Chapter 127 Chapter 127
[Chapter 127]
The dragon boat race ended, and the emperor returned to the Purple Palace. The queen coughed twice but didn't say much. Ruan Yun saw that the queen's spirit was getting weaker and weaker, and she was a little worried about her current health.
But what made her think more was the hairpin.
Glancing at Ying Ning, she took a step forward, looking calm, and said, "Don't worry, Madam, I have already taken it."
With Yingning's words, Ruan Jun finally felt relieved.
Sitting on the imperial carriage, her eyes inadvertently fell on the waterside pavilion, but there were so many people coming today that she couldn't tell where it was.
But she was absolutely certain that the person was him. The hairpins in Kingdee Double Play were common, but the turquoise embedded in that hairpin had a slight crack. She was very familiar with that mark and could see it clearly with just a quick glance.
…
Linxuan Palace
Along the way, Yingning and Tingxu looked at each other but said nothing. They could see that the queen was in a bad mood, but they didn't know why. The more they said, the more wrong they would be. There were all kinds of people in the palace, and there were many spies and eyes. None of them dared to take any risks.
The lesson I learned from the last incident is enough.
Seeing the queen enter the inner hall, Tingxu stopped the palace maids who wanted to follow her in and said, "The queen is tired and wants to rest for a while. You don't have to come in. Be careful and don't disturb the queen."
The wet nurse came over with the third prince in her arms. Tingxu saw the cute movements of the baby in the nurse's arms and could only harden her heart and say, "You should take good care of the third prince first. The queen is really tired right now."
The wet nurse hurriedly carried the third prince away, not knowing what had happened to her mother, and burst into tears.
The voice reached the inner hall. Yingning placed the teacup beside the empress and glanced out the window. She saw the empress propping up her head with a weary look on her face and taking out a hairpin from her sleeve:
“My queen…”
Ruan Yun opened her eyes and saw the hairpin in front of her. She felt extremely disgusted, but she hardened her heart and took the hairpin in her own hand, touching the unique crack on it, and said:
"Chunqing is familiar with people in various places in the palace. You can ask Chunqing to find out if there is any official with the surname Cui in the court."
Ying Ning nodded and agreed to this, but did not immediately go to instruct Chun Qing. Instead, she said, "I think there must be someone, but I'm afraid I got the wrong person. The person your majesty is looking for - why not just tell Chun Qing the name directly?"
Ruan Yun closed her eyes and tightened her hairpin. The wrinkles on her hands made her palms ache. She spoke word by word:
"Cui, Yu, Bai."
Yingning glanced at Tingxu, then stood up to do what the empress had asked her to do.
Tingxu stood beside Ruan Yun and called her name which she had not said for a long time:
"Sister Ayun."
This moment reminded Ruan Yun of her time as a palace maid, and tears welled up in her eyes.
She originally thought that the past would be buried forever, but unexpectedly it reappeared before her, intertwined with resentment, entangled in her heart, leaving her defenseless and overwhelmed by the old dream.
Ruan Yun had a severe headache and whispered, "I want to sleep for a while. Please keep the hairpin for me. Since it was obtained from the dragon boat race, others will not be so suspicious."
"Okay." Tingxu stood up and helped Ruan Yun walk towards the bed. "Don't worry about this, your majesty. Chunqing is smart and may come to a conclusion soon."
Ruan Jun nodded, and lay on the bed with a confused heart, and fell into a deep sleep, with the images flashing in her mind again and again.
In the previous scene, she was still holding a hairpin happily, and in the next scene, countless servants and maids rushed in and tied her up. Questioning and noise rang in her ears, and the disgusted expressions of the Cui family
Suspicion and abuse were all around her. She was forced into a corner of the woodshed with her knees hugged. The only person she saw was Cui Yubai. But he said:
"It's come to this. There's no other way."
Ruan Yun woke up with a start, and the scene in her dream stopped here. She sat up from the bed, sweating all over, and her fingers fiddled with her black hair, moving the golden bell beside the bed.
Tingxu, who was packing up the empress's dressing box outside, heard the sound and hurried in. The curtain was hung on the golden hook. He saw beads of sweat on the empress's forehead and neck, and asked, "Why is the empress sweating so much?"
Ruan Yun's throat was hoarse, and there were beads of water on her eyelashes. She couldn't tell whether they were sweat or tears. "What time is it?"
