Chapter 135 Chapter 135
[Chapter 135]
Yingning was very deft. She stood behind Ruan Yun and helped her to put a peony bun on her head, and then put on a complete set of gold, pearl and jade head ornaments.
When she raised her almond-shaped eyes slightly, the timid look from before had disappeared a lot, and the calmness that appeared in her eyes told everyone that she had long been a noble concubine who was high above everyone else.
"There are so many people here today, why don't I, Tingxu and Chunqing go with us?" Yingning put down the wooden comb in her hand and helped the queen to stand up.
Ruan Yun understood Ying Ning's concerns. Sometimes, when people are too abnormal, they will reveal their flaws.
Taking the jade chopsticks, Ruan Yun looked at the hot and sour fish on the table, and her eyes brightened up, "It's still the same as before."
Dongdong was too small, unlike the little princess who could run. Moreover, there were many people around and it was noisy, so Ruan Jun was reluctant to take Dongdong out to the banquet.
Ruan Yun did not let the palace maids serve her food, and ate the spicy and sour fish on the plate by herself.
She didn't like spicy food originally, but her taste changed drastically after she gave birth to Dongdong. From then on, she added a spicy dish to her daily meals.
After Ying Ning finished giving instructions, she came in again and saw that although the queen was eating in small bites, the hot and sour fish on the plate was almost half finished. She couldn't help but take care of the queen's body:
"Your Highness, please eat slowly."
Ruan Jun didn't have any other expression on her face. This dish of fish was very much to her liking, so she naturally wanted to eat more.
Ruan Yun suddenly thought of something and stopped the jade chopsticks in her hand, "Has the emperor been to Fengyi Palace now?"
She didn't dare eat too much of the food at the banquet, so she ate before leaving. She looked at the clepsydra and knew that His Majesty should go to Fengyi Palace to pick up the Empress.
It is a serious crime to spy on the emperor privately, but at this moment, who cares about so many things.
Yingning came closer, and Ruan Yun leaned over to listen to what Yingning said. Her expression became a little solemn, and even the spicy and sour fish on the table lost its fragrance.
The banquet is about to start, the emperor will not skip going to Fengyi Palace today, right?
How can this be justified? If the Emperor and the Empress are not getting along, I'm afraid the news will spread after today's banquet, and the Empress will definitely be sad.
But after thinking about it, Ruan Jun couldn't think of any good solution.
If she went to the Zichen Palace now, she would not only attract attention, but would also cause more speculation in the harem.
Thinking of the Empress Dowager in Shoukang Palace, she hardly showed up for half a year. Every day when she came to pay respects, she would only sit for a quarter of an hour before letting the concubines go back.
Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival family dinner. No matter what, the Queen Mother will definitely leave the palace.
Ruan Yun rubbed her forehead. Ever since she started to take care of the affairs of the six palaces, she always felt that she was not in a good mood. Every day when she woke up, there were endless things to deal with. At this moment, she didn't know how much she hoped that the Empress was well.
Ying Ning saw that the queen was not feeling well, and asked worriedly, "Should we invite a doctor for her?"
Ruan Jun glanced at her and rejected Ying Ning's suggestion, "No need, I just need to take a rest."
But there was no time to rest for too long. Sitting on the ceremonial carriage, Ruan Jun hugged the hand warmer tightly, still thinking about Cui Chebai.
She exhaled a breath of foul air, her eyes inadvertently fell on a certain place, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "How is Shen Chongyi these days?"
Yingning and Tingxu were both a little surprised. Tingxu knew that she couldn't handle the affairs of the harem, so she had already handed over such delicate work to Yingning. She was listening at the side and felt happy and comfortable.
"There is nothing wrong with anything else. The kitchen delivers meals on time every day. But the situation is definitely not as good as before."
She knew how much Ji Zhaoyi hated Shen Chongyi, but she and Ji Zhaoyi now understood very well that if something happened to Shen Chongyi now, there would be constant turmoil in the harem, so she must ensure that Shen Chongyi was safe.
…
Qingxuan Palace
The shrill voice of the eunuch's announcement echoed throughout the palace. The Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager had not arrived yet, and everyone in the palace stood up and knelt.
Ruan Jun walked to her desk, her eyes soft, "Stand up, no need to be polite."
