It was Su Wanwan who was supposed to grant the official position to the Earl of Pingjiang, but Lu Xingjian took over the matter directly, so Su Wanwan didn't have to worry about it anymore.
Chen Qiong was a little uneasy: "Is His Majesty staying at Huangcun Post Station?"
Zhang Zhong gave a noncommittal reply: "How can we casually inquire about the Emperor's whereabouts?"
...
Before it even got dark, Huangcun Post Station in Daxing County, near the capital, was already brightly lit.
Maggie nervously knocked on the door.
"Your Majesty, may I come in?"
Lu Xingjian opened the door and was about to go out when he saw Ma Ji, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"What's up?"
When Maggie saw the cold and distant look on his face, her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
"Your Majesty, are you angry that I took it upon myself to go see the Empress?"
Lu Xingjian paused for a moment, then said coldly, "No."
Maggie clenched her fists, her voice trembling slightly: "So you deliberately sent me to find the Queen?"
“No one forced you.” Lu Xingjian’s voice was devoid of emotion.
Maggie smiled, but the smile was more painful than a grimace.
"Yes, you just showed me the child and let me guess what I would do."
Lu Xingjian's face remained expressionless as he looked at the guards rushing over behind Ma Ji, including Guo Xun, the heir of the Marquis of Wuding.
"It's time to go, Master." Guo Xun's expression was slightly anxious.
Lu Xingjian didn't say much and strode away.
Maggie stood there, watching with a sorrowful expression as Lu Xingjian disappeared around the corner.
My heart aches unbearably.
Everyone thought she was the emperor's favorite.
But only she knew that, in reality, she had very few opportunities to see the emperor.
Lu Xingjian was like a dragon, appearing and disappearing without a trace. She tried every means to get close to him, but always ended up missing him.
I felt increasingly uneasy.
If he hadn't asked her to write a letter to her brother, she might not have even been able to see him.
The more this happened, the more she wanted to grasp onto something.
As a result, even though Su Wanwan imprisoned her for several days, Lu Xingjian didn't say a single word to comfort her.
These days, she quietly went through her experiences since she met Lu Xingjian.
The feeling of being used as a pawn is palpable.
How could she accept this?
Now that she is pregnant, she has no official status and it is unlikely that she will be able to get married.
Then what is she?
One of his toys?
She was willing to be his plaything.
As long as he's willing to give her a proper status, a place to settle down, and a legitimate identity for the child.
But his increasingly indifferent attitude made her lose even that confidence.
Bang!
A loud bang shook the entire building.
Guo Xun escorted Lu Xingjian and strode out.
Just as he was about to leave, Lu Xingjian stopped and hurriedly turned back.
Guo Xun was extremely anxious and kept urging, "Your Majesty, it's too dangerous! Get out of here immediately!"
Maggie was crouching at the doorway of the room she had just left, her hands covering her head, trembling with fear.
Without saying a word, Lu Xingjian grabbed Ma Ji and ran outside.
Bang!
Another loud bang!
The whole building started shaking; it didn't look like it could hold on for much longer!
Lu Xingjian picked up Ma Ji and ran outside.
Lanterns and decorations kept falling down the passageway, the road surface was uneven, and dust covered their heads and faces.
When they left this building, the building next door had already become ruins.
Maggie was completely stunned and speechless.
Lu Xingjian was covered in dust, with a layer of ash clinging to his eyelashes. After putting Ma Ji down, he turned and hurriedly left, ordering as he went, "Lock onto the target, arrest them immediately!"
Maggie stood there, stunned, watching Lu Xingjian's departing figure for a long time, unable to come back to her senses.
Not long after, the building she had just come from collapsed into ruins with a loud bang.
Maggie covered her ears in a panic and ran in the direction Lu Xingjian had left, her legs feeling weak.
...
Su Wanwan stayed at an inn, which wasn't far from Huangcun Post Station.
When the sound of gunfire came, she immediately realized the seriousness of the situation.
This bears some resemblance to the attack that occurred last year on the way back to Beijing from Changping Prefecture.
Back then, Lu Xingjian had her with him, but now he has taken Maggie ahead of him.
Su Wanwan settled in with a heavy heart.
I don't know if Lu Xingjian is safe.
If things are like this in the Gyeonggi region, one can only imagine how dangerous his last trip to Shanxi was.
She couldn't fall asleep until midnight, but saw flames rising outside the window and a growing commotion of voices.
When Su Wanwan got up and came out, the fire had already been extinguished. A group of soldiers in red helmets and blue armor stood in the courtyard of the inn, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
A man exuding a chilling aura stepped out from among the armored soldiers. He was tall and robust, with a fair complexion and no beard. He was none other than Zhang Yong, the commander of the Beijing army.
Su Wanwan immediately felt much more at ease.
"Zhang Daban, is the Emperor safe and sound?"
"Your Majesty is well, please rest assured, Your Majesty. It's just some bandits causing trouble." Zhang Yong downplayed the situation.
In this situation, it's definitely impossible to sleep.
Su Wanwan sat quietly in the lobby of the inn and waited. Before long, Ma Ji was brought over.
Maggie was disheveled, her face pale, and she lay curled up on the stretcher, with traces of bright red blood on her skirt.
When Maggie saw Su Wanwan sitting calmly in the lobby, her face paled even more, and she bit her lip in humiliation.
"Please have mercy, Your Majesty, and please have the Imperial Physician protect my child."
Gone is the arrogance and domineering attitude of before; he now looks rather pitiful.
He Ying nervously tugged at Su Wanwan's sleeve, giving her a disapproving look.
Su Wanwan glanced at Ma Ji and told someone to go and invite Zhang Yong as soon as possible.
“Zhang Daban, Ma Ji is not a concubine in the palace, so it is inconvenient for me to interfere. Please take good care of her health.”
Having experienced the hardships of pregnancy herself, she felt a pang of pity for Maggie in such a disheveled state.
However, Su Wanwan did not immediately send someone to summon the imperial physician because of this pity.
If Ma Ji were a concubine in the palace, then as the Empress, she would have an inescapable responsibility to arrange for someone to treat her.
But Maggie's identity is unknown, so she really doesn't need to take the blame.
If Maggie really does miscarry, then things could get complicated.
Will the Empress Dowager and Empress Zhang accuse her of being malicious and harming the imperial heirs?
Zhang Yong gave Su Wanwan a sharp look, as if he could see right through her.
Su Wanwan accepted his scrutiny without hesitation. She wanted to see how Lu Xingjian's most trusted eunuch would choose.
Zhang Yong's words were blunt: "Does Your Majesty think that you can escape responsibility for what happened to Ma Ji here?"
What kind of talk is that?
Su Wanwan felt a surge of frustration.
It wasn't her who ruined Maggie's life.
"So, she can't have an abortion yet?"
“Your Majesty is wise and will naturally see through the trick,” Zhang Yong said without further ado.
They quickly summoned a doctor, who administered acupuncture and herbal medicine. Later, they also invited several experts in gynecology, and the whole night was spent working on it.
Su Wanwan understood the implied warning in his words.
As soon as she became pregnant, Maggie miscarried.
People will only criticize her for being petty and ruthless, unable to tolerate another woman giving birth to the imperial heir.
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