Tingxu glanced at the clepsydra and said, "It's almost the afternoon."
"Help me up." Ruan Yun felt weak and sore. Ting Xu saw that Ruan Yun's goose yellow pajamas were soaked in a large area, and whispered, "Madam, do you want to change your clothes first?"
Her body was extremely wet and sticky. Ruan Yun shook her head and said, "Prepare some water. I want to take a bath."
After hearing Xu's instructions outside, Ruan Yun poured herself a cup of cold tea and drank it in one gulp.
Tingxu, who happened to come in, saw Ruan Yun's actions and said anxiously, "Your Majesty is not fully recovered yet, please don't drink this cold tea, it will hurt your body."
Ruan Yun even curled her lips towards Ting Xu and said, "It's okay."
She really needs this cool tea to wake herself up now, otherwise her mind will be confused and that will be terrible.
As they were talking, the palace maids had already brought in the water. Tingxu carefully undressed Ruan Yun. Looking at the empress soaking in the bathtub, her pretty face showed an unconcealable weariness, and he couldn't help but feel distressed.
"Chun Qing hasn't come back yet. The Third Prince was crying loudly just now. Ying Ning has already gone to see him."
Ruan Yun leaned her head against the bucket, her hands unconsciously stirring the water in the bucket, "Bring Dongdong over later."
It was her fault as a mother. She knew that Dongdong depended on her, but she still had the heart to let someone take him away.
Ting Xu pursed her lips and then released them, and couldn't help asking, "Madam, were you dreaming about what happened before?"
Ruan Jun smiled at her and said, "It's not a big deal."
She wanted to take a bath because she had sweated a little, and Ruan Jun got up from the bathtub after a while.
Ying Ning carried Dongdong to Ruan Yun and said, "The Third Prince felt better as soon as he saw the Queen."
Seeing Dongdong's face red from crying, Ruan Yun sighed softly and said, "Why do you take after your mother?"
It’s all the emperor’s fault. He had to bring up the matter when she was pregnant. Now Dongdong can’t stop crying once she starts.
After just a short while of holding and moving the baby, Ruan Jun couldn't help coughing. The wet nurse quickly took the baby away and moved him around, but it was no use trying to comfort him even through the screen.
Ying Ning put her hand on Ruan Yun's forehead and exclaimed, "Why is it so hot? I'll ask someone to call the imperial physician."
Ruan Jun was now covering her lips with a handkerchief and coughing violently. Her almond-shaped eyes were filled with water and pain. "Hurry up and take him away."
Dongdong had not stayed in his mother's arms for long before he heard the noise and started crying.
There was quite a commotion in the Linxuan Palace, and the news that the Imperial Medical Bureau had been invited to come to Yu's attention soon spread.
Wei Maoyuan didn't care who was in the inner hall. He went in quickly and faced the emperor's sharp eyes. He said anxiously, "Your Majesty, the imperial concubine is ill."
Yan Shiyu was discussing government affairs with Ji Juebai when he heard about this and said in a loud voice, "Is this how the people of Linxuan Palace serve their master?"
Ji Jue had not yet fully sobered up from the alcohol, but the emperor became angry when he smelled the alcohol on him.
But now, when he heard the words "Royal Concubine", Ji Ebai's breathing became rapid.
I knelt on the ground because of the emperor's words, not daring to look up at the emperor's expression.
But in her heart, she couldn't help but wonder, maybe because of that hairpin, she also felt sorry for the past that they had missed.
Originally, he didn't know how to tell Ruan Jun that he was also in the capital, but now it seems that his method was indeed not wrong.
Ruan Jun is sick. Could it be that she is worrying too much?
Yan Shiyu strode down the jade steps and said in a cold voice, "I'll ask you another day."
Ji Juebai knelt even lower, "Yes."
…
As he stepped down from the imperial procession, the first thing Yan Shiyu heard was loud and clear crying.
My eyebrows were beating violently. As I stepped into the inner hall, I heard the imperial physician say:
"Your Majesty has caught a cold, it's not a serious matter, but during this period of time, the Third Prince should not stay near Your Majesty."
Ruan Yun coughed violently, and her eyes turned red with anxiety when she heard Dongdong crying:
"Hurry and take the Third Prince down."
The nurse was about to respond, but in the residual light, she saw a bright yellow dragon robe passing by. She knelt down nervously and could not speak clearly, "Your Majesty."
