Chapter 221
Zhao Youchen's face was dark and gloomy. He slowly approached the high wall, his whole body tense, which frightened the two imperial guards who turned around so much that their legs trembled.
"Commander-in-Chief..."
Zhao Youchen looked down at them, noticing the wounds on their foreheads and the streaks of blood on their faces, but he showed no sympathy for them whatsoever.
"Do you know what mistake you've made?" His voice was as cold as ice, as if it came from the deepest, darkest hell.
Xiao Qing was a little surprised.
She had never heard Zhao Youchen speak in such a voice and tone before. Even from behind, she could imagine how angry he was and how terrifying his expression must be.
The two people sat pitifully against the wall, wishing they could embed themselves into it. Their faces were covered in blood, a testament to fear and anxiety.
Zhao Youchen grabbed them by the collar and lifted them up, almost gritting his teeth as he said, "You audacious bastards, do you want your tongues or your heads?"
"Please spare me, Commander-in-Chief! Please spare me, Commander-in-Chief!"
"Is this how you learned the rules of the Imperial Guards?"
"Commander-in-Chief..."
"You, go and call Vice Commander Li over now, and have him bring four men with him."
He pushed someone away.
"As for you, slap yourself forty times first. If you dare to go easy on me, I won't mind helping you out."
The man was so frightened that he knelt down on the ground with a thud.
"I, I...my uncle is..."
Zhao Youchen kicked him, sending him flying against the wall.
"I'm telling you to slap yourself. I didn't ask who your uncle is!" His voice became even more terrifying.
In the past, Xiao Qing would probably have gone out and told Zhao Youchen not to be so barbaric.
But now...
She watched as another Imperial Guard stumbled past, then waved to Ma Hong, and the two of them left silently.
I heard that Zhao Youchen is actually very good to his subordinates. In the Imperial Guard, he eats and sleeps with ordinary soldiers. His house in Nanhua City is like a haunted house, and he rarely goes back to it throughout the year.
However, he was extremely strict in terms of discipline, applying the same rules he used on the battlefield. If anyone violated military regulations, he would become an extremely harsh person.
During the years he commanded the Imperial Guards, Nanhua Palace could almost be described as "impregnable," and this was not without reason.
After returning to Chengde Palace, Xiao Qing looked at her hands over and over, her brows gradually furrowing and then slowly relaxing.
Ma Hong and Mingxiu exchanged glances, both wondering what was going on.
The sun was setting in the west; it was dusk.
After having dinner, Xiao Qing understood.
Xiao Yan stood on the pavilion of Chengguang Palace, looking in the direction of Chengde Palace. The cold wind blew through his slightly loose sleeves, and his wrists, which he casually placed on the railing, were slightly red.
Dan Ying couldn't bear it, so she whispered, "Your Highness, it's cold here, you should go back."
Xiao Yan said calmly, "What's a little bit of cold?"
He has tasted colder flavors, so he knows the value of warmth all the more.
Some people, despite being in a warm and welcoming place, simply don't appreciate it.
Then let's just give it to him.
"Let's go." He turned around and slowly walked down the stairs, feeling the shadows in the stairwell gradually engulf him, and then slowly raised the corners of his mouth.
The next day, Xiao Qing took Ma Hong to see Wang Yu.
Wang Yu lay on the bed with a splint on her back. When she saw her, she blinked pitifully, but also exuded a... well, perhaps what could be called "gentle charm".
Xiao Qing felt that she was utterly incapable of appreciating it.
She said a few words of comfort to Wang Yu, telling her to take good care of her injuries, and stayed there for about fifteen minutes before leaving.
After that, she went to see Fu Lanzhu.
Fu Lanzhu seemed somewhat surprised, but still greeted Xiao Qing respectfully.
I heard that Fu Lanzhu and Fu Mingyi's sister look quite alike.
Xiao Qing looked at it carefully this time and felt that Fu Lanzhu actually resembled Fu Mingyi in some ways.
Fu Mingyi was born with exceptionally good looks. Although he was a man, he did not have the appearance of a burly man. Instead, he exuded a noble and elegant demeanor.
Now that she has seen Fu Lanzhu and thought of Fu Mingyi, she can imagine just how elegant and beautiful Fu Mingyi's sister, the former imperial concubine, must have been.
However, Fu Lanzhu was not even as interesting as Wang Yu.
She was a woman deeply bound by traditional etiquette; every word and action conveyed a sense of propriety and restraint, making her seem somewhat dull.
This is different from Fu Mingyi's personality.
I feel that Fu Mingyi is the kind of person who appears to be polite and courteous on the surface, but in reality, he probably doesn't care much about these things.
Otherwise, how could he be so audacious as to place her in this position and actually let her choose a concubine?
A truly conservative and traditional person wouldn't do something like this.
So sometimes when Zhao Youchen called Fu Mingyi an old-fashioned person, she didn't really agree with it.
Xiao Qing satisfied his curiosity, then said goodbye to Fu Lanzhu and went to see Chu Lianzhou.
After what happened to Wang Yu, many people in the palace were secretly gossiping about it, and the name "Chu Lianzhou" appeared quite often in their conversations.
She just wanted to see what Chu Lianzhou was doing.
It was quite a coincidence.
Chu Lianzhou's residence in Zhongling Palace was not as luxurious as that of Wang Yu and Fu Lanzhu. Her small courtyard originally housed four concubines, but they were served by only four maids.
However, because Xiao Qing had dismissed some people, only fifteen remained in Zhongling Palace. Therefore, Chu Lianzhou's small courtyard was now occupied only by her and another concubine. However, the four palace maids were still there.
When Xiao Qing arrived with Ma Hong, two palace maids, who did not need to serve their master, were chatting in the courtyard while doing their daily cleaning work.
"That Lady Chu is so dull; her face is always covered with ice. I really don't know what His Majesty likes about her..."
"Yes, I heard that His Majesty had her stay at Chengde Palace for quite a while before, but I don't know if it was her..."
Ma Hong's face immediately darkened.
These damned lackeys, how dare they gossip about their master like this in private, and even...
Seeing that he wanted to walk over, Xiao Qing reached out and stopped him.
Ma Hong snapped out of his daze, "Your Majesty..."
Xiao Qingqing coughed, startling the two palace maids who turned around. Upon seeing that it was the Emperor with Chief Eunuch Ma, their expressions changed drastically. Then, without anyone noticing who started it, the two knelt down one after the other, hurriedly saying, "Your Majesty! Chief Eunuch Ma!"
Xiao Qing said calmly, "Ma Hong, see if Chu Liangren is here."
A palace maid secretly looked up at Xiao Qing and saw that she was looking at her with an indifferent expression, which was quite different from her usual kind demeanor. She became nervous and bumped her head on the ground.
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