“It’s not murder?” Miss Qiao became wide-eyed and covered her mouth, looking surprised.
Then they heard footsteps of many people from behind. Qin Yunuan dragged Miss Qiao to stand against the wall. They saw the emperor’s sedan chair was heading to the Qingping Palace. Emperor Zhaoxuan sat on the chair. Although his face was covered by yellow valances, they could still sense that he was serious and grave.
Even the emperor knew it. It was highly likely that the Grand Prince was truly dead.
As expected, when Qin Yunuan arrived at the Qingping Palace, she heard cries. Eunuchs and servant girls who knelt outside the palace all cried loudly. Required by imperial rules, servants should all cry loudly once their masters or mistresses died. The more loudly they cried, it meant the more loyal they were.
Taking a look at those crying servants, Qin Yunuan sneered. Imperial Concubine Yun rushed out of the palace, having her hair down and a pale face.
“Get out of here. Stupid lackeys, how dare you! Why are you crying! My son is not dead. You all stop. Stop.”
Eunuch You, who served the emperor, rushed out and dragged Imperial Concubine Yun. He said, “Your Grace, please don’t get rash. The emperor is in the palace.”
“I don’t care.” Imperial Concubine Yun still behaved disgracefully and even kicked a eunuch near her fiercely and especially on his chest. “You all stop crying. My son is still alive.”
Seeing several servant girls persuaded and dragged Imperial Concubine Yun into the palace, Qin Yunuan then looked at eunuchs and servant girls who kept silent. She thought they were quite insensible. Imperial Concubine Yun originally expected much from Sima Ruo who was her dear son. However, these servants dared to cry before her, so they really asked for censure.
The eunuch near the door led Qin Yunuan to walk in, and she was glared at by Imperial Concubine Yun who held Sima Ruo in her arms. Sima Ruo, who looked pale, lay on Imperial Concubine Yun’s big carved bed hung with floor-length valances. Imperial doctors knelt around the bed. The emperor frowned and looked away. Although he was heartbroken too, he couldn’t help shaking his head when seeing Imperial Concubine Yun went mad.
Zhang Ruting, who knelt in front, said sorrowfully, “Your Grace, the Grand Prince has already passed away. Please restrain your grief.”
Imperial Concubine Yun stood up and pushed Zhang Ruting to the ground fiercely. “Get out. You, a bunch of useless rubbish. If you can’t save my son, I will kill you all.”
“Your Grace, the Grand Prince has passed away for a long time, and no one can save him now. Your Grace, please calm down.”
No matter how hard Zhang Ruting persuaded her, she just didn’t believe her son was dead. Then she saw Qin Yunuan came in, so she walked to grasp the latter’s arm with her long dress hemline covering the floor. She said, “It’s you. I know it’s you who killed my son.”
Imperial Concubine Yun’s grasp was so tight that it hurt Qin Yunuan’s wrist. “Your Grace, we are all sorry for the Grand Prince’s sudden death. But please calm down and don’t blame innocent people at your will.”
“What if I have this?” Imperial Concubine Yun took out a begonia-shaped hairpin which looked familiar to Qin Yunuan. Then Imperial Concubine Yun said aggressively, “Don’t tell me you don’t know who this hairpin belongs to. This is yours.”
Qin Yunuan’s pupils were dilated. She remembered it. This was a poisoned hairpin that Qin Yunzhuang and Dou Qing’e sent to her to frame her. She wore it once in the imperial feast and then threw it away. But why would it…
“I found this in Ruo’s pocket. Doctors say this hairpin is poisoned. Although it’s been a long time, it still can still kill people.” Imperial Concubine Yun looked at Qin Yunuan sharply. “Qin Yunuan, how charming on earth are you? Leng Changxi is enchanted by you, and so is my son. Tell me. Are you deliberate to let my son get enchanted by you and then send this poisoned hairpin to him to kill him? You must do this on purpose. You must be feeling so complacent to see that Ruo, who I’m most proud of, die of this small hairpin, right?”
“Your Grace, I didn’t. In terms of this hairpin…”
“Don’t find excuses.” Imperial Concubine Yun cut in. She threw her sleeves and ordered, “Drag this seductive woman down and beat her up until she pleads guilty.”
“Shut your mouth up!” Emperor Zhaoxuan couldn’t stand anymore. He stood up angrily and pointed at Imperial Concubine Yun. “I have had enough of you. If you were not that ambitious, Ruo wouldn’t die. Doctors and servants have reported that there is no sign of a fight. And the poison that kills Ruo is not the one on this hairpin. It’s highly possible that Ruo killed himself. Why can’t you believe?”
“Your Majesty, he won’t. Ruo will make big achievements, and he will become the Crown Prince, the future emperor of Qi.”
Emperor Zhaoxuan snorted and said, “Merely given that you are his mother, I will never feel reassured to grant him the Crown Prince title.”