Ruan Jun lifted the curtain and looked at the emperor with tears in her eyes. When she saw Yan Shiyu coming in, she hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, don't come in."
Yan Shiyu paused for only a moment before stepping into the inner hall. He watched Ruan Jun stand up and said coldly, "Why are you panicking?"
Ruan Yun pushed Yan Shiyu away, covered her lips with a handkerchief and said, "I have caught a cold, Your Majesty, please don't come in. Tell Your Majesty carefully, and then I will..."
Yan Shiyu didn't like to hear Ruan Yun say this. Thinking of what the imperial physician had just said, he didn't want to hear that the woman in front of him was regarded as an unlucky person.
He slowed down his voice, wanting the woman not to be nervous, "I'm strong and healthy, nothing will happen to me."
Ruan Yun looked at the emperor with tears in her eyes, her throat itchy and her face abnormally flushed:
"Dongdong is still crying."
Dongdong, who was being held by the wet nurse outside, felt very aggrieved. At this moment, his father and mother ignored him, and he seemed to sense it.
Yan Shiyu glanced at the palace maids in Linxuan Palace with a cold look in his eyes and asked, "How do you serve your queen?"
The palace servants knelt down quickly, "Your Majesty, please forgive me."
Ruan Jun stood up, wiped the water droplets from her eyelashes, and stood there pitifully, "Your Majesty, please don't blame them."
She didn't dare to tell how she got sick, but she didn't want to see the palace maids being punished, so she could only say:
"I was not paying attention and drank the cool tea."
Yan Shiyu was so angry at Ruan Jun that his face turned blue. He was about to leave, but Ruan Jun suddenly grabbed Yan Shiyu's sleeve and shook it. Although she didn't say anything, her expression showed her grievance.
"Your Majesty, please don't leave."
Yan Shiyu grabbed Ruan Yun's hand and led her to the couch. "Don't you want your own body anymore?"
Ruan Yun's eyelashes were fluttering violently, and her heart was beating very fast because of nervousness:
"I know I was wrong."
Ruan Yun pushed Yan Shiyu and said, "Your Majesty, go and have a look first."
She pursed her lips and her eyes were filled with reluctance, but she had no choice but to say, "I will send him to Ji Zhaoyi today. I think he will feel better if he sees Ji Zhaoyi more often."
Yan Shiyu listened to Dongdong's crying, rubbed his forehead and said:
“No need.”
Ruan Yun looked at the emperor in confusion. Yan Shiyu said, "Let him follow me to the Purple Palace."
Shocked by the emperor's words, Ruan Jun couldn't help coughing again, "How can that be possible?"
Since the founding of this dynasty, there has never been a precedent of raising a prince in the Purple Palace. Even if it is only a temporary thing, it is against the rules.
"Who dares to refute what I said?"
This sentence blocked what Ruan Yun wanted to say next. Dongdong was crying heartbreakingly outside, so Ruan Yun whispered: "Then the emperor should take Dongdong back first."
Hearing the movement sounds at this moment, Ruan Jun's heart began to tighten and she became extremely worried.
Yan Shiyu could also see the worry in her expression. Not wanting to make the woman in front of him too sad, Yan Shiyu stood up and the wet nurse quickly followed with the baby in her arms.
When Ruan Yun saw the emperor leaving, the cough that she had just suppressed was now coughed out from her chest.
The inner hall was in a state of chaos. Ruan Yun's eyes were red. Seeing the two wet nurses waiting outside, she said weakly, "Pack your things and go to Zichen Palace."
The nurses knelt down and responded. Ruan Yun did not say anything more. She just looked at them and said, "No one should mention what happened today."
Ying Ning sighed in her heart, and after helping the Empress take the medicine, she looked around to see that no one was outside, and then she said cautiously:
"Chun Qing has already inquired about this, and there is no such person as the Empress mentioned."
Ruan Yun frowned and took a sip of red jujube and ginseng tea:
"Has he asked all that?"
Ying Ning was not quite sure either, and said, "Chun Qing is waiting outside, would you like to ask in person, Your Majesty?"
Ruan Yun felt better after drinking some ginseng soup. The fever had not completely subsided yet, and she was still dizzy:
"Let him come in and answer the call."
"Hey." After Ying Ning left, Chun Qing came in a short while later. Chun Qing said respectfully and calmly, "I am incompetent and did not find out about this person."
