Chapter 047 Chapter 47
Chapter 47
At midnight, the gate of Hanyu Palace was opened by guards from outside.
Chen Lu looked at the dark night ahead, with only the faint lights of the palace lighting the road ahead. Occasionally, the cry of a crow would pass by the eaves, and her hair stood on end at the sound.
The guard urged Chen Lu, "Take the small path. My lady has already arranged everything."
Chen Lu then raised her head and looked at the guard in front of her. She felt that his features looked familiar, but before she could see clearly, the guard lowered his hat and said threateningly, "My young master is still waiting for you. Don't delay."
The corners of Chen Lu's lips twitched silently, and she glanced towards Hanyu Palace before blending silently into the night.
Luo Wan looked at the stone in the heart of the person in front of him and felt relieved. She looked Chen Lu up and down and said, "Follow me in."
In the inner hall, Wen Yunu was leaning on the beauty's backrest. On the table was an embroidery. If you looked carefully, you could see that the pattern on it was a flying dragon in the sky.
Luo Wan walked to Wen Yunu, put away her things, and said softly, "My lady, the people have arrived."
Slowly opening her beautiful eyes, the candlelight flickered in front of her eyes, Wen Yunu's face had a ghostly feeling, Luo Wan helped Wen Yunu sit up, Wen Yunu turned her head to look at Chen Lu behind the screen and said: "Long time no see."
Chen Lu stood behind the screen and did not greet her. Wen Yu Nu did not blame her. Instead, she said, "I have not spoken to you since I moved out of Hanyu Palace. I never thought that you would still be willing to devote yourself to Yu Ronghua even though she has fallen into such a situation. It is really rare."
"What do you want to say, young master?"
Chen Lu pinched her palm with her fingertips, showing some clarity. Wen Yunv took such a big risk to let her come over, it wasn't just to reminisce with her.
Wen Yu Nu curled her lips and smiled faintly: "I just like talking to smart people."
Luo Wan noticed the young lady's gaze, walked to the dressing table and put a silver hairpin into Chen Lu's hand.
Chen Lu hadn't seen it clearly at first, and looked at Wen Yunu in confusion. She subconsciously turned the silver hairpin over and immediately asked angrily, "How did it end up in your hand?"
Wen Yunu came from behind the screen and told Chen Lu not to get too excited and sit on the stool. Her fingertips slid across Chen Lu's palm, and she bent down to take the silver pin from her hand. Looking at the simple pattern on it, Wen Yunu said, "Since the last time the concubines met the family, your father was sent to work as a laborer on a farm in the countryside, leaving only your sister and mother to serve the lady in the Marquis' Mansion."
"The Marquis's Mansion has a concubine named Aunt Shu, who is the Marquis's favorite concubine. She is a good person and the wife let your mother and sister serve in her courtyard. Who would have thought that a few days ago, a scandal broke out in the Marquis' Mansion, and it seemed to be related to this concubine. Not long after, your family members became like this."
Wen Yunu couldn't help laughing when she said this, "Your sister is lucky to be chosen by the second master of the Pei family as a concubine, so she doesn't have to suffer."
Chen Lu's eyes were red, tears were streaming down her cheeks, and she couldn't speak for a moment, "Remember, the Pei family is your maternal family."
Wen Yunu wiped the tears from Chen Lu's face with a handkerchief and said, "You are a smart person. The second master of the Pei family is my second uncle. Speaking of your sister, I should call her... second aunt."
Chen Lu wanted to take the silver hairpin from Wen Yu Nu's hand, but Wen Yu Nu dodged it. When she looked at Chen Lu, her eyes were full of sorrow and she said, "You did so much for her, but she treated you and your family like this. Don't you feel disappointed?"
Wen Yunu sat on the beauty couch calmly and leisurely, picked up the book on the table and said, "I forgot to tell you that my grandparents sent me a letter a few days ago saying that I will have a cousin soon."
The silver pin was thrown in front of Chen Lu. The silver pin, which was no longer as shiny as before, stung Chen Lu's eyes.
…
The waning moon hung on the branches, and occasionally some branches could not withstand the falling snow and made a snapping sound, and the snow fell down rustlingly.
