When the emperor came, Luo Lan was sitting at the table in a daze. This morning, no one brought her food or water. She sat in this forgotten corner, feeling even more forgotten.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
Eunuch Liu's hoarse voice was like a startling burst of wind, breaking the tranquility in Luo Lan's heart. The moment the door opened, she stood up, knelt in front of the emperor, and whispered:
"Good luck to the Emperor."
When the emperor stood before her, his face was gloomy. Eunuch Liu hurriedly pulled a chair over and said, "Your Majesty, please sit down."
The emperor swung his clothes, looked at Luo Lan with a deep gaze, and sat down.
He didn't say anything, and Luo Lan also lowered his head and remained silent.
After a while, he finally lost his patience and asked:
"Shui Luolan, did you do that on purpose last night?"
His words startled Luo Lan. She frowned and replied in a low voice:
"Luo Lan doesn't understand what the emperor means."
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke word by word:
"You think I wouldn't know you're being clever? I've already found out. You first made Concubine Chang suspicious of you, then led me to Qingyu Garden, and then tricked the Crown Prince into revealing the details of how Yu'er was framed. You've got it all under your control, right?"
"yes."
Luo Lan replied directly without any hesitation or concealment:
"Your Majesty is right. All of this was arranged by Luo Lan. I cannot let Leng Yu bear the infamy of patricide for the rest of his life. He should not be misunderstood. The fact that he was framed should be made public."
"So you're using me? Using Concubine Chang? Using the Crown Prince? You're really killing three birds with one stone!"
"Your Majesty, this is wrong. Luo Lan didn't use anyone. The Crown Prince had lustful thoughts about me, and Concubine Chang was wary of me. Your Majesty, you have no confidence in the affairs of the harem. Therefore, by chance, you helped Luo Lan and cleared Leng Yu's name."
When she said this, her voice was soft, but it carried a tone that made people dare not look down on her. She did not say it too harshly, entirely because the person in front of her was the emperor. Otherwise, she would definitely say bluntly: You all have ulterior motives, otherwise how could my little trick of Shui Luolan succeed?
Listening to her words, the emperor's brows knitted together. Her words made sense. If Leng Yun didn't have any evil intentions towards her, how could he be willing to tell the truth? Then this secret, until his death, he, the emperor, would never know.
He looked at Luo Lan, who was kneeling on the ground with her head down, and felt a mixture of indescribable emotions in her heart.
Suddenly, he sighed and said with some resentment:
"This matter has a huge impact. I will immediately issue an edict to exonerate Yu'er, clear his name, and restore his status as Prince Yu. However, I believe you are doing this for Yu'er's own good, but others will not believe it. The people in the harem cannot stop their gossip, so I have to consider the reputation of the royal family."
At this point, he paused, a stern look on his aged face as he continued, "You now have two choices: First, you can clear Yu'er's name. Although you have made an invaluable contribution, I cannot allow you to stay with him. You can choose to leave Yu'er and live your own life, but I will order someone to give you a sum of money so that you can live comfortably for the rest of your life. Second, you will go to the Ministry of Punishment to stand trial. You are married, but you were unfaithful to your husband and attempted to seduce the Crown Prince. With this crime on your shoulders, you are no longer fit to remain in the royal family."
The emperor's words suddenly made Luo Lan feel extremely contemptuous in his heart. The meaning of his words was very clear. He was forcing him to leave Leng Yu and leave Prince Yu's Mansion. The people in the royal family were so ruthless. Could this be likened to killing the donkey after it has done its work?
But at the moment, she knew that she could not confront the emperor. Without Leng Yu, no one would speak for her. She still understood the principle that the arm cannot twist the thigh.
So, she nodded slightly and said decisively:
"Shui Luolan shouldn't have married into the royal family. Leng Yu had no one to take care of him before, so Luolan was lucky enough to be able to serve him closely. Now he will soon resume his status as Prince Yu, and I have no intention of staying with him anymore, so I choose to leave."
She would never enter a place like the Ministry of Punishment, nor should she enter it.
The emperor breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her speak so freely, then nodded slowly and said:
"Okay, in that case, you don't have to go back to Prince Yu's Mansion to say goodbye to Yu'er. Take the silver and leave. And you can't stay in the capital."
Hearing this, Luo Lan's mouth twitched slightly. The emperor didn't know that Leng Yu had gone to Ningguta, and she didn't intend to tell him. Once his imperial edict was issued, Leng Yu would be free again, and the people in Ningguta would naturally be pardoned. Then, no matter where he was, he would be safe.
So, she slowly stood up and nodded to the emperor:
"Okay, but I want to take my two girls with me."
The emperor said without hesitation:
"Liu Xi, give her one thousand taels of silver, let her take her maid, and you personally escort her out of the capital."
There was majesty in his words, and he asked Eunuch Liu to personally escort her out of the capital. It seemed that he was not confident in himself.
She raised her eyebrows and replied softly:
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Luo Lan will take his leave."
She didn't want to say a word to the emperor, nor did she want to stay in this ruthless palace any longer. Leaving this place of trouble as soon as possible was undoubtedly the best choice for her.
Liu Xi quickly escorted the three of them out of the capital, and handed her a thousand taels of silver. He said to her in a hoarse voice, as if giving instructions and threatening her:
"From now on, you are still Shui Luolan, no longer Princess Yu. You must take care of yourself. The Emperor has shown mercy and has not investigated your background or your purpose for approaching the palace. Please do not challenge the majesty of the royal family lightly, nor challenge the words of the Emperor. I hope you will not cause trouble for Prince Yu. The road ahead is long, and I wish you well."
"Thank you for the reminder, sir."
Luo Lan bowed and gestured to Ah Hong to take the banknote. Without stopping for a moment, he turned and left.
Eunuch Liu's words represent the emperor. It seems that he is afraid that he will return to the capital and Prince Yu's Mansion.
Luo Lan raised his face, faced the wind, and walked forward.
Although the road ahead is unknown, she is focused. No matter what the outcome between her and Leng Yu will be, as long as he is safe, she will be at peace and have nothing to worry about.
The world is so big, there is always a place for her...
Looking at her back, Liu Xi half-closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and murmured:
"Take care of yourself. Leaving the royal family may be the best way out for you."
Leaving these words behind, he turned and entered the city gate with a group of palace servants.
Imperial Study,
Concubine Chang looked at the emperor puzzledly and asked softly:
"Why did you let her go?"
The emperor looked at the scroll in his hand slowly and said softly:
“Why can’t we release it?”
"Her identity is fake. Her aunt was supposed to come and identify her today. Why did the Emperor suddenly release her? Doesn't the Emperor suspect her purpose in approaching Yu'er?"
Concubine Chang was originally waiting for the emperor to personally interrogate her about her fake identity today, but she just learned that she had left the capital. How could she accept this result?
"There's nothing to doubt."
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