Ruan Yun asked him, "Who did you ask? Is that person reliable?"
Chunqing said, "He is my fellow countryman. Some time ago, he was transferred to the Ministry of Personnel to serve tea to the adults because of the busy work there. He is honest and simple. It is easiest for him to know the names of officials in a place like the Ministry of Personnel. But he said that there is no such person as the one Your Majesty wants to ask about."
Ruan Yun frowned as she listened to Chun Qing's words. Could it be that Cui Ebai did not serve as an official in the court?
"On that day, the people who went to the dragon boat race included officials and noble families, but he..."
Ruan Yun didn't dare to think in this direction. He was just the son of a merchant. How could he suddenly become a prince or nobleman?
Ying Ning was also thinking about this, but suddenly she remembered something and said quickly, "Could it be that he changed his name?"
Ruan Yun's almond-shaped eyes flashed, and she coughed lightly while lowering her eyebrows.
"To change his name, we need his original household registration certificate. If he really doesn't have this name, his father..."
How could Mr. Cui agree that his proud son would change his name and become someone else's child?
But it's not impossible.
Ruan Jun sneered, "He is indeed no different from what I remember."
Although Yingning did not ask the Queen who this person was and why the Queen cared so much about him, after seeing the Queen's expression, Yingning understood that this person must have done something in the past to make the Queen so resentful.
"Are you still looking for this person?"
Ruan Yun covered the teacup in her hand and said, "No need."
If she continued to look for him, she would probably alarm others and the emperor would hear about it. She would be looking for a minister for no reason and she would really lose her position.
"Let's leave it like this for now."
If Cui Jubai really wanted to appear in front of her, he would definitely find another opportunity.
"Don't hold the hairpin too tightly, or it will arouse suspicion."
Ying Ning's face was solemn, and she said, "I understand."
…
During the time that Ruan Yun was ill, she had already gone to Fengyi Palace to ask for leave from the Empress. She should have paid her respects to the Empress after the confinement period, but she didn't expect to catch a cold again.
The fact that the third prince was taken to the Zichen Palace was no secret at all, and all the adults who had been in and out of the Zichen Palace in the previous dynasty were particularly aware of it.
The emperor had previously placed the third prince in a side hall, but whenever the third prince cried, he would hold him in his arms when discussing state affairs.
Defei had already broken several sets of teacups. Wang Yi entered the inner hall every day with fear. Seeing Defei sitting on the couch with a tired look on her face, she knelt down in fear, picked up the broken porcelain pieces on the ground, and called softly, "My queen, please be careful."
De Fei didn't react at first, but after hearing Wang Yi's words, she slowly opened her eyes and said, "Injury?"
She stood up with her hands. Wang Yi wanted to help her, but De Fei dodged her:
"So what if I get hurt? Will the emperor care?"
Wang Yi said softly, "Your Majesty, the Emperor is always thinking about you."
Concubine De sneered, "Your Majesty brings the Third Prince with him every day, but how many times has he really cared about Ting'er? Has he ever asked about the eldest prince's daily homework and riding and archery? Since Ting'er was a child, whenever he had any illness, I stayed by his side without sleep, and the Emperor just came to check on him and that was it."
"But now, the emperor brings the third prince with him every day, just because the third prince cries and makes troubles, and wants to be loved by his father. Doesn't the eldest prince want it? He works hard every day, doesn't he want the emperor to pay more attention to him?"
Wang Yi was in a panic. Seeing that Concubine De was getting more and more excited, she immediately knelt down beside Concubine De and said:
"Your Majesty, the Emperor must have his reasons for doing this."
Concubine De smiled bitterly and sat back on the couch, wiping her tears and saying with a mixture of tears and laughter:
"For so many years, I have assisted the Empress in managing the six palaces. The Emperor has never seen my efforts, and my power to manage the six palaces was withdrawn at any time. My family background and appearance are not inferior to the Empress in any way. Isn't it because of my careful education that the eldest prince is so outstanding? Why can't the Emperor see that?"
Wang Yi felt very distressed and said, "Your Majesty has done a good enough job. Who can say anything bad about you?"
"Your Majesty has not figured it out yet. How can someone with the temperament of Concubine Ying Gui always be by your side in the future? Your Majesty will have to do it."
Concubine De wiped her tears and thought of the Third Prince who was still in Zichen Palace. A fierce look flashed in her eyes:
"I will not allow anyone to stand in my way, no matter who it is."
