Chapter 86: Ruthless
winter.
The warm sunlight became thin and precious, slanting through the branches and casting sparse shadows, as if filtered through a sieve, fragmented and warm.
In the warm room, Su Hui looked at the beautiful lady in a snow-white fox fur coat, with black hair and fair skin in amazement.
"Your Highness has only just finished your confinement, yet you've become even more radiant and charming than when you were in the boudoir. No wonder Grandmother always expresses her relief and admiration every time she returns from a visit to the palace, saying you've recovered wonderfully. She found those precious supplements for you, which are completely useless in your Yufu Palace."
"It's been nearly two months. I've been soaking in those supplements and skincare products every day. Anyone would have to come out looking pretty."
Su Ci raised her eyebrows and smiled: "But which of us women doesn't want to keep our beauty forever? It's worth being bored for more than a month."
"I'm not complimenting you, but my husband said you have a good foundation. He also said he's been practicing medicine for many years and has never seen anyone with a body as clean and healthy as yours."
Su Hui smiled with emotion and said, "When you were about to give birth, I still feel scared when I think about it now. Fortunately, God has blessed me, and Your Majesty and His Highness the Second Prince have been blessed with great fortune. We were able to overcome that false alarm, and everything has been smooth sailing since then."
Although the news of Concubine Shu being poisoned was not spread, the sudden deaths of the deposed empress and Sun Xiuyi, as well as the quick deaths of many people in the capital, were enough to show the emperor's anger.
"Second sister is pregnant, don't think about the past anymore, just take good care of her."
Su Ci smiled soothingly, "Speaking of which, I have to praise my second brother-in-law again. He is talented, handsome, and well-behaved. Most importantly, he treats his wife and children very well. He doesn't have any concubines, and you won't find another one like him in this entire capital."
Su Hui looked down shyly, gently stroking her slightly bulging belly.
"He's a very nice person, but he's a little dull..."
"Is it bad to be depressed?"
Su Ci laughed: "I'm a dull person, so I don't like going out for social events. I go home to be with you every day after leaving the Imperial Hospital. Look, you're already pregnant with your third child. I think fourth or fifth child won't be enough. I have to prepare more gifts for the children in advance."
"…My Lady, please stop talking about this…"
Su Hui blushed with shame, twisting her handkerchief and quickly changing the subject: "There is news about what the Empress asked me to inquire about before."
Su Ci stopped teasing her: "Let me guess, my aunt and her family came to the capital secretly without telling my grandfather, right?"
"Your Majesty knows?"
Su Hui nodded in surprise. "Uncle Lin's letter said that we should ask our parents to find them and send them back immediately. We must not be soft-hearted and let them stay."
"My uncle is a truly kind-hearted person, and he loves his sister, my mother, very much."
Su Ci frowned slightly. "I know my mother has always been thinking about her family. She sent the Lin family back to their hometown for my sake. She loves me, and I love her too. So I thought about bringing the Lin family to Beijing after the New Year to settle them down so that my mother can spend more time with her family."
"But my aunt can't do that. Her husband's family is even more greedy and shameless. I don't know how many benefits they took from my maternal grandfather's family in the early years. Ever since they learned that my mother became the main wife of the Su family and I entered the palace as a concubine, the Miao family has been encouraging my aunt to come to the capital to curry favor with them."
"yes."
Su Hui sighed, "Ever since we sent the Lin family away, my mother has been wearing the silver bracelet my grandmother gave her. My father also told me that my mother often stares at the bracelet in a daze. I guess she's worried about her parents getting old, but they're so far away that they can't see them all the time."
"But the Miao family is such a mean-spirited bunch. They haven't even entered the capital yet, but they're already talking nonsense on the way. They're either dragging the Su family into the relationship or using your status to talk nonsense. We absolutely cannot let them enter the capital. I think it's best to let my brother handle it. You'd better not show up, lest your reputation be tarnished."
"Not really, it's just a Miao family."
