Chapter 540 Concubine Hui's Miscarriage
Gu Junze waved his hand to let the guards leave. After the door was closed, he walked to the table, poured himself a cup of cold tea and drank it all in one gulp.
"There are no bandits on Black Wind Ridge." His voice was as cold as ice.
Chu Ruohan's heart trembled: "What do you mean?"
Gu Junze put the teacup down heavily, making a dull sound.
He looked at Chu Ruohan, a terrifying chill surging in his deep eyes: "When my people arrived, there was only corpses and bloodstains, no one was there. After investigation, those people were not bandits at all."
He paused and said word by word: "They are soldiers, well-trained private soldiers."
Chu Ruohan's face darkened instantly: "Private soldiers? Which minister is it?"
To secretly raise soldiers under the feet of the emperor and to dare to openly commit murder on the official road is tantamount to treason.
"The Minister of War, Zhang Xian," Gu Junze said coldly, "Qin Fang and the others were a shield for others. The person Zhang Xian really wanted to silence was a censor from the Censorate."
"That censor happened to be delayed by something and set off half a day late, which is why our caravan ran into him."
"In order to kill a censor, they slaughtered our entire caravan. What a big act!" Chu Ruohan's anger burned in her chest.
The people who were escorting the caravan had wives, children and elderly relatives at home, but now they died so unjustly.
"I've already reported this matter. The Jingzhao prefect personally led people to search and confiscate Zhang Xian's residence." Gu Junze's tone was calm, as if he was stating something completely ordinary. "He won't survive."
Chu Ruohan nodded, and the anger in her heart subsided a little.
She knew that since Gu Junze said so, Zhang Xian's fate was already doomed.
However, when she thought of those who died, her heart still felt heavy.
Gu Junze walked to her side, held her in his arms, and placed his warm palms against her back, silently comforting her.
"Something happened in the palace." His low voice sounded above her head.
Chu Ruohan paused and looked up at him: "Empress Hui?"
Gu Junze hummed, his expression complicated: "Last night, Concubine Hui had a bleeding episode, and when the imperial physician arrived, the child was already gone."
This news did not surprise Chu Ruohan. She just did not expect it to happen so soon.
"Why is it gone?" she asked softly.
"According to the news from the palace, she accidentally slipped while admiring her newly acquired jade in the palace and became pregnant."
Gu Junze's tone was devoid of emotion. "The Emperor was furious and had all the palace servants who served her beaten to death, but he didn't blame her too much. He just told her to rest and recuperate."
Chu Ruohan let out an almost inaudible sigh in his arms.
Whether it was an accident, someone secretly tampering with it, or her own self-torture, it no longer matters now.
The important thing is that the child could not be kept after all.
Just as she expected.
"Empress, I think you can breathe a sigh of relief now." Chu Ruohan said lightly.
Gu Junze stroked her soft long hair and whispered, "The struggle in the harem has never stopped. Today it's Concubine Hui, tomorrow it might be Concubine Li or the Princess."
"As long as the queen can't give birth to a legitimate son, her position will never be secure."
Chu Ruohan didn't say anything else, just leaned against him quietly.
The world is never as peaceful and prosperous as it seems on the surface.
"I agree to the matter between Qin Fang and Yuling." After a long time, Chu Ruohan changed the subject with a hint of warmth in her voice.
"After Qin Fang recovers from his injury, we will arrange a wedding for them. It will also bring some joy to the mansion."
Gu Junze looked down at her and saw that the gloom between her brows had dissipated a lot, and the coldness in her eyes also softened.
"I'll do as you say." He kissed the top of her head gently, his tone doting, "Whatever you want, do as you wish."
On the other side, in Qin Fang's room.
Yuling pushed the door open with brisk steps, her face showing unconcealable joy and shyness.
Qin Fang had already woken up and was leaning against the head of the bed, his eyes fixed on the door. When he saw her come in, his dull eyes instantly lit up.
"Madam..." He spoke anxiously, his voice still hoarse.
Yuling walked to the bedside, put the handkerchief in her hand into the basin to soak it, wrung it dry, and then carefully wiped his cheeks and hands.
Her movements were gentle, with a soft smile on her face: "Madam, you agree."
These four simple words made Qin Fang freeze.
He stared at Yuling in a daze, as if he couldn't believe his ears.
Yuling felt a little embarrassed by his gaze. She lowered her eyes and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito: "Madam said that when your injury is healed, she will officiate our wedding... our wedding."
Huge joy came like a tide, instantly drowning Qin Fang.
His chest heaved violently, and his cheeks flushed abnormally with excitement.
He wanted to grab her hand, but found that he didn't even have the strength to lift his arm.
Yuling sensed his intention and took the initiative to place her hand over his bandaged hand.
"Don't move. The important thing is to take good care of your injuries." There was anger in her voice, but her eyes were full of tenderness.
Qin Fang grinned, revealing a silly smile, his eyes filled with the feeling of a lost treasure being recovered and infinite longing for the future.
"Yuling." He looked at her steadily and called her name solemnly.
"Um?"
"When I get better, I'll bring you home in a sedan chair."
Within two days, the news that Zhang Xian, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, committed suicide in prison out of fear of punishment spread throughout the capital.
For a time, the government and the public were shocked.
However, inside the Gu Mansion, the scene was completely different.
Chu Ruohan personally took care of the families of those who died in the caravan, ensuring that every penny of money was put to good use.
On the other hand, Qin Fang was injured and no one was in charge of all the affairs of the shop. The lost goods of the caravan also became a troublesome matter that needed to be dealt with urgently.
The atmosphere in the silk shop owned by Chu Ruohan was somewhat solemn.
Chu Ruohan sat in the main seat, with several deeds and an account book on the table in front of her.
Her expression was calm, her fingertips tapping lightly on the table, and her eyes swept calmly over the merchants sitting in the hall.
These people are the owners who entrust their goods to the caravan for transportation.
"My dear shopkeepers," Chu Ruohan's voice was cold and steady, breaking the silence in the room. "I believe you all know why I invited everyone here today."
"The incident at Black Wind Ridge was caused by the caravan's poor protection, which resulted in the loss of your goods. I would like to apologize to you all in advance."
She stood up and bowed slightly to everyone.
Several merchants quickly stood up to return the greeting. One of them, the older Shopkeeper Liu, was the first to speak: "Madam, you are so kind."
"This is a disaster that no one wanted. We trusted the Chu family and entrusted the goods to them. Now that something has gone wrong, I hope Madam can give us some advice."
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