Chapter 040 Chapter 40
Chapter 40
New Year's Palace Banquet.
Ruan Yun did not use the ceremonial guard but walked to Qingxuan Palace by herself. There were many people there tonight and she was afraid that the same thing as last time would happen again, so she asked Han Tao to keep a close eye on Ruiyu Pavilion to prevent anyone from taking the opportunity to sneak in.
The palace maid brought Ruan Yun to her seat. The emperor and empress at the top had not arrived yet, but the rest of the concubines and princes and ministers had almost all arrived.
Concubine Shu was very active, walking slowly in a purple palace dress with a pattern of peonies and mother-of-pearl inlays and butterflies playing on them.
Ruan Yun was just sitting there quietly talking with Ying Ning and Ting Xu, but when Concubine Shu passed by Ruan Yun's desk, she stroked the gold and silver pendant and jade hairpin on her head and said, "Ms. Ying is dressed very simply."
Ruan Yun naturally didn't want to be the target of criticism at today's palace banquet. Moreover, she never liked overly bright colors and always dressed like this. But when it came from Concubine Shu's mouth, it seemed to have another meaning.
She bowed slightly, and the earrings on her earlobes swayed, making Ruan Yun look particularly smart. Her almond-shaped eyes were filled with innocence as she said, "Your Highness is wearing such a gorgeous dress, could it be that you are attracted to my concubine?"
Concubine Shu has long known that Ruan Yun is a sharp-tongued woman, but she just won't give up. In terms of appearance and family background, she is not inferior to Ruan Yun in any way. But the emperor is now increasingly partial to this lowly maid. How can a lowly woman who climbed to the top by climbing into the emperor's bed be qualified to be on par with her sisters and snatch away the emperor's favor?
"If Lady Ying thinks it's good, just keep it for yourself." Concubine Shu lowered her head and said with a sarcastic smile on her lips.
After looking Ruan Yun up and down, Concubine Shu reluctantly moved away and said, "It's just that being so plain and simple may bring shame to the royal family. But it's okay if Yingcai doesn't know."
Wen Yunu wanted to talk to Ruan Yun, but she didn't want to hear Concubine Shu mocking Ruan Yun. She endured for a long time, but finally didn't go forward. She waited until Concubine Shu left, then walked to Ruan Yun's side and said, "Sister, don't listen to Concubine Shu's words."
Ruan Jun glanced sideways at Wen Yunu, with a hint of surprise in her eyes.
When she first entered the palace, Wen Yunu was dressed simply but still glamorous. At that time, newcomers to the palace had to avoid the spotlight, so why is her dress so plain and simple now?
Ruan Yun thought about it, then went to Wen Yunu's side and asked, "But the Ministry of Eunuchs has deducted your share?"
People in the palace always flatter the powerful and bully the weak. Although Eunuch Deng never does such a thing, there are so many people in the eunuch department that there is no guarantee that there will not be people who will deduct the concubines' share for the sake of a little benefit and make some money.
Wen Yunu tightened the handkerchief in her hand, lowered her head and looked at the plain silver satin she was wearing, and said, "No, it's just that I rarely have clothes of this color. When I went to get my allotment this month, I asked someone to help me pick out this material."
It's good that she doesn't have it. If she did, she would be just a small talent now. Everyone in Ruiyu Pavilion still has to rely on her. There really is not much left for Wen Yunu.
Before the two of them could say anything, the eunuch announced that the Emperor and Empress had arrived together.
Everyone stood up and saluted. Ruan Jun was helped to kneel down. She lowered her head and did not look around. It was because of this that she ignored the indifferent glance that Yan Shiyu gave her.
Walking up the jade steps, Yan Shiyu said in a deep voice: "Everyone, get up."
The sound of stringed instruments was lingering in the ears. Although the food from the New Year's palace banquet was delicious, it had been left out for too long and had lost its original flavor. Fortunately, Yingning had made preparations and prepared pastries for Ruan Yun in advance to fill her stomach.
Lychee wine has been stored since the summer, and now is the time to drink it. Every year, only a few dozen lychees are shipped to the capital. The Empress was very generous and took out her own share of lychees to have wine made, which was just enough for the New Year's palace banquet.
