Chapter 6
"Your Majesty, Consort An is drunk."
Before the eunuch could announce her arrival, Li Xiaoran opened the palace door and pulled Qi Nian'an up from the ground. After carefully looking her up and down, she finally felt relieved.
There's no best friend in the world.
All the talk of her being special and unique was just a lie to deceive her.
Qi Nian'an felt a lump in her throat and her eyes welled up with tears. Forgetting all manners, she gave Li Xiaoran a bear hug, her chest heaving as a wave of grievance washed over her.
"He bullied me!!"
Qi Nian'an regulated her breathing before her anger finally welled up.
She said, "I was the one who saved him just now. I only said a few careless words to him afterward, and he wants to put me in solitary confinement, and even said that I was meddling in politics. What a huge accusation!"
He even pushed me down!
Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoran looked at Shao Sizhi, her eyes filled with undisguised hostility.
Shao Sizhi was taken aback and speechless. He turned around with disbelief on his face, his previous icy demeanor softening slightly. He suddenly raised his voice and questioned, "When did I push you to the ground? Putting aside imperial etiquette, just—"
"Look, he even yelled at me!"
Qi Nian'an interrupted him, looked up at Li Xiaoran, his chest heaving with increasing resentment.
A moment of patience brings peace, but taking a step back only makes you angrier.
Qi Nian'an wiped her face haphazardly. She had never been so wronged before. At this moment, she wanted to scold Shao Sizhi. If he didn't like her, why did he bother to provoke her? If he wanted to provoke her for fun, why did he keep keeping her at arm's length?
The still-warm hand behind him gripped his wrist tightly under his sleeve and shook it gently.
Li Xiaoran stepped back without making a sound. At this moment, she looked just like the Consort Ling in the drama, strategizing and managing the inner palace. She slowly said in a calm tone, "Consort An's rescue of Your Majesty was not easy. She has injured her bones and needs to rest. If Your Majesty is alright, I will take my people back."
Shao Sizhi frowned and interrupted, "So, Consort An intends to announce to the world that I am a foolish ruler who is unclear about rewards and punishments?"
"How dare you!"
"I didn't say you were unclear about rewards and punishments. Who said you were unclear about rewards and punishments? Do you feel that everyone is saying you are unclear about rewards and punishments because you yourself are? If you are unclear about rewards and punishments because of this, then isn't that being unclear about rewards and punishments?"
Qi Nian'an couldn't help but raise her voice.
Li Xiaoran broke out in a cold sweat, reached out and pulled Qi Nian'an behind her, smiled faintly, and forced herself to remain calm, saying, "Your Majesty, Consort An is still young and has just drunk alcohol and was frightened. There's nothing we can do about her not being sober for a moment, so I'll take her back."
Shao Sizhi stood there coldly watching Qi Nian'an's movements. He stood there for a long time, until the surrounding air seemed to freeze, before he slowly spoke: "I will not hold it against her because she is still young."
After saying that, he slowly lowered his gaze, seemingly looking away, then turned and left without any hesitation.
*
"He couldn't argue with me, so he ran away." Qi Nian'an muttered as she lay on the bed, a bright yellow figure seemingly appearing before her eyes, vaguely approaching her, like a phantom bubble.
"All you do is run away."
Li Xiaoran watched as her pale yellow skirt was crumpled and squashed, and she snatched it from those hands with a huff.
"My dear, your love comes and goes so quickly. I've never seen you so obsessed with looks before. He's just a bit handsome, what is it about him that you like?"
“I liked him when I read the script.”
Qi Nian'an's eyes lit up immediately, and he sat up straight, making sure Comrade Li Xiaoran stood at attention.
"He's the kind of person who's an ice queen, but actually a gentleman. He's good-looking, speaks softly, is capable and cultured, and has impeccable character, and then..."
"Him?"
Li Xiaoran chuckled, then helplessly touched Qi Nian'an's face and shook it.
"Think carefully about your time with him these past few days. Do you really think he has a good personality and good character?"
"Think about it, he used Consort Yi and then discarded her. Besides, do you see him as humble? Is he as gentle? Don't forget that he pushed you to the ground today. Only the most useless man would lay a hand on his family. Once something like this happens, it will happen again. Real-life men are not as good as the scripts you read."