Ji Juebai stood up from his knees, and seeing Ruan Yun's gentle and charming appearance, he couldn't help but want to go forward, but reason prevailed and he forced himself to suppress his thoughts.
The urge to see her.
Being too far away, he could not see Ruan Yun's appearance clearly. He only knew that she seemed to be much thinner than when he saw her at the dragon boat race.
Maybe it was because she saw the hairpin that Ayun wanted to see him, but just couldn't find him?
Once this thought came to his mind, all kinds of thoughts popped up one after another. Ji Jubai sat alone at the table. He did not toast with his colleagues in the officialdom, but just drank one glass of wine after another.
When one pot was empty, she asked the palace maid to bring another one, which made her colleagues around her laugh and show concern.
Ji Juebai didn't want to think about anything, and murmured: "Ayun, Ayun..."
Colleagues patted Ji Juebai on the shoulder and said, "Master Ji, the banquet hasn't even started yet, why are you drunk?"
Ji Juebai impatiently shook off their hands, but his colleagues were not angry. Instead, they laughed and joked about what Ji Juebai said:
"Master Ji is talking about the girl of your dreams. If you like her, you can propose marriage. Master Ji has already joined the Ministry of Rites and has a promising future. The young lady who will go to the capital can be chosen by Master Ji at will."
Ji Juebai was shaken for a moment by his colleague's words. He stood up, grabbed the collar of his colleague who had just said that, and said drunkenly:
"Let me choose?"
His eyes were slightly narrowed, and he smelled of alcohol when he spoke. People around him looked at him with disgust. His colleagues quickly pried open Ji Juebai's hands and said:
"Be yourself."
There was a perfunctory tone in the words, but Ji Jubai could not hear it. At this moment, his mind was full of thoughts that Ayun was also one of the women.
Yes, although she is a noble concubine, there are so many concubines in the emperor's harem, and there are many intrigues. How could she, such a simple person, like such a dirty place? Even if it is the royal palace, it is not what Ayun likes after all.
As long as she didn't like it, he would take Ayun away even at the cost of his own life. They would be the only ones who would take Ayun away far away.
When she was in Suzhou, her favorite thing was to find a quiet place to hide away, and she would be delighted when she saw delicious cakes.
With his talent, he will definitely help Ayun live a good life.
Ji Juebai's eyes lit up. When he looked at the wine on the table again, he pushed it away suddenly as if he had encountered some plague.
The surroundings were bustling and no one paid attention to what was happening here at Ji Lubai's place.
The Qingxuan Palace was huge, and it was inconvenient for Ruan Yun to look around.
Below them were the concubines. Ruan Yun was sitting on top, feeling bored.
Concubine Xian arrived at the same time as the Empress Dowager, and was followed by the Second Prince.
After not seeing each other for several months, the second prince still stumbled when he walked, but he dared to walk forward with his calves.
Ruan Yun fixed her eyes on the Second Prince's little face, and only then did she realize that the Second Prince looked very much like Consort Du, except that his face also had some of the Emperor's heroic spirit.
She didn't want to recall the abominable appearance of Lady Du, so she looked away and bowed according to the rules.
The Empress Dowager's gaze unconsciously fell on Ruan Yun. Looking at Ruan Yun's current imperial concubine's attire and her charming but not seductive face, she was instantly reminded of the former Imperial Concubine Tao, and she almost hated her to the point of vomiting blood.
Concubine Xian also felt that the Queen Mother was wrong, but after all, the Queen Mother's anger was directed at Concubine Ying Gui, and Concubine Xian was even more happy to see this scene.
Pretending to be weak, she bit her lips and called the Queen Mother, "Aunt..."
Although it was a little against the rules, Concubine Xian's voice was very soft and did not alarm anyone. Only the Queen Mother and Aunt Jingqiao beside her heard it.
The Queen Mother patted Concubine Xian's hand and said softly and lovingly, "You are just too soft-hearted. What should we do in the future?"
Concubine Xian clung to the Queen Mother's side, and just as the Queen Mother had said, she was weak and easily frightened.
The second prince was a fearless person, and Concubine Xian and the Queen Mother had always spoiled him, so when he saw the Luban lock in the little princess's hand, he ran over.
Concubine Xian hurriedly said, "Hurry and follow the Second Prince. Don't let him fall."
Ruan Yun's eyes also fell on the second prince. The Queen Mother looked at Ruan Yun again and called out, "Concubine Ying."