Tingxu shielded Ruan Yun from the cold wind blowing from the entrance of the rockery and whispered, "Chenlu went to Xise Pavilion half an hour ago, and should be here soon."
Ruan Jun did not say anything, but just held the hand warmer tightly, raised her chin slightly, listened to the whispers, immediately understood what she meant, and walked out of the rockery.
After only an incense stick of time, the sound of listening to the catkins was heard outside:
"Sister Chenlu, it's getting late and the dew is heavy, why are you still outside?"
Before Chen Lu could reply, a muffled groan was heard, followed by a sound of being dragged, and then only the noise from the well returned to silence.
Ruan Jun's hands were shaking inexplicably but soon calmed down, and her eyes were extremely calm.
Tingxu came in from the fake mountain entrance and said, "My lady, Chunqing got something."
Helping Ruan Yun out of the rockery, Chun Qing Ma Shan handed the thing he had just found on Chen Lu to Ruan Yun and said, "My lady, this is from Chen Lu."
Ruan Yun's eyes darkened slightly. She saw the silver hairpin in Chun Qing's hand in the twilight and said, "Take it back to the palace."
Chun Qing quickly threw a hairpin onto the grass. The gem embedded in it was so huge that it shone brightly even in the snow.
Back at Ruiyu Pavilion, Tingxu brought tea to Ruan Yun and said, "You could have stayed at home today. Is it because you don't trust Chunqing and me?"
Ruan Jun didn't react for a moment, then smiled helplessly and patted Tingxu's forehead, causing Tingxu to feel pain. "Silly girl, I just want to see for myself."
Ting Xu didn't understand what Ruan Jun meant but didn't ask any more questions. After all, it was okay as long as the young lady didn't distrust her.
Chunqing came in from outside, and Ruan Yun asked him, "Is everything ready?"
Chunqing nodded and said, "According to the young lady's instructions, we put moss on the stone beside the well and smeared blood on the well to pretend that she accidentally fell into the water. The palace maids who are in charge of sweeping the floor tomorrow morning will definitely find it."
Ruan Yun closed her eyes, put her hand on her forehead and said, "I'm a little sleepy."
I'm afraid there will be some good show to watch at Fengyi Palace tomorrow.
…
Fengyi Palace.
The Empress exempted Consort Ji from paying respects to the Empress because she was not feeling well. Consort Shu said in the morning, "However, how can one or two people ignore the rules and not pay respects to the Empress just because she is pregnant? Doesn't it mean that in the future, whoever is pregnant with the heir to the throne will be able to ignore the rules?"
The Queen looked at Concubine Shu with a smile and said, "I heard that the Emperor has been staying in your palace these days. If you are pregnant with a dragon, you don't need the Emperor to say anything. I will naturally take care of you."
Concubine Shu's face froze. Did he think she didn't understand? It was clearly a mockery of her for not being able to get pregnant despite having the emperor's favor. Thinking of what the emperor said to her yesterday, how could her own child be the same as a child born from someone else?
"Thank you, Her Majesty, for your concern. The Emperor also said that he hopes to have a child with me."
De Fei put down the teacup and said, "Among all the people in the harem, only Sister Shu Fei is the most favored by the emperor. Sister, please don't let the emperor down."
Concubine Shu said expressionlessly and somewhat provocatively, "Sister Defei, raising a prince is not enough?"
Concubine De said, unable to tell whether she was happy or angry, "The eldest prince is intelligent. I am very relieved."
Several people talked back and forth, and Ruan Jun's face was calm. If it were in the past, she would definitely have the leisure to watch the show, but today she was waiting for the person she wanted to see to appear at the gate of Fengyi Palace.
Wen Yunu said softly, "I haven't seen Yu Ronghua for a long time. I don't know how Yu Ronghua is doing."
The Queen only glanced at Wen Yunu and said nothing. Instead, it was Concubine Shu who spoke first: "This palace is not cooperative. The six palaces all know how much things she smashes every day. According to this palace, since it is smashed, there is no need to replenish it. According to her share, this palace will see how much is left in Hanyu Palace."
De Fei advised Shu Fei, "Sister also said that she doesn't care about the six palaces. Yu Ronghua is pregnant now. Even if she can't leave Hanyu Palace, she is still a precious person. Naturally, she should be well-educated. Moreover, the furnishings in sister's palace were personally awarded by the emperor. No one else can compare to their nobleness."