“It’s impossible.” Imperial Concubine Yun was already in her delirium. “No, he won’t kill himself. He’s obedient and filial. He won’t abandon me.” She turned around and vented her anger on Qin Yunuan. She rushed to Qin Yunuan and shouted, “It’s all your fault. I will kill you to take revenge for my son.” While saying this, she grabbed Qin Yunuan’s arm, but before she did anything, someone shook her off fiercely. Moreover, this person seemed to hate her so much. He directly bent and dislocated her right arm.
Imperial Concubine Yun said against the pain, “Leng Changxi! You, again! Bastard!”
Leng Changxi still wore the bat-shaped mask, and he looked so cold and fearless that he terrified and scared all people, including Emperor Zhaoxuan who couldn’t help frowning.
“Nuanuan, are you alright?” Leng Changxi stood in front of Qin Yunuan in a close distance to protect her.
“Humph, even if you are the First General of Qi, so what?” Imperial Concubine Yun sneered, “You were in the Meng Army to join your first military drill. It was because your father brazenly begged my brother to allow you to join through his impersonal network. Do you think you are something? The whole country counts on my Meng Army. You’re nothing.”
Leng Changxi looked sharp and walked towards Imperial Concubine Yun to twist and dislocate her chin. At once, she couldn’t say anything and even couldn’t close her mouth. Soon, she drooled and was in a very awkward situation.
“You scolded my father and Nuannuan, two people I care most. So you ask for this.” Leng Changxi took a glance at Imperial Concubine Yun coldly. Then he knelt down towards Emperor Zhaoxuan to admit his error and ask for the punishment. “I was reckless just now. Your Majesty, please punish me. But if she scolds them again, I will still do this.”
He was not asking for any punishment but warning. However, Emperor Zhaoxuan didn’t pay attention to him. He walked towards Imperial Concubine Yun. The makeup on her pretty face was messed up because of crying, and her originally silky hair was tangled like a mass of hay.
“You said the whole country counted on the Meng Army?” Emperor Zhaoxuan put his focus on this. Who an emperor feared most were civil officials having a big influence and military officials holding large military power.
Imperial Concubine Yun couldn’t talk. She just looked at the emperor piteously and shook her head desperately.
Emperor Zhaoxuan squinted. Truly, the Meng Family had been established for a long time. It had been the most prestigious military family since the founding of Qi. He knew Imperial Concubine Yun was so arrogant, bossy and craving for power and success. She spent more than half-year expenditure of the palace building the Yellow Flower Maze. Emperor Zhaoxuan didn’t blame her just because her backer was the strong Meng Army.
However, the Meng Army accident that happened before warned him now.
“Your family truly has grasped much that you shouldn’t have. And you, you also have lived at ease here for a long time.” Emperor Zhaoxuan walked to her and put his mouth near her ear. He said coldly, “Don’t think I don’t know how my last empress died. She found out you fornicated with a guard and wanted to report it to me. But you poisoned her, and she died. Now you know why I say I will never grant Ruo the Crown Prince title given that you are his mother?”
Emperor Zhaoxuan patted her wrinkle-free face in a sarcastic way. He wore a quirky smile and said, “I don’t know whether he’s my son. How will I allow a bastard to become the Crown Prince?”
Imperial Concubine Yun shook her head desperately and still attempted to defend herself. But Emperor Zhaoxuan straightened up and ordered Eunuch You near him, “Issue a decree to tell everyone that the Grand Prince suddenly became severely ill and passed away. Imperial Concubine Yun felt so heartbroken that she also passed away because of angina. Her posthumous title is Imperial Concubine Zhaojia.”
Qin Yunuan was shocked. Imperial Concubine Yun was still alive, but the emperor issued such a decree. It obviously meant that he wanted to kill her. Or, he hated her long ago but didn’t show his hatred for the sake of stabilizing the Qi army.
It was understandable why he did this. Now, the Leng Army was at its heyday, and it could replace the long-established Meng Army at any time. No wonder Emperor Zhaoxuan could order to kill Imperial Concubine Yun without having any concern.
“Nuannuan, let’s go.” Leng Changxi put his arms around Qin Yunuan and tended to take her to leave here. Outside the palace, Qin Yunuan saw servants already had a piece of white satin, poison and a dagger in their hands.
Looking at Leng Changxi who was serious, Qin Yunuan suddenly felt a bit worried. Now Leng Changxi held more and more power so in the future…Leng Changxi seemed to know what she worried about and stroke her head gently. “Don’t worry. I’m not Meng Hua.”
Shortly, there was a sound of a woman screaming and struggling coming from the Qingping Palace. Qin Yunuan frowned, and then Leng Changxi covered her ears with his hands.
Even if they were still on the passage where servants passed by frequently, Leng Changxi still kissed on her forehead to comfort her, “Don’t listen to that.”
Looking into Leng Changxi’s eyes which were as clear as the lucid pond water, Qin Yunuan felt soothed. Then, she saw Zhang Ruting walked out of the palace gate in a trance.
“Doctor Zhang, please wait.” Qin Yunuan called him.
