Chapter 55
He Rui's face was very pale inside the tent. Harichagai looked at him with great concern. He strode over, knelt down, and grabbed He Rui's hands, saying, "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, I didn't notice I was pregnant." He Rui was surprised to hear the imperial physician's words. She was only eighteen and was already pregnant. She had planned to have children after she turned twenty, but she didn't expect to get pregnant so soon.
“You’re weak, so naturally you wouldn’t have noticed that assassin.” Harichagai recalled the female assassin who had injured the princess.
"Where is Father?" He Rui found it strange; why was it so quiet? "Has the assassin been caught?"
Upon hearing He Rui mention the assassin, Harichagai fell silent. How could he possibly say that the assassin who had injured the princess had been protected by the Fifth Prince and was being escorted back to the palace? Or that the Emperor had suddenly returned to the palace with others?
"Was the assassin sent back to the palace?" He Rui closed his eyes, wondering if the plot hadn't changed.
"Yes," Harichagai replied calmly.
"Who sent it back? Could it have been Father Emperor?" He Rui asked, biting her lower lip. If it was the Emperor, she couldn't help but question the structure of Qianlong's brain.
"It was the Fifth Prince who escorted them back to the palace with the Fu brothers."
"Oh? How is Heya?" He Rui didn't press further and changed the subject.
"Princess Heya has returned to the palace with the Emperor."
He Rui closed her eyes; she still felt very tired. Harichagai stayed by He Rui's side until dawn.
The imperial physicians outside the tent were left only for the physicians who were specifically tasked with taking He Rui's pulse; the others rushed back to the capital at dawn to report to the emperor.
When Emperor Qianlong heard that He Rui had woken up, he inquired about He Rui's physical condition and immediately summoned He Rui back to the capital.
~~~
He Rui had intended to stay in the hunting grounds with Haricha Gai for a few days, but an imperial edict disrupted their plans. They had no choice but to pack their belongings and return to the capital. However, their journey was slower than the Emperor's; it took them two days to reach the capital, even though it wasn't far. They first went to the palace to pay their respects. Upon entering Yongshou Palace, He Rui noticed the Empress's usual expression and felt something was amiss. "Your Majesty, where is the assassin now?" He Rui asked, taking the initiative since the Empress didn't bring it up.
"He Rui, do not ask about this matter again." The Empress looked at He Rui. "His Majesty has hired a new actor, He Rui, so you will stay in the palace for a while."
“Empress Mother, this…” Having only been married for a year, and not yet fully married, He Rui wanted to refuse, but didn’t know how to bring it up.
"Fine, look at you. You want to go back to the princess's residence, huh? I won't make things difficult for you. A married daughter is like water spilled from a cup."
“Empress Mother.” He Rui didn’t know what to say.
"Alright, stop joking with me, go back!" The Empress patted He Rui's hand. "Have lunch at the palace today."
"yes."
At lunchtime, several princes and princesses under the Empress's command also came to participate, and they were eating when they heard a eunuch outside loudly announcing, "The Emperor has arrived." As soon as the Emperor arrived, the masters who were eating immediately stopped and paid their respects to him.
The Emperor walked in with a hearty laugh. "Get up, everyone! Let's eat together."
"Bring up the Emperor's personal tableware," the Empress said, busily instructing a maid to fetch it. He Rui took the maid's towel. "Father, please wash your hands."
"Okay, how are you feeling? Please sit down."
"Your Majesty, He Rui is fine." He Rui helped the Emperor sit down. "This medicine shouldn't be taken in large quantities. The imperial physician only prescribed some tonics to help with the pregnancy."
"It's good that you're alright, but you must take good care of yourself. Your Majesty, let He Rui stay in the palace for a while."
"Father, He Rui refuses."
"Your Majesty, today I truly understand what it means for a married daughter to be like water spilled from a cup. Your Majesty should not keep her."
The atmosphere in Yongshou Lane was harmonious, filled with laughter and conversation. But then, someone with no tact insisted on adding a discordant element to this otherwise peaceful scene. "Your Majesty, news has come from Yanxi Palace: the young lady has awakened," Li Yu cautiously entered to report.
"Who sent the letter?" Qianlong raised an eyebrow and pulled out a letter from Wu Shu. How could someone forget who the master is again?
"The winter plum blossoms beside Consort Ling... Consort Ling asked Your Majesty if you wanted to go and take a look." Li Yu was sweating profusely from the Emperor's gaze.
That girl? Could she be a female assassin? He Rui wondered to himself, a female assassin had entered Yanxi Palace. They were really following the plot!
"Empress, come with me to see that girl. Does she have the heroic spirit in her eyes and brows, just as Consort Ling said, and does she look remarkably like me?" Qianlong snorted coldly.
"Father, please eat something before you go," He Rui said, trying to persuade Consort Ling not to think the Emperor valued the girl so much. However, He Rui didn't know that the Fifth Prince had told Consort Ling about Xiao Yanzi's injury. Consort Ling, quick-witted as ever, remembered the Emperor's promise to make Xiao Yanzi recover, and immediately conceived the idea that Xiao Yanzi was more valued than Princess He Rui. This led her to boldly use the second-in-command she had bribed to serve the Emperor. "Father, going to Yanxi Palace might not offer any suitable food. For your health, He Rui thinks you should eat before going."
