. Born in poverty, you led four concubines to seize the throne, sentenced three candidates for the crown princess to prison, and forced the Sixth Princess to death."
"How dare you! How can you be so rude!" Nanny Ming scolded.
Chen Yan slapped him again.
"Zhen Yin, is this your first day in the imperial family? Imperial power is a gamble of life. What do you gain from revenge? If I were you, I would raise the child even if it meant suffering."
Zhen Yin's face showed disdain, which then turned into a crazy laugh.
Zhen Yin's laughter died down, and then, with a look of grief and anguish at times, and eyes wide open at times, she raised her hands like prisons and said, "I will never forget that day. If I had tried to stop Jian Cheng from going to court any longer, I wouldn't have watched my sons being slaughtered!"
Zhen Yin pointed at Chen Yun, "You, Changsun Yun, are just lucky. You have the skills of the Yuan Tian Sect, which is why you are favored by those men. And a lot of coincidences have put all the keys to success in front of you. Otherwise, you can't become the queen! The position of queen was originally mine, not you!"
"That's destiny."
"Destiny? It's all a bitter fate. Killing me is a simple thing for you. But in the future, facing the beauties in the harem, you will gradually become old and fall out of favor. This is the stage every woman must go through. What destiny or not!"
The Zhen Yin in front of him had turned into a resentful woman, and her image in the palace had been a disguise.
But that crazy look was caused by losing his own life.
Zhen Yin experienced helplessness, despair, and lamentation. Disdained by the aristocratic family, she could only struggle helplessly.
"Pitiful."
Zhen Yin was irritated by Chen Yun's words. She wanted to rush over to him, but the guards quickly pinned her to the ground. "Pity me? Why? Why do you live so well?"
"Take him to the room and tie him up. If anything happens to His Majesty, you will not be spared."
"That's your karma! You deserve to die!"
Chen Yan sat in his seat and forced himself to control his anger. Nanny Ming quickly brought him tea.
Chen Yan drank it in one gulp, then said, "Madam Ming, should I be gentle or ruthless?"
At this time, a palace maid ran in and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor is out of danger. Please rest for a while."
"Great. That's good."
The next day, Xiao Hong specifically ordered Louhuang Kingdom's Crown Princess Mu Ya to come and announce the lifting of Chen Yun's house arrest, and at the same time ordered Mu Ya to establish good relations.
Mu Ya lived up to everyone's expectations and accompanied Chen Yin to the room while comforting him. At the same time, Chen Yin also ordered the servants to bring Zhen Yin with him.
When they arrived at the door, Chen Yun ordered his servants to place the person in front of the door and wait.
"Let Zhen Yin wait first. Li Lin is fine now. Don't provoke him."
Li Lin's room was still filled with a faint medicinal aroma. The window lattice was half-open, and the morning breeze blew in, bringing a bit of freshness, but it couldn't dispel the solemnity in the air. As soon as Chen Yun stepped through the door, he saw Li Lin half-leaning against the headboard, his face still pale from his illness, his fingers unconsciously stroking the edge of the bedding. When he heard footsteps, he suddenly looked up, and a spark of light instantly welled up in his eyes.
"Yun'er." His voice was still a little hoarse. He tried to stand up but Chen Yun quickly held him down.
"Don't move. You're restless just after you've recovered." Chen Yan sat on the edge of the bed, gently placed his fingertips on his wrist, and felt his pulse, which was weak but steady. His heart, which had been hanging in the air all night, finally settled down.
"I'm sorry for making you suffer." Li Lin's throat tightened. "Isn't it hard to endure being under house arrest?"
Chen Yun shook his head and tucked the corner of the quilt for him with his free hand. "Compared to the danger of your poisoning, house arrest is nothing. As for you, the imperial physician said that the poison was very tricky. If it weren't for the heart-protecting pill that Yuan Tian sent you years ago, the consequences would be disastrous."
Mu Ya, standing nearby, handed over a cup of freshly brewed tea and whispered, "Don't worry, Empress. Your Majesty is blessed by good fortune. Yesterday, when my father learned that Emperor Li had escaped danger, he specially ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare a nourishing snow lotus soup, saying it's best for nourishing qi and calming the mind. I've already asked the small kitchen to heat it up."
Chen Yun took the teacup and nodded to Mu Ya, "Thank you, Crown Princess, for your concern. Please also thank Emperor Xiao for me."
Mu Ya smiled, her eyes curved with sincerity. "Your Majesty, you are too polite. Emperor Xiao said that since we became sworn brothers yesterday, we should look after each other. Besides..." She paused and looked at Li Lin, "Emperor Li and Your Majesty found themselves in such a dangerous situation in Louhuang Country. We, Louhuang Country, are also responsible for our negligence. Emperor Xiao has ordered a thorough investigation of the palace guards to ensure that you two can rest assured in the palace from now on."
Li Lin nodded gently, his voice weak but clear: "Emperor Xiao is thoughtful. Empress, how do you plan to deal with Concubine Zhen Shu in this matter?"
"We feel guilty about what we did to her, but the crime cannot be undone. Death by beating is not excessive."
Li Lin sighed, then said, "I don't want to punish her."
"Huh? Are you crazy?" This sentence left Chen Yan stunned. An emperor, poisoned by his own concubine, could act as if nothing had happened. No one dared to believe it.
"Queen, I don't want to hurt her anymore. Since there is always a way to compromise, I will make this step."
"I disagree. She is your sister-in-law, and not only do you possess her, but now you are hurting us and trying to protect her? Tell me the truth, Your Majesty, do you have feelings for her?"
"I can't be moved. I hurt her."
"The Xuanwang Mansion was forced into a desperate situation by the two brothers' factions, and we were only fighting back to protect ourselves. The struggle for imperial power has always been about right and wrong."
Li Lin held Chen Yun's hand, sighed, and then looked outside: "When she visits the child every day, she is always sneaky. In the palace, both mother and daughter are very cautious."
Outside, Zhen Yin's brow furrowed. He knew she had violated the prohibition against visiting his daughter, yet he hadn't dealt with her. She didn't understand. She could only shake her head.
"Another time, she was ill and would rather die than ask the Imperial Hospital for some expensive medicine."
"What happened next? How did you recover?"
"If I hadn't saved her, she would have died. But when I said this, she must have thought I was just trying to win over the Zheng family."
Chen Yan sighed deeply. Then he walked to the door. "Since Your Majesty has spoken so, I have made up my mind. The punishment must be exacted." Chen Yan opened the door and saw Zhen Yin kneeling before him, her face wet with tears. "I hereby declare that Concubine Zhen Shu has framed His Majesty and left the palace without permission. She deserves death. Considering her madness caused by the loss of her son, I will depose her from her position as consort and demote her to a commoner. She will remain under house arrest in the Changle Gate Villa."
Outside the door, Zhen Yin's eyes were stunned and her mouth couldn't control itself. She swallowed a mouthful of water and shouted, "I accept the punishment!" Then she closed her tear-filled eyes and lowered her stubborn head heavily.
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