Qi Nian'an reached out and hugged the soft, smooth pillow on the bed, then slowly rested her head on Li Xiaoran's shoulder and sighed.
I was indeed somewhat bewitched.
"What should I do? I can't forget him."
That person's voice, appearance, and smile played repeatedly in my mind like a ghost, haunting me. Just thinking about him made me yearn to be close to him, as if I had seen a ghost.
"I have a plan."
Li Xiaoran exchanged a glance with her and silently raised the corners of her mouth slightly.
The next morning, as dawn broke, the gates of Zhengyang Palace were gently opened, and palace maids filed in. Copper basins adorned with gold thread and new silk fabrics were also presented as tribute. Although the scene was as tranquil and undisturbed as ever, there was a certain solemnity about it.
"Your Highness, Consort Qi knelt outside Zhengyang Palace all night yesterday and was dragged into the Cold Palace at dawn. His Majesty has decreed that the entire Wu family be exterminated and beheaded today."
The head palace maid, Zhihe, whispered and reached out to insert a hairpin into Li Xiaoran's hair.
"knew."
Li Xiaoran turned around and exchanged a glance with Qi Nian'an, her expression grave.
Upon hearing this, Qi Nian'an instantly sobered up a bit. She got off the bed and ran outside as fast as she could. The cold air was still biting, and it kept seeping into her collar and into her internal organs. A feeling of sorrow and grief instantly welled up in her heart.
"Your Highness Consort An, please put on another piece of clothing."
Zhihe chased after her and coaxed her gently, then draped a warm fur coat over her and handed her a hand warmer.
Where is His Majesty?
Qi Nian'an swallowed hard, suppressing the tremor in her heart.
"This servant does not know, Your Majesty, please do not leave this palace. His Majesty is in a bad mood. Last night, for some reason, he killed batch after batch of people and carried them all out of the palace. Several prominent families in the capital, along with the Wuhou Mansion and the Grand Tutor's Mansion, were all executed overnight."
Zhihe held up her umbrella to block the falling snow, and looked at the Cold Palace with a worried expression.
"Consort Qi couldn't take the blow and went mad."
Crazy?
Qi Nian'an's throat tightened, and her fingertips trembled uncontrollably. Her thick clothes prevented the winter snow from penetrating, yet she felt a chill all over her body.
She looked down at the hand warmer in her hand, its delicate embroidery depicting mandarin ducks and lotus flowers, a beautiful embroidery pattern that evoked the warmth of spring.
"I know what you're thinking. Don't reload the save file. You can't change the inevitable trend."
Li Xiaoran, who had dressed and left the palace at some point, stood behind her and patted her on the shoulder.
Keep going down, don't look back.
Qi Nian'an understood perfectly. She closed her dark eyes, and tears welled up again.
The wind picked up and grew stronger, stirring this corner of the town.
"My dear girl, don't get too caught up in the role. We're not paying you, so just slack off. Forget about that jerk and let's find some handsome guys."
Li Xiaoran nudged her arm and pulled her back into the hall without saying a word.
Um? ?
Qi Nian'an looked at the large group of people of all shapes and sizes standing in the hall, then turned to look at her best friend who was smiling brightly in the sunshine.
So you're the only one who got into character, right?
She wasn't in the mood, but didn't want to spoil Li Xiaoran's fun, so she casually pointed to the tallest ones and sat back down to watch Li Xiaoran choose.
"Look, the secret report I sent out yesterday, telling the Gao family to hurry up and find handsome guards in the palace, eunuchs will do too, and they're already full today. It's better not to get too caught up in the act and just enjoy it."
Li Xiaoran carefully compared and outlined the names on the roster, and then meticulously selected the guards for the palace.
"Let me tell you, all the most handsome men in the entire palace are here. You won't find another like it!"
Qi Nian'an tilted her head and examined each one one by one, casually grabbing a handful of sunflower seeds to crack open. As she looked at them, she became engrossed, and her frustration gradually faded away.
Since things have come to this, let's look at the handsome guy first.
When the most handsome man saw her looking over, he smiled and took the initiative to step forward, squat down and offer her wine. Dressed in a light blue robe, he walked around the screen, took the wine cup, and leaned against her, squatting down beside her with a particularly warm smile.
