novelraw Chapter 418
Chapter 418
At these words, everyone inside and outside the palace fell to their knees.
Nanny Zhou was frightened out of her wits. She hastily ran to Chu Ruoyan's side and held her back: "Your Grace! You must not speak such nonsense!"
What was a monarch's greatest taboo? It was someone boasting of their high merits!
Throughout history, countless founding ministers had been slaughtered for this, let alone an empress of the inner palace!
However, Chu Ruoyan refused to back down, looking directly at Yan Zheng.
A furious storm brewed in the Emperor's eyes: "Say that again?"
Chu Ruoyan sneered and was about to speak when Nanny Zhou and the others pleaded in unison: "Your Grace!"
She glanced back at the crowd, forcefully suppressing her anger: "You know very well what I have done for you, and you also know how you have treated me. Third Yan, a person must have a conscience! Let's go!"
The people from the Empress's palace bowed and hurriedly followed her away, leaving a dead silence outside the imperial study.
The maids and eunuchs prostrating on the ground did not dare to breathe loudly. After a long time, they heard the Emperor force out a sentence through gritted teeth: "Good, very good. This is my Empress, truly magnificent!"
After saying this, he flicked his sleeves and returned to his palace. Yin Shun and Meng Yang exchanged a glance and hastily chased after him.
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
As soon as Yan Zheng returned, he regretted it.
He had agreed to put on an act with her, but didn't that mean they wouldn't be able to see each other for the next few days?
Running his fingertips over the scratch on his neck, he recalled the suppressed yet thrilling intimacy in the imperial study just now, and his intestines turned green with regret.
"That damn Yun..."
The words had just reached his lips when Yin Shun and Meng Yang entered.
Hearing this, both of their hearts ran cold. Yin Shun bowed and pleaded for mercy: "Your Majesty, Her Grace was only speaking out of anger in a moment of desperation. I hope Your Majesty will not take it to heart."
Meng Yang said bluntly: "Yes, Your Majesty. You've broken her heart now, but aren't you the one who will have to swallow your pride to coax her later? Why bother?"
Yan Zheng's temple twitched slightly. This foolish Meng Yang actually understood him quite well.
At this moment, however, he put on a stern face: "Did I provoke her? She provoked me! That Yun Lang holds the Baixiao Pavilion and carries the bloodline of the great previous dynasty. After returning to the capital, he didn't come to see me first, but instead ran into the Empress's palace without a word. Tell me, what is he trying to do? Is he trying to rebel?"
Meng Yang scratched his head: "But Master Lang is the Empress's second brother..."
"And I am her husband! I only said a couple of things about Yun Lang, and she talked back to me. Is there any wife like her in the world?" These words were not entirely an act. That fellow Yun Lang really had no sense of propriety. A grown man running into his sister's bedchamber in the middle of the night—what kind of decency was that!
Thinking of this, he angrily flicked his sleeve: "Meng Yang! Withdraw all the guards inside and outside the Empress's palace and replace them with the imperial army. From now on, not even a single fly is allowed in!"
Meng Yang rolled his eyes and agreed. In his view, his young master was simply jealous.
It's just that he used to be jealous of Su Tingyun and Pei Zhuo, and now he was jealous of this second brother-in-law.
Since they hadn't truly fallen out, he couldn't be bothered to persuade him. He bowed and went to make the arrangements.
Yin Shun, however, thought the exact opposite.
He was originally the Prince Regent's man, and having seen so many ruthless fallouts in the palace, he couldn't help but drop to his knees at this moment: "Your Majesty! Her Grace has walked through wind and rain with you. We servants have seen all the hardships that cannot be spoken to outsiders! To say something highly disrespectful, if Her Grace and the Second Young Master truly had rebellious intentions, why would they wait until now? I beg Your Majesty to retract the order. Do not place Her Grace under house arrest and ruin the harmony between the Emperor and Empress!"
Yan Zheng raised an eyebrow, silently scrutinizing him.
He saw Yin Shun's old face scrunched up, his brows furrowed so tightly they could almost crush a mosquito. He looked genuinely worried for the Empress.
His heart relaxed a bit, but his mouth said: "Yin Shun, don't think I don't know whose man you are. Since you protect the Empress so much, then roll over to her palace and serve her. Stop being an eyesore in front of me!"
The palace servants all shuddered. Yin Shun painfully closed his eyes: "This old servant... obeys."
Inside the Kunning Palace.
The servants' faces turned pale when they saw the demoted Yin Shun.
Nanny Zhou said in a trembling voice: "Your Grace, just bow your head and yield! His Majesty is only angry for the moment. Please don't let this create a true rift and alienate his heart!"
Chu Ruoyan looked at Yin Shun thoughtfully.
Did Yan Zheng sending him over mean that he wasn't a problem?
"Nanny Zhou, take Eunuch Yin down to settle in first. As for me... you all don't need to advise me anymore on the matters between His Majesty and this palace. Step down."
After she finished speaking, she closed her eyes. Nanny Zhou stomped her foot and left with a sigh.
Thus, the news of the discord between the Emperor and the Empress spread throughout the palace almost overnight.
Especially Yin Shun, who was a favorite before the throne. If even he was demoted, who else would dare to plead for the Empress!
The entire palace kept quiet out of fear. Pei Ji, who had caught wind of it, seemed to sense something and was so happy he beamed with joy: "I told you there are no impenetrable walls in this world; it's just that imperial power hasn't been threatened yet. Look, Yun Lang's appearance immediately aroused the Emperor's suspicion, and the Empress is brainless, not knowing how to restrain herself and yield. Hasn't a rift formed just like that? Hah, our opportunity has arrived!"
First Madam Pei asked: "What does My Lord mean?"
"Once an Emperor's suspicion is aroused, it is hard to dispel unless someone dies. This is only the beginning; there will be more uproar to come! Bingqing, hurry and prepare yourself. Perhaps one day, the Emperor will summon you into the palace."
Pei Bingqing's delicate body trembled slightly: "Father, is it true?" Ever since she had seen the Emperor, her eyes could no longer hold any other man.
Previously, the Emperor and Empress were deeply in love, and her father had advised her to give up this hope. But now there was a turning point, and her heart couldn't help but pound.
First Madam Pei also hesitated and asked: "Is My Lord saying that the Emperor might select concubines?"
Excitement filled Pei Ji's eyes: "More than just selecting concubines! If this matter blows up, he might even depose the Empress. Then our Pei clan can produce another Empress!"
The next day, inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Yan Zheng looked at the letter Meng Yang had brought over, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.
"Are you sure the Empress personally handed this to you and asked you to deliver it?"
Meng Yang nodded, feeling curious in his heart. He wondered what the Empress had scolded in the letter to make his Emperor so furious.
Yan Zheng lowered his eyes. There were only a few words on the letter—
Quickly select concubines, then depose the Empress.
The fingers holding the letter involuntarily tightened.
Ayan was playing too big this time. Didn't she consider that if this reached her father's ears, would he even be able to remain a son-in-law?
Dark clouds gathered on Yan Zheng's face as he placed the letter over the candle flame and burned it.
Only when he saw it burn to ashes did he say: "Go back and tell the Empress that I will not agree to a single word of her demands!"
Putting on an act for Yun Zihao was fine, but he couldn't possibly act himself into a corner.
As a result, these words fell into the ears of his little nephew who had just rushed in, taking on a completely different interpretation.
Yan Wenjing pressed his lips tightly together, looking at him in disbelief: "Third Uncle, do you... do you really not want Third Aunt anymore?"