Chapter 27: Coercion "You and Princess Pingyang are actually husband and wife...
"'he'?"
Chen Jin quickly reviewed the topic they had just discussed, but couldn't find the person he was referring to. He scratched his head and asked, "Who?"
In the dream, He Jiuyue had no scruples and called Wen Zheliu by mixing his name and courtesy name. In reality, facing the unromantic Chen Jin, she felt homesick and found it difficult to speak. She hesitated for a long time before she finally said her name.
"...hearing the breaking of willows."
"Oh, Master Wen," Chen Jin grinned, "He's still the same."
"'Same old'?"
This time it was He Jiuyue's turn to not understand.
Because she didn't want others to notice how much she valued Wen Zheliu, she was very careful about how often she mentioned Wen Zheliu to outsiders. This was clearly the first time she mentioned him since leaving the capital, so where did the "old ways" come from?
"What's the same?"
"She was imprisoned in the harem and kept as a pet. It can't be called good, but it's not that bad either."
When Emperor Jingming was mentioned, He Jiuyue's mind came back to the pair of obscene eyes of Emperor Jingming before she led her army away.
"Did He Feng do anything wrong to him?" Seeing Chen Jin shake his head, He Jiuyue relaxed for a moment, but then recalled Wen Zheliu's pale face, and her heart tightened again. "So, how is he doing?"
"She said she'd just arrived in the palace and wasn't used to the food yet. She wasn't eating much, stayed indoors the whole time, and didn't talk much... But with Wuyang taking care of her, she shouldn't be in any trouble."
Wen Zheliu has always been cautious. Whenever he arrives in a new environment, it always takes him a long time to adapt.
When she was young, she went to a temple outside Beijing to pray for blessings. She was accidentally delayed on the way and stayed in the same room with him. She deliberately left the soft couch for him and spread a mat with grass underneath. She stayed like this all night on the hot summer night.
She had a decent rest, but Wen Zheliu had not slept all night. The next day, her steps were unsteady and her eyes were purple, as if she had been punched several times and stained with thick ink.
It's so pitiful.
On the way back, he leaned on her shoulder to rest for a while, but still felt dizzy. He had to wait for her to stretch out her hand to massage his solar plexus. She massaged until her knuckles were sore, and then he breathed into her ear to thank her.
His "thank you" and the faint cold fragrance beside him made her feel weak all over.
It was also because she felt sorry for Wen Zheliu that she placed him in a side hall as soon as he arrived at the Princess's Mansion half a month ago.
In the past, when he came to the Princess's Mansion, the side hall was where he stayed most often. Except for his clothes, all the furnishings were familiar to him.
He had never been to the deep palace, and what was even more unfortunate was that he was blind.
Wen Zheliu would not allow himself to lose consciousness without thoroughly understanding his surroundings, but his poor health and lack of sleep made it even more difficult for him to recuperate.
Xingyun, who was sitting on the seat, noticed that He Jiuyue was irritable. He raised his head, flicked his tail, and neighed softly, as if to comfort her. He Jiuyue reached out and smoothed his mane, asking him to calm down. "How's his eyes? Maybe he can see something?"
"I asked before, but Wu Yang didn't reply."
Seeing He Jiyue frowning slightly, Chen Jin swallowed his saliva and added carefully: "There should be some progress."
"he……"
He Jiuyue opened her mouth and subconsciously wanted to ask about something related to Wen Zheliu. When the words came to her lips, she didn't know what to ask specifically, so she pursed her lips and just said.
"Well, I understand. Go ahead."
"You value Wen Zheliu so much, do you need me to send someone to sneak into the palace to meet you? Although we have spies in the palace, we don't have any in Changle Palace. What if something happens there and it doesn't get out for a while..."
"That makes sense, but rashly placing people there might alert the enemy."
He Jiyue pondered for a moment and said, "Let me write a letter to the nun and ask her to say something. She has great reputation and wants to go to the palace to see Wen Zheliu. It will be difficult for He Feng to refuse."