Ruan Yun returned to her thoughts and stood up and bowed softly again, "Empress Dowager."
The Queen Mother was filled with rage, but when she saw Ruan Yun's expression, she suddenly found it hard to say the words of blame.
"You've been helping with the six palaces lately. Are you used to it?"
Ruan Yun said respectfully: "The Queen has been very kind to me, and I have learned a lot from her."
The Queen Mother glanced at Ruan Yun, and saw Concubine Xian's eagerness in her peripheral vision, and said, "What you have done is always excellent. The Emperor has taken a liking to you, so you must also show some performance."
Ruan Yunsheng felt that this matter was not easy to handle. Just as he was about to speak, the Queen Mother's next sentence was: "The Concubine Xian is smart and clever. If you have time, let the Concubine Xian learn more from you."
Yingning and Tingxu looked at each other, and when they heard the Queen Mother's words, the expressions on their faces changed for a few moments.
They all saw how difficult it was for the Empress to learn palace affairs. The candles in Linxuan Palace were lit until the second watch every day. Empress Xianfei also wanted to help manage the six palaces.
She has already been promoted to the position of Imperial Concubine, and she has her own years. If she continues to obey the Empress Dowager in everything as before, she will probably disappoint the Empress Dowager's expectations if the news gets out.
Ruan Yun lowered her brows and showed some embarrassment. She said, "The Empress is not in good health. She has chosen me to help manage the six palaces. The Emperor has also agreed to this. If it were just me, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to make this decision."
The Queen Mother didn't want to embarrass Ruan Yun on such an occasion, but after hearing what she said, she became even more annoyed. She pressed her hands down and was about to speak when the Emperor and Queen entered from the main hall.
Ruan Jun turned around and knelt down hurriedly. Her cardamom purple narcissus skirt set off her slim and beautiful figure, but her watery eyes showed a hint of grievance. She just glanced at the emperor quickly and lowered her head.
Yan Shiyu glanced at the people at the top and said in a deep voice, "Stand up."
Yingning hurriedly stepped forward to support Ruan Yun, and Ruan Yun then sat back down on the emperor's left hand side.
"Let's have a feast!"
Everyone stood up to toast, and the music of singing and dancing in the Qingxuan Palace gradually began. Yan Shiyu told everyone not to be so reserved, and then he withdrew his gaze.
Ruan Jun was still the same, with her head down, not knowing what she was thinking about.
Yan Shiyu saw this and calmly pulled her hand to his knee. Ruan Jun twitched and wanted to take her hand back. There were civil and military officials below, and the Empress was beside the Emperor. This scene really made her ears turn red.
When the Queen Mother saw Yan Shiyu coming, she could no longer continue what she had just said.
Although Ruan Jun's eyes were on the singing and dancing below, she found it quite amusing to see the golden bells tied on the actors' wrists, the crisp sounds echoing throughout the entire hall.
Her almond-shaped eyes looked calmly towards where the official was sitting. Cui Juebai did not see anything, but instead saw that the lady was looking at her from time to time.
Ruan Jun raised a faint smile at the corner of her lips, and with her other hand that was not held by the emperor, she touched the cup and drank it all in one gulp before Yan Shiyu noticed.
Yan Shiyu stared at Ruan Yun with his dark eyes, and said with a half-smile, "Who is trying to compete with you?"
"I'm still short of your wine?"
Ruan Yun's face flushed, her voice was gentle, with a hint of the sweetness of fruit wine, "Last time, the emperor even ordered someone to take away the wine cup in front of me."
As soon as Yan Shiyu saw her like this, he knew that she must be drunk.
Hui people dare to drink without knowing their own alcohol tolerance.
His eyes swept over Wei Maoyuan, and Wei Maoyuan hurried forward to replace the wine on the table of the imperial concubine with scented tea.
The fragrance wafted over her face, and Ruan Jun withdrew her hand, but as she was in a superior position, she could not say anything more.
She sat there with her eyes sparkling, wiping the corners of her lips with a handkerchief, and said in a pretentious tone, "I want to go change my clothes."
Yan Shiyu only ordered calmly, "Serve your queen well."
There was no need for Yingning and Tingxu to say much. They helped Ruan Yun to stand up and soon entered the side hall.
Suddenly, Ruan Jun patted Yingning's wrist. Yingning and Tingxu looked at each other and understood what the queen meant.