Since the Empress did the same, the other concubines who were given lychees naturally had to give some out as well.
Yu Ronghua was working in Hanyu Palace at that time, so she naturally did not get any share. However, Concubine Shu scolded her for many days and nights because of this matter.
Ruan Yun didn't care about that. She lifted the wine cup and gulped it down. The sweetness of lychees mixed with the aroma of wine burst in her mouth. However, she couldn't help shivering because it was cold wine.
However, the fragrance lingered on her lips and teeth, Yingning quickly poured another cup for Ruan Yun, and whispered: "My lady, don't drink too much, this wine is very strong."
Ruan Yun nodded and whispered, "Don't worry, I can drink a lot."
I just don't know if it's still as good as before after not having it for so many years.
Although she said so, Yingning was still very worried. Seeing the young lady drink two cups in one breath, she gently held her hand, which made Ruan Jun stop for a while.
Yan Shiyu's dark eyes fell on Ruan Yun. Seeing her gushing down two cups of cold wine without hesitation, his eyes darkened. "Go and replace her wine."
Wei Maoyuan followed the emperor's line of sight, led his men to Ruan Yun's back, and whispered, "My lady, the emperor asked me to change your clothes for you."
Ruan Yun looked at Yan Shiyu in surprise. She didn't expect that the emperor would notice this about her under such circumstances.
"What?" Ruan Jun felt that it was nothing good.
Wei Maoyuan placed the basil drink on Ruan Yun's chest and said with a flattering smile, "The emperor was afraid that your old illness would relapse if you drank cold wine, so he asked me to change the basil drink for you."
Ruan Yun wrinkled her face instantly. Perilla drink only uses perilla that has been steamed, and nothing else. It is so bitter that it is hard to drink it.
Wei Maoyuan had already brought people to take away the lychee wine in front of Ruan Jun, and he felt like crying when he looked at Ruan Jun.
Yingning poured the basil drink into another wine glass. Ruan Jun held her breath and drank it in one gulp. She felt her lips and tongue were numb from the bitterness.
Looking up at the emperor with a wronged look in her eyes, Ruan Yun's eyes were filled with tears, and she was particularly attracted by the lychee wine in front of the emperor.
Yan Shiyu ignored Ruan Jun and just looked away expressionlessly. However, in the depths of his dark eyes, there was an imperceptible smile.
Both the Empress and Concubine Shu saw this scene. The Empress remained magnanimous and gentle, but Concubine Shu was not so indifferent. If she had not thought of the court officials who were still there, she would have collapsed long ago.
"Sister Ying seems to be dissatisfied with the basil drink." Concubine Shu said this slowly, holding the wine cup to toast the emperor, "The Queen's suggestion is indeed very good."
Yan Shiyu also picked up the wine cup and said in a clear voice: "She is still young, it is normal for her to be unhappy."
A hint of desolation flashed across Concubine Shu's face, but she quickly suppressed it, "Yes."
Ruan Yun had been unhappy since she switched to the basil drink. Ting Xu was teasing her and said, "You can do whatever you want when we return to the palace."
"This is a happy event." Ruan Jun said with some energy.
As she looked around with her almond-shaped eyes, she accidentally made brief eye contact with Young Prince Yu.
Young Prince Yu was not at all embarrassed when he was caught. He just naturally looked away, as if he didn't notice Ruan Jun at all.
Today, only Young Master Yu came to the Duke Dingguo's Mansion. He has not yet married, and the seat next to him is empty.
Ruan Jun hurriedly moved away. When Young Master Yu looked at her, his eyes were somewhat aggressive, but there was also a hint of indelible sadness.
She probably... doesn't know the honorary young prince.
Ruan Yun inadvertently picked up the basil drink on the table. Before Ying Ning could remind her from behind, she saw the young lady drink it in one gulp. The bitter taste spread between her lips and teeth, and Ruan Yun's whole face was all mixed up.
After coughing twice, Ruan Jun unconsciously looked towards Yan Shiyu who was in a high position. However, she was instantly aware of his deep black eyes and felt her heart beating violently.
She lowered her head and dared not look at Young Master Yu again, let alone Yan Shiyu. However, she was somewhat innocent in this matter. It was Young Master Yu who insisted on doing so. What could she do?