Chen Jin nodded repeatedly: "The princess is smart."
Master He Jiuyue's daughter Dongfang Lan has extremely high attainments in martial arts, but she is too obsessed with martial arts and only teaches kung fu to those with talent, regardless of their background and gender. She also wanders between the Central Plains and Xiyue, two countries that have been ravaged by war several times, and has no clear position.
He only stayed in the Central Plains temporarily at the invitation of Emperor Jingming, who was very concerned about his reputation.
The spies planted for security at that time were not noticed. Most of the people deployed by He Jiuyue were of humble status and did the lowest level of work. If the Wen Zheliu incident happened suddenly, they would have no say.
Emperor Jingming owes Dongfang Lan a debt, so he doesn't want to offend her. Dongfang Lan has always been kind-hearted, so it would be great if she was willing to protect him.
The snow is light in southern Xinjiang, but it is covered with snow in the capital.
Wen Zheliu fainted yesterday and slept for most of the day. He didn't even know that Wu Yang came for a routine check-up.
At this moment, the morning wind blew, carrying the noise from outside, and blew across his face. He suddenly woke up from his drowsiness. He touched his forehead with his soft hand, which was covered with sticky cold sweat.
Vaguely aware of the light in front of him, he pretended to ask Xiaobai the time before nodding.
"It's already morning. I've slept for so long, but even in the morning a few days ago, there wasn't this much noise. Why is it so bustling outside today?"
"The Spring Festival is coming soon, and the palace is busy decorating. The rows of red palace lanterns are so beautiful!"
Xiaobai helped Wen Zheliu down from the couch and found that his inner clothes were wet. He wanted to ask something, but seeing that Wen Zheliu looked indifferent, he didn't dare to ask. He just talked excitedly for a long time before realizing that the handsome man in front of him with a cold expression could not see anything.
Xiaobai quickly fell silent: "I'm sorry, I forgot you couldn't see and touched upon your sorrow."
"No problem."
Wen Zheliu Palace was deserted and he felt depressed, but when he listened to the lively sounds outside, he felt relieved and no longer so lonely.
This fresh breath is exactly what he is missing and searching for.
"Help me out and take a look."
After changing into clean clothes and washing up, Wen Zheliu put his hand on Xiaobai's arm and was about to leave Changle Palace, so that he could hear the cheerful voice more clearly.
It’s not really about “seeing”, as he couldn’t see anything with his eyes, but he just wanted to feel the festive atmosphere.
With Xiaobai's support, Wen Zheliu reached the palace gate in just three or two steps without bumping into anything. He counted his steps in his mind and was about to wait for Xiaobai to say "lift your foot" to cross the threshold when he suddenly heard Xiaobai timidly say, "Your Majesty."
In the entire Central Plains, the only person who could be called "Your Majesty" was Emperor Jingming He Feng.
But at this time, she should have just finished the court meeting and wanted to stay with the ministers to discuss matters, so why would she come to the harem?
Why did he come to his Changle Palace specifically? What was his intention?
"Greetings to Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live forever." Wen Zheliu calmed himself down and deliberately turned a few inches to the south before greeting.
"Still can't see?"
Emperor Jingming waved his hand in front of Wen Zheliu's eyes, but he didn't move. He raised his head slightly and gestured for Xiaobai to take him inside. "The wind is so strong, and you are weak. You shouldn't come out."
Realizing that he was being taken back, Wen Zheliu released his hand from Xiaobai.
"Your Majesty, I appreciate your kindness, but I can't stay here any longer because it's stuffy. I'd like to get some fresh air before returning."
"Take him in." Emperor Jingming patiently allowed him to finish his words, but he didn't take his thoughts to heart at all. He just smiled and ordered Xiaobai.
Wen Zheliu was not too sad that his ideas were ignored.
After all, he is just a bargaining chip for Emperor Jingming.
With both sides vying for control on the chessboard, who really cares about the chess pieces' inner voices? "Xiaobai, what are you doing standing there? Is your leg lame?" Wen Zheliu and Emperor Jingming were at odds, leaving Xiaobai bewildered, unsure who to listen to. Then, Emperor Jingming threatened, "He's caught a cold. Can you afford to delay him?"