"Haha, I'll have my meal first and then go." Qianlong was touched by He Rui's filial piety. "Li Yu, have the people from Yanxi Palace kneel in the courtyard and wait for me to have my meal."
"Yes, sir!"
Consort Ling waited and waited, but the Emperor did not come, and La Mei did not return. Consort Ling began to doubt whether the Emperor truly valued Xiao Yanzi.
After lunch, He Rui, along with his younger brother and sister, respectfully saw the Emperor and Empress off to Yanxi Palace. Looking in the direction of Yanxi Palace, He Rui thought, "Consort Ling! Taking in an assassin—I wonder if that's a blessing or a curse for you."
Upon returning to the princess's residence, the servants immediately reported to their master, "Master, Princess Heya has already sent people here twice."
"Did she say anything?" He Rui asked, then immediately realized he was asking a pointless question. "Baozhu, take this servant to Princess Heya's residence and tell her that I am fine." Whether it was because she knew she was pregnant or because she was weak, He Rui fell asleep not long after returning from the palace.
When He Rui finished speaking, He Ya looked at her with a smile and said, "Sister, you can really sleep."
"Why did you come over? Didn't I send Baozhu over to tell you that I'm alright?"
"How can I feel at ease if I don't come?" He Ya said softly, "Did you see that female assassin, sister?"
"I haven't seen her. What have you heard?" Looking at He Ya's mysterious expression, He Rui knew that He Ya's visit wasn't just to check on her health.
"Sister, do you remember when I went out for a stroll before we entered the palace?" He Ya continued, seeing He Rui nod. He Ya recognized the assassin as none other than the petty thief from years ago—Little Swallow. At first, she only thought he looked familiar. When she heard Consort Ling boasting about him, she wondered where she had seen him before. Later, when Consort Ling mentioned Little Swallow, He Ya remembered that the siblings who had been with the petty thief were also named "Little Swallow."
Hearing He Ya's words, He Rui's lips twitched. How come she didn't think of Xiao Yanzi? But without Ziwei, where would Xiao Yanzi get the motive to sneak into the hunting grounds? "He Ya, have you told Father Emperor about this?"
"No, it's not appropriate for young ladies of noble birth to show their faces in public."
"It's better that you didn't say anything. You should give E Yue a heads-up about this. I just feel like something's not right."
“Sister, E Yue said that the assassin said to Father Emperor that day, ‘Do you still remember Xia Yuhe by Daming Lake?’ I found it very strange. How would Xiao Yanzi know that…” He Ya didn’t finish her sentence. Very few people from the palace knew their identities.
"What?" He Rui was shocked. Could this Little Swallow have traveled from another world?
"E Yue said that the calligraphy, paintings and fans that Xiao Yanzi was holding came from the palace, and it is very likely that they were taken out by a master with no powerful backing to exchange for money."
He Rui immediately understood who He Ya was referring to. Even if the items originated from the palace, she didn't think Xiao Yanzi would have the money to buy the calligraphy, paintings, and fans. Frowning, He Rui recalled the Empress's words: "An actress." Wasn't Xiao Yanzi an actress? Living in Shufangzhai, a place where stages were set up, what else could she be but an actress? Thinking of this, He Rui was truly looking forward to watching the show. "The palace must be very lively these days. Sister, you can go out and about often if you have nothing to do, but you must take care of your health."
"That's enough. I've been sitting here for so long, I'm going back now. Sister, take good care of yourself too, it's always uncomfortable when you're first pregnant."
After seeing Heya off, Herui thought about Xiaoyanzi's matter. The Empress's expression clearly showed that she didn't care about Xiaoyanzi. The Emperor's attitude probably implied some kind of conspiracy, so he shouldn't get involved to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
~~
A few days later, Harichagai returned from the palace looking extremely unwell. He Rui immediately asked Harichagai if he had been bullied. Harichagai kept saying he was fine, but his expression only worsened. That night, after they went to bed, Harichagai hugged He Rui, saying, "Rose, I'm so useless. I couldn't even avenge you. And..."
"Tell me what unpleasant things happened to you in the palace today."
"The assassin was made a princess by the emperor."
"What kind of princesses are eligible to be included in the imperial register?"
"...No, she was just given a special title." Haricha immediately understood that nothing happened to a princess who wasn't on the imperial register; no matter how special the title, it couldn't compare to being on the imperial register.
Seeing Haricha's enlightened expression, He Rui smiled. "Did it say which palace it's registered under? Where does it reside?"
"His Majesty said that Consort Ling and Princess Huanzhu are particularly destined for each other. 'Princess Huanzhu' is the assassin's title. His Majesty has granted her the residence of Shufangzhai." After saying this, Haricha chuckled. He remembered that he had seen a play at Shufangzhai. He was so concerned that he hadn't analyzed the matter carefully. "I know you were worried."
"What's there to worry about? Just find out Xiao Yanzi's background quickly, and make sure she doesn't have a chance to hurt Father Emperor. Just make sure you don't put yourself in danger."
Haricha tightened his grip on He Rui's hand. "I won't put myself in danger."
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