"Rumor has it that Consort An is a beauty that could topple kingdoms, but seeing her today, I finally understand what it means to be a celestial maiden descended to earth."
"But why does Your Majesty look so troubled? May I offer some words of comfort to ease your worries?"
Qi Nian'an stiffly pushed away the wine cup, looking at Li Xiaoran with a helpless expression.
Li Xiaoran nodded, signaling the next person to step forward and give a slight bow. Even through the screen, her striking figure could be seen.
"This is my seventh brother, my cousin, a famous scholar in the capital."
She ordered the screen to be removed, and Qi Nian'an immediately noticed that Li Xiaoyi had dark eyebrows and calm eyes, and was somewhat similar to Shao Sizhi, but lacked the aloof imperial majesty that Shao Sizhi possessed.
"Greetings, Consort Ling."
He held a folding fan and didn't take a step forward, maintaining his distance. His silent demeanor was exactly the same as Shao Sizhi's.
"I wonder what brings Your Highness the Imperial Concubine here. It would be inappropriate for me to be here. Perhaps..."
Qi Nian'an sighed.
Li Xiaoyi looked up at the sound and saw a woman with long, dark eyebrows and autumn-like hair, dressed in bright peach-colored clothes with thick sleeves rolled up, leaning against the table. She was a beautiful woman, but there was a hint of sorrow in her eyes. Even the hairpin in her hair was not moving, tightly bound by her worries, which added to her static and divine appearance.
Qi Nian'an stared blankly at the handsome man, confused. She coughed, and he immediately lowered his head and stood motionless like a tree stump.
"Perhaps I can offer some relief to Your Majesty's worries."
Li Xiaoyi whispered, then stood there motionless, refusing to look up.
Qi Nian'an felt increasingly uneasy about the situation. She wrapped the blanket around herself tighter, sensing that something was amiss.
"Your Highness, I have come to pay my respects."
Outside the door, Consort Ling's voice, tinged with a hint of elation, drifted over.
Upon hearing the sound, Nan Zhi and Zhi He immediately got up, each pulling one of them and stuffing them into the inner room.
"Oh, Consort An is here too."
"It's really unfortunate. His Majesty has been in a bad mood these past few days, and I've tried to persuade him every day. Consort An is just that carefree and easygoing, but His Majesty is still very troubled. Sister, you should reflect on your mistakes and maybe this confinement will be lifted. You can also see the beautiful winter plum blossoms in the Imperial Garden soon. His Majesty even praised me as being like a winter plum blossom a few days ago."
Consort Ling glanced sideways towards the inner room, and then laughed out loud, seemingly quite pleased.
"My sister needs to be able to endure the loneliness!"
Qi Nian'an suddenly laughed out loud. She waved to Nan Zhi, who stared in surprise, repeatedly confirming what she understood.
Immediately, the two young masters inside were pulled out and stood there helplessly.
Consort An was startled and her face changed. She raised her hand and ordered someone to go behind the screen. While speaking, she still covered her face with her fan and glared angrily at Qi Nian'an.
"What's wrong? Aren't you going to watch? I thought you wanted to watch too, otherwise why would you keep flirting with the seventh son of the Li family?"
Qi Nian'an casually grabbed a handful of melon seeds and stuffed them into Consort Ling's hand.
"Eat something quickly, Consort Ling. Don't fan yourself in the dead of winter."
"younger sister……"
"eat."
Qi Nian'an stuffed another handful of food into her mouth without saying a word. Consort Ling's face turned a riot of colors, and she stared at her speechlessly.
"Your Highness, please keep an eye on Consort An. We are, after all, imperial concubines. If this gets out to someone with ulterior motives, they might think that all the concubines within the palace walls are like Consort An."
"I have already informed the Emperor that Li Laoqi came to the front court to discuss matters and took the opportunity to visit his old sister. The young master of the Gao family, having nothing else to do, also came along to pay his respects."
Li Xiaoran smiled, and Zhihe handed a cup of water to Consort Ling.
"Yes, actually I have long harbored feelings for them. Since Your Majesty is indifferent, you should not let your love blossom over the wall and seek your own way out."
Qi Nian'an added a casual remark.
The hall fell silent.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