Tingxu helped Ruan Yun sit down. Yingning turned around and said softly, "The queen wants to sober up here. You go down first."
After the palace maid Fu died, she left, leaving the three of them, the master and the servant, alone in the side hall.
Here you can still hear the sound of stringed instruments from the main hall, which is so pleasant to the ears and quite intoxicating.
The wine was indeed spicy when it first entered the stomach, and this was exactly the effect Ruan Jun wanted.
She looked outside the door, and in the dim light and shadow, she could see the figures of patrolling guards.
"He can't be here." The bracelets on Ruan Yunhao's wrists jingled. "If he is really here, he will leave in a while. He can't come in here."
Yingning nodded and opened the door to the side hall.
The servant standing guard outside bowed his head and asked, "What do you want, Madam?"
Ying Ning smiled and said, "Your Majesty wants to walk around. The side hall is hot and stuffy and you will feel even more uncomfortable."
The palace maid moved aside, showing no intention of stopping him.
Tingxu had already helped Ruan Jun to stand up. Looking at the empress' eyes that were clear just now, his steps became disordered and he couldn't help but want to laugh.
Chunqing was already waiting outside the palace. He was very familiar with the outside of Qingxuan Palace. He whispered, "Your Majesty, are you waiting in the rockery? If anyone comes, I will confirm his identity."
Ruan Yun thought for a moment, looked at the full moon in the sky, raised his hand to deny Chun Qing's words, "My palace is right here."
If she went to the rockery and Cui Chebai really came over later, the risk of being noticed something unusual would increase.
Yingning was fanning Ruan Yun, and the cool breeze made Ruan Yun feel much more clear-headed.
Looking at the group of gorgeous peonies in front of her reminded her of an old friend.
It turns out that so much time has passed.
The evening breeze blew the beads on her gorgeous hair, and as they swayed gently, the sound of footsteps approached.
When Ji Juebai arrived, he saw her black hair tied up in a bun, with her fair neck exposed. She looked fragile yet a little seductive, and her delicate and fair face was even more charming than it was five years ago.
The moment Ruan Yun turned around, she saw that familiar face appear in front of her again, but now he looked more mature and stable than before.
The smell of alcohol coming from her face made Ruan Jun frown. She glanced at Ji Lubai coldly. Unlike what he thought, there was no deep affection in Ruan Jun's eyes.
Now when they reached the rockery, Chunqing knew what to do and guarded it carefully to prevent anyone from entering.
Ruan Jun walked towards the depths of the rockery. Ji Lubai wanted to follow her eagerly, but was blocked by Ying Ning who suddenly stopped.
Although Ji Juebai was a little angry at being blocked, he suppressed his anger when he saw the person in front of him, who was Ayun's maid, and said respectfully, "Please give me a favor."
Ying Ning spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, just blocking Ji Yubai's way and not doing anything else:
"I just want to remind you that the person in front of you is the Emperor's Consort Ying Gui. You should know what you should and should not do."
Ji Juebai clenched his fists and said, "You are just a servant. It is beyond the rules to speak to your master like this."
Ying Ning was not angry at Ji Juebai's sarcasm, but just said calmly: "I am a servant, but I am only the servant of the Imperial Concubine, not yours, my Lord."
Ji Juebai didn't want to waste any more words with Ying Ning, he just wanted to talk to Ruan Yun as soon as possible.
Ruan Yun stood not far from him, and the distance between the two made Ruan Yun feel at ease.
"Ayun, I haven't seen you for a long time. You are still the same as before..." Ji Jue was interrupted by Ruan Yun before he could finish his words. "Lord Cui... No, you are no longer surnamed Cui now, maybe you even changed your name. To me, this is all your own business. I just want to know, what exactly is the matter that brought you to me?"
Ji Juebai felt that the distance between them was too far. He wanted to take a step closer, but Ying Ning blocked his way, making it always like this between him and Ruan Yun.
Ji Juebai had no choice but to lower his head and said in a dull voice: "Yes, I did change my surname. Now my surname is Ji, not Cui anymore."
Ruan Yun had expected this, but because she heard it suddenly, she held the fan a little tighter.