Su Ci took a sip of tea, her expression calm. "The power and status our Su family holds today wasn't blown by the wind. It was built step by step by our father and brothers. We absolutely cannot let such a shameless villain take control of us."
"Besides, the entire capital is watching the Su family and me, eager to find faults. The arrival of the Miao family will undoubtedly make them perfect pawns to be snatched away."
Su Hui was a little dazed.
It is true that power and wealth can support people. Now, just a glance from the fourth sister can reveal the majesty of a superior.
"Then, what does your Majesty want to do?"
Su Ci smiled and said, "Tell my brother, when dealing with these hooligans, don't use any flowery moral principles. They won't understand and won't listen. Just deal with them on the road and don't give them the opportunity to enter the capital."
"…What?"
Su Hui's pupils tightened slightly: "Madam, are you saying, kill them all? But my brother is, he's an official..."
"Second sister, be careful with your words. What does this have to do with your brother?"
Su Ci smiled innocently: "It's a long journey, and if you're unlucky, you might run into some bandits, gangsters, hooligans, or something, and lose everything you own. Isn't that a common thing?"
“…”
Su Hui swallowed her saliva: "Then, what about Aunt Lin..."
"If she didn't have this intention, she wouldn't have helped the Miao family secretly come to the capital. Ultimately, it's all her own fault."
Su Ci raised her eyes and said, "Brother has always been thoughtful in his work, and I am relieved. After the New Year, I will have to trouble him to help take the Lin family to Beijing for resettlement."
"…good."
Su Hui understood: "My Lady, there is one more thing. The eldest sister in the Earl's Mansion is seriously ill."
"oh."
Su Ci was not surprised at all: "That's a pity, Second Sister, this is the milk cream made by the imperial kitchen, it's better than the one made by Yanyu, you should try it."
“…Thank you, my lady.”
Outside the palace gate.
Duan Jingwen helped his wife into the carriage: "What's wrong? You seem absent-minded, but are you feeling unwell?"
"No…"
Su Hui exhaled and turned to look at the majestic palace gates. "I just talked with the queen about some old times when we were in the boudoir, and I felt a little emotional."
What the fourth sister meant just now was that apart from her and her brother, no one else needed to know the truth about the Miao family's affairs.
It's so brutal and ruthless that it's frightening.
The innocent and carefree little girl who once lived in the Su family's backyard seemed to have disappeared without a trace.
——
It's the end-of-year palace banquet again.
A lot of good things happened this year. The rebel king and his gang were all brought to justice, the Yuezhou army returned, and we won victory after victory at the border. Most importantly, the royal family also had a new member.
Naturally, no one mentions bad things to avoid bad luck.
The hottest topic at the banquet was naturally the lucky little second prince.
But the little prince was not yet three months old, so he naturally could not be brought out to see people. Everyone could only come forward to congratulate the empress dowager, whose face was beaming, and listen to stories about how clever and lovable the little prince was.
Xuan Yi fulfilled his promise and had a drink with Xuan Chen.
"Achen, can you please tell me which girl you like now? I can then grant you the marriage as soon as possible."
"Haha, my royal brother is even more anxious than me."
Now that Xuanchen has avenged his great hatred, he feels as if a heavy burden has been lifted off his shoulders. His face, which used to be so gentle and gloomy, now looks brighter and clearer.
"The person I like is not a lady from a wealthy family, but just an ordinary peasant girl. Your Majesty, the marriage you have granted me would be too grand and might frighten her. I beg your Majesty to grant me permission to marry her quietly."
Xuan Yi paused, then smiled and nodded.
"Since it is your wish, I will not force you. Anyway, the reward you received for quelling the war in Yuezhou this time is enough for you to pay the betrothal gift."
"Haha, then I have to thank you for your generous reward, my royal brother. Come, I'll toast you another glass!"
"Come!"
At this moment, in the side hall, Su Ci looked at the person kneeling in front of her in surprise.
"Why did you enter the palace?"
…
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