Since she wanted to be the most noble woman in the world and stand by the emperor's side, she had to remove all obstacles in her way.
Wang Yi stared at Concubine De in a daze. Although the Empress had ambitions in the past, she was never like this now. Even she seemed to not recognize the Empress.
The voice of the palace servant outside came in, saying:
"Your Majesty, the eldest prince is here to pay his respects to you."
De Fei quickly wiped away her tears and winked at Wang Yi, who quickly cleaned up the debris on the ground. Then she opened the door to the hall and saw the eldest prince holding the scroll. A smile appeared on his lips and he said:
"Is the eldest prince out of school? The queen is inside."
There was a hint of anticipation in the eldest prince's eyes, and he walked into the inner hall carrying the scroll.
When he entered, the eldest prince looked carefully and found that there was no teacup on the table, which was not in accordance with the rules.
Concubine De smiled, waved to the eldest prince, and said, "Ting'er, school is over. Are you tired today?"
The eldest prince shook his head. His voice was still a little childish, but the words he said were very mature. "I am not tired."
Concubine De nodded and said nothing else.
The eldest prince lowered his head somewhat disappointedly, looked at the scroll in his hand, hesitated for a while, and finally placed the scroll in front of Concubine De, saying:
"Mother, I made a painting today. Would you like to see it?"
When Concubine De heard this, the smile on her face, which was already slight, became even fainter, and she signaled the eldest prince to open the scroll.
The eldest prince's face lit up with joy, and he quickly unfolded the scroll and placed it in front of Concubine De.
"I am a beginner and not very good at painting yet. I thought that my mother liked the Drunken Concubine Red in Yu Garden, so I painted it."
Concubine De touched the peony on the scroll, smiled softly and said, "Ting'er's painting skills have improved."
Before the eldest prince could fully show his smile, Concubine De continued:
"But now that the Third Prince has been born, I'm afraid the Second Prince will also go to the Imperial Academy in a year or two. Has your master told you to set an example for your younger brothers?"
The eldest prince clasped his fingers and lowered his head, and asked nervously: "Does mother not like it?"
De Fei said, "In the past, mother took Ting'er to the Yu Garden because your father liked to paint, but now the emperor is focusing on government affairs, so Ting'er should learn from your father and share his worries as soon as possible."
"When the second and third princes grow up, Ting'er will finally have an older brother."
Although Defei's words were light, they weighed a thousand pounds in the ears of the eldest prince.
He pursed his lips and said, "Son, I understand. I will learn from Master and set a good example for my brothers. What happened today was my fault."
When Concubine De heard what the eldest prince said, her brows furrowed slightly:
"Mother didn't say you did anything wrong, it's just that you didn't think clearly at the moment. Reflect on what happened today when you go back."
The eldest prince nodded, rolled up the scroll on the table himself and took it away.
There was almost no movement throughout the whole process, but when looking at the scroll, the loss in his eyes could not be hidden.
Wang Yi brought back a new set of teacups from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Concubine De had broken them too many times in recent days. No matter how high the Empress's position was, the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs would always have some opinions.
"Your Majesty, the eldest prince is also trying to make you happy."
Concubine De rubbed her eyebrows and said, "If he studies hard and makes more progress, so that the emperor can see him more often, I will be happy even if I am not happy. The emperor is his father, and what he has to do is to satisfy the emperor first."
Wang Yi thought about it and felt something was not right, so she said, "Look, although the emperor appears to be cold, the masters he selected for the eldest prince are all excellent. The eldest prince learned a lot from his masters."
How could Concubine De not know the reputation of Zhang Daru, yet she still said:
"That's good, but it's not just the church's children's lessons that give me a headache."
Wang Yi saw that the empress looked tired, but in the end she remained silent.
De Fei suddenly remembered something and said in a cold voice, "Wen Baolin has come to this palace less frequently recently."
Wang Yi nodded and said, "Don't worry, Madam. I have already asked someone to keep an eye on Wen Baolin, and they have not found anything wrong with him."
De Fei suddenly felt anxious and hot, picked up the teacup and took a sip, saying, "I have been feeling dazed recently. Please ask the imperial physician to come and check my pulse."
"By the way, let Wen Baolin come along. I want to see what she is going to do. Could it be that she doesn't want to join me anymore?"
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