novelraw Chapter 423
Chapter 423
Late at night, in the Imperial City.
After settling Chu Tingfeng, Chu Ruoyan had Yun Lang escort her back to the Cold Palace.
Because she hadn't been gone for long, Nanny Zhou and the others hadn't noticed her absence yet, but a figure was already waiting outside the door.
"Yin Li?"
Chu Ruoyan narrowed her eyes. Upon seeing clearly who it was, she gave a playful smile. "So, the person my cousin planted by my side is you."
Yin Li smiled and bowed in greeting. "Please do not blame me, Your Ladyship. My godfather found a backer in the Prince Regent, so as his godson, I cannot fall behind, can I?"
"So you were the one who spread the rumors about maternal relatives interfering in politics? And you killed the old eunuch in the Imperial Household Department as well?"
Yin Li nodded. "Your Ladyship is wise. Now that you and my master are on the same side, this servant will speak frankly. I wonder what Your Ladyship plans to do to win back the Emperor's heart?"
Chu Ruoyan raised an eyebrow. "Who said anything about winning back the Emperor's heart?"
Yin Li was stunned. "Then how do you plan to keep the Emperor occupied for three days? The master's intention is that the Emperor must not be allowed to leave for even half a step, especially to attend to court affairs."
The woman had a plan in mind. She covered her mouth to yawn and said, "Tomorrow, just tell him that I am suffering from unbearable abdominal pain and am about to miscarry. We will see if he comes."
Yin Li stared blankly for a moment. That was right!
No matter how much the Emperor despised her, she was the only one around him who was with child. He would have to save the baby no matter what!
So he hastily agreed.
After Yin Li left, Chu Ruoyan turned to look at Yun Lang. The latter nodded, "Go on."
He pressed a slip of paper into her hand, turned, and left. Chu Ruoyan returned to her chambers and opened it.
On it were only two words: Firearms.
The next morning at dawn, the Emperor stormed in angrily with a large group of imperial physicians.
Before Nanny Zhou and the others could recover from this surprise, they saw the Emperor pointing at the woman sleeping soundly inside, asking in a cold voice, "Is this what you meant when you told me she had unbearable abdominal pain and was about to miscarry?"
Yin Li wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, thinking to himself that this lady was far too lazy. She would not even pretend a little bit on the surface.
Just as he was pondering an excuse, a sarcastic voice suddenly came from inside: "My, what a grand display. How does the Emperor have the time to visit a deposed empress like me today?"
Yan Zheng glanced sideways and saw the young woman awake, lazily turning onto her side to look at him. Her pale, lotus-root-like arms were openly exposed to the air.
The man's brows sank sharply. He strode over and blocked her from view. "Look at yourself right now, what kind of appearance is this!"
His anger did not seem faked at all.
Chu Ruoyan blinked and pulled the brocade quilt over her shoulders. Then she heard the Emperor give another cold shout, "What are you standing around for? Get over here and take her pulse! If the royal heir is truly harmed, let us see which of you can bear the responsibility!"
Chief Physician Zhang hurried forward. After taking her pulse, he said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. The little prince is unharmed. She just needs more quiet rest."
Yan Zheng's expression cleared slightly, and then he feigned anger at Chu Ruoyan, "You dare deceive the sovereign?"
The palace servants were so frightened that they hastily knelt down. Then they heard the Emperor say, "All of you, get out! I am going to teach her a good lesson!"
The Cold Palace was quickly emptied completely.
Seeing how hard he was pretending, the young woman could not help but laugh out loud. "Yan Zheng, I have found you have quite a talent for acting. No wonder you were able to deceive Princess Ansheng so thoroughly before!"
The Emperor raised his hand and pinched her cheek. "Still being glib. You went out in the middle of the night last night. Are you alright?"
"I am fine. I successfully met with Yun Zihao, and I also found out the identity of the traitor. It is Yin Li!"
Yan Zheng snorted. "It really is him. He must be the one who bribed the people around Murong Rui too!"