Ji Juebai could only stand there dejectedly, and continued in the same voice as before: "After you left, the Cui family fell into ruin. In order to save the family, my father took the risk and went to sea, but he never came back. My mother had no choice but to take me and remarry to another merchant whose wife had just died. That merchant had no children and was already... in his forties at that time, but he was good to my mother, so my mother suggested that I change my surname."
There would be no sympathy in Ruan Jun's eyes. This was all what they deserved. Would she forgive them just because the tone of her voice sounded more pitiful?
Ji Juebai tilted his head towards Ruan Yun and continued:
"But his business was not big, and it could only support the family. In order to pay for my tuition, my mother did embroidery to supplement her income, and at the same time let me follow the teacher. Later, I passed the imperial examination and now work in the Ministry of Rites."
After Ji Juebai finished speaking, he seemed to be afraid that Ruan Yun would leave at any time, and hurriedly said: "That step-shaking shawl, Ayun, did you see it? Is it because of that step-shaking shawl that you came out to see me? You also remembered the days when we were together, right? Ayun, I have been looking for you all these years, are you doing well?"
Ruan Yun listened to Ji Juebai's series of questions and only said one sentence, "It is indeed because of that step-shaking that I want to come and see you."
Ji Juebai just smiled, but soon he froze in place because of Ruan Jun's next words:
"I just feel sorry that you are not dead, but alive and standing in front of me."
Ji Juebai looked over in disbelief, and regardless of Yingning's obstruction, he pushed Yingning away.
Ruan Jun was extremely worried when she saw this. When she looked at Ji Lubai again, her eyes turned cold.
There were many strange rocks in the rockery and there was no candlelight inside, so Yingning would easily be bumped into if he pushed her like that.
Ji Jue Baisi didn't notice anything was wrong with Ruan Yun. When he strode up to Ruan Yun, the smell of alcohol on his body spread to Ruan Yun's nose, causing Ruan Yun to have to cover her mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
"Ayun, are you still blaming me for not telling you the truth and causing you to be sold? But at that time, it was only because I had you in my heart. I know you didn't want to, but I had no choice. People are made of flesh and blood. When two people get along for a long time, they will always have someone else in their hearts."
Ruan Yun avoided Ji Ebai in disgust. Every word he said brought back the memories of that time that made Ruan Yun nauseous.
Ting Xu stood in front of the Empress and Ji Juebai and said angrily, "Master Ji, please respect yourself. The person in front of you is the Imperial Concubine. How can you approach her so easily?"
Ji Lubai looked at Ruan Jun in her gorgeous clothes and wanted to grab her arm.
But Tingxu saw through Ji Juebai's intention and slapped him directly on the face.
It was not severe and it did not leave any marks, but it was enough to make Ji Lubai more sober now.
Ji Jubai was filled with rage and had no place to vent it. When he realized that this was Ruan Yun's concubine, he could vaguely guess that this must have been done with Ruan Yun's instructions.
He clenched his fists and tried to keep himself calm. "Ayun, I've been beaten, and you should finally vent your anger. I still like your gentle and sensible appearance in the past. I know that you became the emperor's concubine just to piss me off. Now I will explain everything to you. Are you willing to leave with me? We can find a place where no one is around and live together."
Ruan Jun looked at Ji Yubai's face and thought he was absurd and ridiculous.
Her voice was not as gentle as usual, and she said coldly: "Why do you think I will leave with you? Because of the past?"
Ji Juebai nodded, "Ayun, have you forgotten everything?"
Ruan Yun raised her lips and said sarcastically, "I haven't forgotten. It is precisely because I haven't forgotten that when I see you again now, I only want to see you dead, not as an official of the Ministry of Rites with unlimited glory."
She looked at Ji Yubai with calm eyes, only disgust in her eyes:
"After all, you have passed the imperial examination and are now employed by the Ministry of Rites. Every step you take forward is on my flesh and blood. Why should I be your stepping stone?"
"You don't really think you can be better than the emperor?"
Ruan Jun touched the armor in her hand, which was shining with golden light, reminding Ji Lubai of her current identity all the time.
Ji Juebai's eyes were dim, and he couldn't understand why Ruan Jun would say such a thing. In his panic, something suddenly flashed through his mind:
"Ayun, I know you blame me and resent me, but this also shows that you have always been thinking about me and caring about me. I understand that you are angry, but as long as you agree, I will do anything for you."
Ruan Yun's fingertips dug into her palms, and she regretted that she had not personally delivered the slap because of her status.
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