Concubine Shu smiled complacently, completely forgetting the argument she had just had with Concubine De and the Empress. She touched the swing on her bun and said, "The friendship between me and the Emperor is naturally unmatched."
Ruan Jun looked at Wen Yunu who had instigated this incident, and then pretended nothing had happened and just sat there, looking harmless.
If Ruan Yun hadn't known her true appearance beforehand, she would have been deceived by her.
When the greetings were about to end, Zeqin came in hurriedly, leaned over and whispered in the empress's ear in front of everyone.
Ruan Jun looked calmly at the empress on the high seat, and finally let go of the fingertips that had pinched her palm.
…
Hanyu Palace.
Qing Ling accidentally dropped the teacup in her hand while making tea. She saw a passing maid grab her sleeve and asked, "Is Chen Lu here?"
The young palace maid shook her head and said, "I haven't seen Sister Chen Lu so early in the morning."
Qingling felt a little heavy in her heart. Chen Lu had been absent-minded since she came back from getting the share of the allowance yesterday. She had talked to her several times but Chen Lu only responded after she had said it several times. She and Chen Lu lived in the same place. She served in the young lady's inner hall last night, but when she returned in the morning, she didn't see Chen Lu. She thought she had gone to get something for the young lady, but she hadn't returned yet at 9 o'clock in the morning.
Just as Qing Ling brought down the boiling tea and was about to replace it with the young lady's pregnancy medicine, a voice suddenly came from outside:
"Oh no, Sister Chen Lu is gone."
The teapot fell to the ground with a bang, and the boiling tea splashed all over Qingling, but she didn't care about anything else. The back of her feet was soaked by the hot tea, but she suddenly ran out.
…
Wen Yunu shook her head desperately and said, "No...how could it be mine?"
Concubine Shu looked at Zeqin with disgust and said, "She was Yu Ronghua's concubine, how could she fall into the water next to the Qingyi Palace? Did you look in the wrong place?"
Zeqin stood respectfully aside, and the empress said sternly: "Shufei, the matter has not been concluded yet, why are you in such a hurry?"
Concubine Shu stood up and said, "I have to speak out when I have been wronged. Otherwise, what will happen if anyone can slander me?"
Chen Lu's body had been sent to the Ministry of Punishment, and Ze Qin brought back the hairpin that Ruan Yun had deliberately placed in the snow last night.
Wen Yunu's voice trembled, and she looked frightened as she said, "That hairpin was given to me by Sister Ying. I have kept it safe. I couldn't find it a few days ago, and I thought it was because the palace servants under me were not careful enough, so I didn't think about it in other directions. Who knew it would appear here? Someone must have stolen it from my palace and framed me."
Concubine Shu said coldly, "Frame-up? I think the evidence is solid. Who knows if you took the hairpin given to you by Concubine Ying and gave it to the slave girl so that she would do something shameful for you, or if you and Yuronghua were in cahoots and used it specifically to frame Concubine Ying."
Wen Yunu turned to look at Ruan Yun, only to see a worried look in her eyes. She immediately grabbed Ruan Yun's sleeve and said, "Sister Ying, how could I..."
"The Emperor has arrived."
The eunuch's voice came in, and everyone turned around to pay their respects to the emperor.
The empress stood at the top and bowed lightly. Ran Xia quickly brought an armchair and helped the empress sit down.
Yan Shiyu's eyes were cold, and he looked at Ruan Yun calmly and said, "Why would the things I rewarded you be with others?"
Ruan Yun looked up at the emperor's ungrateful eyes. It would be most abnormal if the emperor believed her, not to mention that the matter involved Yu Ronghua. Everyone in the harem knew that Yu Ronghua was not on good terms with her.
Ruan Yun knelt down stubbornly and said, "I once told the emperor that the hairpin was very suitable for Sister Wen and wanted to give it to her. It is obvious that the emperor did not take my words to heart, and now he is blaming me."
Everyone was waiting to see what Ruan Yun said. Now all they could do was wait for the emperor to reprimand them and for Yingcai to fall out of favor.