Chu Ruoyan nodded. "This is the information I got from my second brother, take a look!" As she spoke, she handed him the slip of paper and simultaneously swept the tea set off the table with a loud crash.
The Emperor whispered, "Firearms? Does Yun Lang mean that Yun Zihao plans to use firearms against me?" After saying that, he kicked over a low table.
Hearing these noises from the outside, Nanny Zhou and the others were terrified, fearing that the couple was coming to blows.
Chu Ruoyan said, "Probably. Yun Zihao also said he wanted me to keep you occupied for three days so you would not go to court. Think about it carefully."
Yan Zheng looked thoughtful. "Three days? Firearms? I remember now. In three days, it is the Qiqiao Festival. Xu Yan of the Ministry of Rites submitted a memorial requesting fireworks to add to the festivities, so a batch of firecrackers will be transported into the palace."
Chu Ruoyan's eyes lit up. "Which means Yun Zihao wants to fish in troubled waters and take this opportunity to smuggle firearms into the palace! That is why he told me to keep you occupied for three days, so you would not have the time to pay attention to it!"
The Emperor nodded slowly. Looking at the silhouette almost pressed against the door outside, he tore a piece of silk cloth with a loud rip. "Lady Chu! Today I will show you what I am capable of!"
Before Chu Ruoyan could react, her upper body was covered by the figure suddenly leaning over her.
Yan Zheng reminded her, "Scream!"
The young woman's eyelids twitched, and she had to force her voice to scream, "Stop! Yan Zheng, you tyrant! Do you have no other women? Get off me!" To make it realistic, she deliberately pounded the bedboard heavily twice.
Looking up, she saw the man whispering with a smile full of affection, "A-Yan, you look beautiful even when you are angry."
Chu Ruoyan's ears burned hotly. "Since you already know what Yun Zihao is going to do, shouldn't you hurry and make arrangements?"
Yan Zheng shook his head, leaning down even lower. "That will not do. Everyone outside has heard it. If this 'tyrant' is making a move on you, I cannot just walk out perfectly intact, can I?"
Chu Ruoyan was taken aback. "Then what should we do?"
As soon as she spoke, the clothes on her shoulder were pulled open by him, and her hair was messed up. The man even lowered his head and bit her neck lightly twice. Seeing his hands moving further down, she stopped him in time. "Alright! If you keep this up, I will not be able to cooperate with you anymore!"
A flash of disappointment crossed the Emperor's eyes, but there was no rush. Once the child was born, they would have plenty of time to make up for it.
He rolled off her and tore his own dragon robe open as well.
Thus, when the main door opened, the crowd of palace servants only saw the Emperor walking out with his front robes wide open and loosely hanging. "Pass down the order, I shall stay the night in the Cold Palace to teach the deposed empress some manners!"
The palace servants all knelt and bowed, and the bolder ones secretly peeked inside.
In the corner of the bed, the deposed empress was disheveled and trembling. Even though she was heavily pregnant, she was actually...
What a beast!
Nanny Zhou rolled her eyes back and actually fainted. Only Yin Li felt incredibly satisfied in his heart. Lusting after her body was good. If he lusted after her body, then he would not be able to attend court!
Over the next three days, a woman's crying could frequently be heard coming from the Cold Palace.
At first, she cried more often, but later it became intermittent, as if she had given up resisting and accepted her fate.
Chu Ruoyan drank her Fritillaria and Snow Pear soup, complaining softly, "You are so good at being lazy. My voice is hoarse from crying, and you just sit on the side!"
Yan Zheng hurriedly said, "Not at all. I have ruined several dragon robes too, and here, and here, I scratched myself!"
The young woman snorted, her gaze falling outside the hall doors again. "Will this work? Do you think Yun Zihao will get suspicious?"
Just as she finished speaking, Meng Yang swept in like a gust of wind. "Your Majesty! Something has happened at the Imperial Household Department!!"