"Yes, I'll help Master Wen into the house right away!" Xiaobai turned around and helped Wen Zheliu up, whispering an apology to him, "Master Wen, I'm sorry."
"No problem."
Wen Zheliu didn't blame him much.
After all, Xiaobai is Emperor Jingming's man, so he should listen to Emperor Jingming's words. He is already very satisfied that Xiaobai can be a little bit biased towards him.
But Emperor Jingming was, after all, a shrewd and calculating fox, and he would not show his emotions on his face.
She hurriedly ordered Xiaobai to drag him into the house. This was inconsistent with her usual style and there must be something fishy going on.
Moreover, since Emperor Jingming entered the palace, he would just exchange a few words of greeting and leave every day. Today, he urged him to come in, which clearly showed that he had something to say to him. What was her purpose in coming here this time?
Mostly it has something to do with Wuhuan.
The person who came had bad intentions, and there was no one around who could help, so he had to be careful with his words and actions.
"Are you accustomed to living in Changle Palace?" The two sat down, and Emperor Jingming started the greetings first. However, her tone was a little faster than usual, like the calm before the storm. "If you need anything, please tell me."
"My minister is used to living here and lacks nothing."
Knowing that Emperor Jingming was about to cause trouble, Wen Zheliu was mentally prepared, but he still couldn't stop his stomach from tightening.
I haven't eaten for a long time and my stomach is empty and painful.
He slowly moved his palm to his abdomen, trying to cover his icy lower abdomen with the warmth of his hand, but he was frozen by his cold hand again. He took a few breaths before asking the next question.
"I wonder what brings your Majesty here?"
Emperor Jingming cleared his throat and said, "I have something to ask you about Princess Pingyang."
"Just ask."
Su Bai's fingertips rubbed back and forth on the slightly aching abdomen. Wen Zheliu unnoticeably gathered his sleeves and covered his abdomen with them.
It really is related to Wuhuan.
"Are you and her actually husband and wife?"
Hearing the willow being broken, my heart ached.
Oops, why is this?
He had expected that what Emperor Jingming asked would be related to Wuhuan, but he really didn't expect that it would be related to him.
This is really hard to answer.
If he answered "yes", there was a possibility that she was pregnant with He Jiuyue's child. Given Emperor Jingming's habit of making wild guesses, he would definitely get to the bottom of it.
It's still early in the pregnancy and not noticeable on the surface. As long as Wu Yang cooperates and keeps it a secret, nothing will necessarily happen. But as long as she's pregnant, her belly will get bigger day by day until it becomes impossible to conceal.
Emperor Jingming wanted to investigate again, but truth will come to light sooner or later.
But he gritted his teeth and answered "no", which didn't seem to be very smart.
To find out whether he has been touched by a woman, you can check the toad blood on his forearm.
This job can be done by anyone who can see clearly. There is no need for Wu Yang to do it, and it cannot be forged for the time being. Since he cannot hide it from Emperor Jingming, why should he commit the crime of deceiving the emperor?
“Yes.”
"If she really did touch you, I just sent someone to check on Xiaoqing, and the empress's blood is still on his arm... Zheliu, do you mind if I take a look at your empress's blood?"
This won't work.
Every inch of his skin belongs to He Jiuyue. How can he show it to others without her permission?
"mind."
Emperor Jingming had stretched out his hand, and was about to lift Wen Zheliu's sleeve, but when he suddenly heard his refusal, he became furious.
He Jiuyue has tens of thousands of elite soldiers at her disposal, so it's fine if you go against her. But Wen Zheliu has no relatives and is just a fish on the chopping board for her to slaughter. How dare he disobey her orders?
"All men in the world belong to me. If I want you right now, what can you do?"
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The author has something to say: I'm sorry, babies. I was a little stuck today and was an hour late. I will definitely be on time tomorrow. Please forgive me this time. [burst into tears]
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