The emperor's rebuke did come, but what happened next left everyone dumbfounded.
The veins on Yan Shiyu's forehead throbbed, "You are so spoiled by me that you can do whatever you want!"
Ruan Yun snorted and said, "Your Majesty clearly doesn't believe me."
Yan Shi said sternly: "I just asked you why you gave things to others. When did you say anything else?"
Ruan Jun was stunned and lowered her head in disappointment. It turned out that she had misinterpreted the emperor's meaning.
However, Wen Yunu, who was standing aside, had a red face. The emperor's words clearly meant that she was not worthy. But they were both concubines, so why could the talented woman have what she couldn't?
Ying Ning understood what the emperor meant and went over to help Ruan Jun up. When the two looked at each other, Ruan Jun was a little surprised and quickly looked up. Yan Shiyu's black eyes were deep and unfathomable, and there was a bit of helplessness when he looked at Ruan Jun.
Ruan Yun sat back in her original position, and Wen Yunu knelt down with her back straight and said, "My hairpin was lost when I moved to Xise Pavilion. Everyone in the palace knows about it."
The Queen asked slowly, "Since the hairpin was sent by Yingcai, does Yingcai know about it?"
Ruan Yun felt Wen Yunu's pleading eyes looking at her, but Ruan Yun just stood up and said respectfully: "Wen Yunu did not tell this to me."
Concubine Shu felt confident instantly and said, "All the maids in Xise Pavilion are yours. Besides, this hairpin was given to you by Concubine Ying. How could Concubine Ying not know about it? Could it be that every servant in your palace knows about it?"
Wen Yu Nu refused to give in and said, "Chen Lu is a member of Yu Rong Hua's palace. The hairpin involves Sister Ying. It's not surprising that Yu Rong Hua doesn't like Sister Ying. She was found near the palace of Concubine Shu. It seems that I am wronged."
Consort Zhou said slowly, "This... Hanyu Palace and Qingyi Palace are not in the same direction, and they are also far from Xise Pavilion. Chen Lu's actions this time are really suspicious."
Concubine Shu glared at Concubine Zhou with her beautiful eyes, and Concubine Zhou covered her lips with a handkerchief and turned her eyes away.
After hearing all this, the Queen seemed to be thinking deeply, and said, "Yuan Baolin, who was banished to the cold palace, had previously hinted that Duan Maye was Yu Ronghua who framed Ying Cairen. Now that Yu Ronghua's personal maid is gone, and she still has Ying Cairen's hairpin on her body, it seems like..."
Concubine Shu felt extremely aggrieved, and she knelt down at Yan Shiyu's feet and said, "That maidservant threw herself into the well beside the Qingyi Palace. Although it was cold in winter, the well was not frozen. If I had known, I would have been frightened to death last night."
Yan Shiyu tapped his fingertips on the chair. Although his eyes were casual, he looked stern. He glanced at Ruan Jun inadvertently and saw her sitting there pitifully, her body trembling slightly. It seemed that she was frightened.
Yan Shiyu opened his thin lips slightly and said in a gradually colder tone: "Bring all the palace ladies from Hanyu Palace here."
Wei Maoyuan was just about to go do it when Yan Shiyu's next words stirred up a thousand waves in the hall:
"Bring Yu Ronghua along as well."
When Ruan Jun heard this, she looked up at the emperor in disbelief. She had originally just wanted to use this incident to make the emperor completely dislike Yu Ronghua.
Firstly, after Chen Lu's death, she had the hairpin she gave to Wen Yu'nu, which proved that Chen Lu must have met Wen Yu'nu. Whether she found out whether Yu Ronghua had instructed her or not, she would not be able to rest easy. Secondly, she threw Chen Lu's body near Qingyi Palace. She knew that now was not the time to touch Shufei, but she could make the emperor wary of Shufei. After all, Ji Xuanshi was pregnant now, so it might not be a bad idea to help her.
The only thing Ruan Yun did not guess was that the emperor directly asked Yu Ronghua to come to Fengyi Palace. If the truth was revealed, Yu Ronghua would be convicted directly.
I just don't know whether the emperor will still care about the prince in Yu Ronghua's belly.
After all, Ruan Yun now does not think that she is more important than the royal heir.
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