After the palace banquet was finally over, the emperor and empress led everyone to watch the grand fireworks outside the Qingxuan Palace.
Ruan Yun fell behind, and Zhou Xuanshi, who was standing next to her, bumped into her without any courtesy.
Yingning and Tingxu were about to stop breathing, but luckily they held on to Ruan Yun. There were stone stairs several meters high in front of them. If they really fell down, they would be skinned alive even if they didn't die.
Her eyes gradually became calm and filled with anger, and Concubine Zhou immediately said pitifully, "Sister Ying, please forgive me. I didn't mean to do that. I just didn't stand firmly."
There were too many people just now, let alone Ruan Yun, even Yingning and Tingxu couldn't see clearly whether Xuanshi Zhou was interested.
Wen Yunu, who was standing on the other side of Concubine Zhou, said angrily, "Concubine Zhou is so easy to say. If my sister fell, you could have solved it by saying that it was not intentional?"
Concubine Zhou was about to be scolded to tears. Ruan Jun looked at the emperor and empress standing in front of her. Their dark court robes were rolled up in one place. The empress smiled softly from time to time. Although Yan Shiyu's jaw was sharp, it also carried a sense of gentleness and warmth.
Ruan Yun suppressed the anger in her heart. If she lost her temper at this moment, she might disturb the Emperor and the Empress. Now the princes and ministers were all here, and members of the royal family had also come to the banquet. If she got angry because of these things, wouldn't she lose face?
"Be careful in the future." Ruan Jun said in a cold voice, unwilling to even look at Concubine Zhou.
Zhou Xuanshi wiped away the non-existent tears from her eyes, and Wen Yunu whispered, "Zhou Xuanshi was just pretending, sister shouldn't have let her go."
Ruan Yun shook her head and said, "Now is not the time."
As soon as he finished speaking, fireworks suddenly burst out from the sky. Large balls of dazzling and colorful fireworks filled the sky of Shangjing. The colorful lights fell into everyone's eyes. The dark sky was dyed with different colors by the fireworks. Everyone looked up, and Ruan Yun was no exception.
Last year, she was just a little maid in the flower room. She and Tingxu saw the most gorgeous fireworks in the world through the palace wall of the flower room. At that time, she thought she could save enough money to leave the palace before she was 25 years old and return to Qingzhou to live a good life. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, she became the emperor's concubine.
But things have come to this, and she doesn't want it to stop here.
The fireworks in the sky had just finished being set off when Ruan Jun bent down and prepared to step back to make way for the Emperor and Empress. Perhaps because of the large crowd, someone accidentally stepped on her cloak, causing her to fall forward uncontrollably.
Before she could react, Ji Xuanshi suddenly appeared before her.
Ruan Jun fell to one side subconsciously. No matter what, she couldn't fall on Ji Xuanshi today.
The expected pain did not appear. Ruan Jun was held tightly by someone. She looked up in shock and saw Yan Shiyu holding her arm and using his body to block the force for her.
There were stone steps behind her. If she hadn't stood steadily, she might have fallen down.
"Your Majesty!" All the concubines were panicked, and Concubine Shu was the first to run to Yan Shiyu with red eyes.
Everyone could see clearly that the emperor had clearly ignored himself and directly protected Ying Cairen. If Ying Cairen had been more powerful, the consequences would have been...
Kneeling down in front of Yan Shiyu, Ruan Yun said with a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, please forgive me."
Wei Maoyuan had already come forward with the eunuchs and wanted to check if the emperor was injured, but was avoided by Yan Shiyu.
When he saw it at that time, he did not think much about it. He just felt that he could not let her fall like this, otherwise she, such a delicate girl, would be in great pain and discomfort.
But now she knelt before him, saying without a word that she was just afraid of being punished.
He suddenly had a strange feeling in his heart, which he had never had in all his years as king.
"I'm fine." Yan Shiyu said in a deep voice.
When he walked in front of Ruan Jun, all he could see in Ruan Jun's eyes was the dragon claws stretched out on the emperor's black dragon robe.
He leaned over and pulled Ruan Jun up, holding her soft hand in his hand. Ruan Jun called him fearfully, "Your Majesty."
Her chest was heaving violently, and the more she thought about it, the more scared she became.
There was a hint of water in her almond-shaped eyes, and her shoulders were shaking so hard that her black hair was trembling constantly. The tip of her nose was not sure if it was because it was cold or because she was too afraid of Hong, but the shaking of her jade hairpin made her hair bun a little loose.
The emperor's behavior just now was indeed beyond Ruan Yun's expectations. At that moment, she inexplicably had different feelings in her heart, but soon the farce in front of her made her fingertips dig into the palm of her hand, and she quickly came to her senses. If she couldn't find out who it was, the crime of murdering the emperor today would be pinned on her.
All the officials are here, and the emperor will not go against everyone in the court just because of her.
Tears fell down, Ruan Yun sobbed and said, "No...no, I didn't...I didn't do it."
Yan Shiyu's dark eyes were fixed on Ruan Jun at this moment. The fake and flattering expression on her face was no longer there. It was filled with fear.
"My lady! My lady, what's wrong with you?"
Suddenly a voice was heard and everyone looked towards Ji Xuanshi. Yicui supported Ji Xuanshi but saw that Ji Xuanshi had lost consciousness and was falling down.
The Queen saw clearly that there were bloodstains on Ji Xuanshi's clothes.
Ruan Jun was still crying as she pushed Yan Shiyu and said, "Your Majesty, please go and see Concubine Ji."
Yan Shiyu tied the laces of her cloak, strode to Ji Xuanshi, and said in a cold voice: "Go and call the imperial physician!"
Ji Xuanshi was moved to a side hall of Qingxuan Palace. All the concubines were waiting outside, and Ruan Yun was no exception.
The imperial physician looked solemn after examining the pulse of Ji Xuanshi in the inner hall. He then performed acupuncture and wrote a prescription. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "The young lady is already three months pregnant, but her pulse is unstable and her qi and blood are insufficient. There are signs of miscarriage."
Yan Shiyu suddenly said: "Waste! How can you take care of your young master!"
Yicui knelt down and cried, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, my young lady has not been feeling well since a month ago. The imperial physician came to see her and said that she was fine, but she had not rested enough. She also had her period not long ago. Please forgive me for my failure in my duty!"
The Queen said coldly: "Since you have invited the imperial physician, how can you not diagnose the disease?"
Yan Shiyu clenched the jade ring in his hand, his eyes filled with anger, but his anger was concealed by his deep eyes. He still had the majesty of an emperor and should not be offended.
Doctor Qi said: "The young lady is young, and her qi and blood are disordered, so it is possible that we cannot diagnose her pulse."
There was a sense of impending storm in Yan Shiyu's voice, "Can it still be saved?"
Doctor Qi said, "I will do my best."
The news that Concubine Ji was pregnant caused an uproar among the concubines.
Everyone was envious or jealous, and the handkerchiefs in their hands were all torn to pieces.
After hearing this, Concubine Shu was so stunned that she almost lost her balance. She touched her lower abdomen with trembling hands, feeling extremely painful.
Why are all these bitches pregnant, but she can't get pregnant with a dragon baby!
Ruan Yun was also very surprised, but when she thought about how bad Ji Xuanshi's face looked before, everything that happened before made sense.
The moment she heard that the dragon fetus in Ji Xuanshi's belly was saved, Ruan Yun breathed a sigh of relief. If something really happened to Ji Xuanshi today, she would be afraid that she would not be able to escape.
But the person who pushed her from behind today, could it be that he knew in advance that Concubine Ji was pregnant? Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that Concubine Zhou bumped into her just now, and when she was not prepared, he pushed her out again, wanting her to bump into Concubine Ji.
Wen Yunu placed her hand on the back of Ruan Yun's hand and said, "Sister, are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"
Ruan Yun shook her head and said, "I'm just a little worried about Ji's selection of concubines."
"It's great that I was chosen to be your servant. Thanks to Sister Ying's care, I am now pregnant with a dragon child. Fortunately, the dragon fetus was saved, otherwise Sister would be in real danger."
Wen Yunu looked up at Ruan Yun, worry in her eyes.
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