novelraw Chapter 176 I said I disagree
Chapter 176 I said I disagree
Yaohua Palace.
The summer night breeze, carrying the refreshing fragrance of lotus blossoms, gently wafts by, dispelling the daytime heat.
Song Shuangning sat alone on a rattan chair in the courtyard, slowly peeling a bright purple grape between her fingers.
They were relaxed and carefree, showing no sign of the grievances and resentment of being confined.
The tenderness and discussions of last night are still vividly etched in my mind—
At that moment, nestled in Xiao Yan's warm embrace, she said, "Ah Yan, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Consort Shu recently discovered that the wet nurse who takes care of the Third Princess in the palace is secretly taking poison. Consort Shu has always doted on An'er and is extremely cautious about those around her, even keeping a close eye on the wet nurse's diet and daily life. Fortunately, Consort Shu discovered it early, and An'er did not touch the wet nurse's milk, so she escaped the disaster by sheer luck."
She paused for a moment, then said, "After careful consideration, I believe that no one but Consort De could be so scheming to harm an infant. She must be truly insane. Consort Shu and I have come up with a plan."
Xiao Yan's fingertips traced the top of her head, his voice low and deep: "What method?"
"Use their plan against them."
Song Shuangning looked up at him. "Consort Shu pretended to know nothing, claiming to the outside world that the Third Princess had been poisoned and was unconscious. The wet nurse was actually acting under someone's orders to frame me. After Consort Shu sent people to investigate, they found that Eunuch Liu, the accountant of the Imperial Household Department, was a suspect. They also found that Eunuch Liu had used my name to allocate a large sum of money to the wet nurse's daughter outside the palace. With such conclusive evidence, it's obvious that someone is targeting me."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan frowned and instantly understood her thoughts.
"Are you planning to personally confess to this crime to lure Consort De into lowering her guard, so you can then expose her in one fell swoop?"
Song Shuangning nodded gently.
"I disagree!"
Xiao Yan immediately frowned, carefully lifted her off his lap, stood up without a word, and stood with his back to her, his tall figure revealing a hint of displeasure.
Song Shuangning was puzzled. She reached out and gently tugged at his sleeve, her voice soft and sweet: "Why does Your Majesty disagree? Your Majesty and I have discussed this for a long time, and this method is the most appropriate."
"I said, I disagree."
Xiao Yan's tone was cold and hard, seemingly leaving no room for negotiation.
Song Shuangning gently wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, pressed her cheek against his back, and softly asked, "Ah Yan, are you worried about me and afraid that I'm being wronged? Don't worry, Ah Yan, it's just temporary criticism. I don't feel wronged."
Xiao Yan pried her hands off his waist, turned around, looked into her clear eyes, and let out a soft sigh full of helplessness.
"Ningning, have you ever thought about how easy it is to admit to such a crime, but how difficult it will be to completely clear your name afterward? Rumors are the most hurtful, especially since you are pregnant. How can I let you take such a risk? Now that I know the inside story, I have other ways to convict Consort De and protect you."
Ultimately, he still didn't want her to be in danger, and he couldn't bear to see her suffer even the slightest grievance, even if that grievance was just an act for others to see.
Furthermore, once a charge is leveled against you, it is extremely difficult to clear your name.
Song Shuangning snuggled closer to him, cupped his face in her hands, stood on tiptoe and gently kissed his cheek, her eyes crinkling with joy.
"I'm so happy that Ah Yan is protecting me like this."
Xiao Yan took a step back and turned his face away seriously: "Being coquettish won't work."
Song Shuangning persisted, taking another step closer and placing a gentle kiss on his other cheek.
"Ayan, I know you care about me, and I know you have a way to convict Consort De. But Consort De has been planning this for a long time and must have left herself a way out, waiting to escape punishment and launch a counterattack. I want to take this opportunity to convict her completely, so that she can never turn the tables again and can no longer cause trouble. This will also protect An'er and our child."
What she needs to do this time is to sentence Consort Dingde to death, ensuring she can never recover, clean up the chaos in the harem, and seize real power within the harem.
Xiao Yan let out a deep breath.
"Ningning, I don't want to wrong you in the slightest, and I don't want you to go through so much trouble. But if I don't agree, it will make me seem domineering and arbitrary; but if I agree, I will feel uneasy."
"In the end, you still refuse to rely entirely on me."
Song Shuangning tilted her head back and stood on tiptoe, her lips gently touching his. The kiss was brief, but she remained close to his lips as she spoke, their warm breaths lingering.
"How could I not rely on Your Majesty? This matter would not have been possible without Your Majesty's cooperation. Doesn't that count as relying on Your Majesty?"
Her tone was like a hook, gently scratching at Xiao Yan's heart.
This sounds like they're saying that since they've included him in their plans, isn't that dependence?
Xiao Yan was amused by her words, his tense expression softening instantly. He was completely worn down by her: "Fine, whatever you say. But you must promise me that you will be careful in everything you do and never put yourself in danger."
Thus, the plan to lure the snake out of its hole was finalized.
The following morning, Xiao Yan followed her instructions and, in perfect harmony with Consort Shu's Jinyun Palace, staged a scene of thunderous rage.
Song Shuangning snapped out of her reverie, the grape skins already cleaned from her fingertips.
Suddenly, familiar footsteps came from the palace road. Looking up, they saw Xiao Yan's figure.
She immediately dropped the grapes, her eyes crinkling with a smile that she couldn't hide.
Xiao Yan raised his hand to stop him, his tone indifferent: "Don't come near me."
His face was grim, as if the words "I am very angry" were etched onto his face.
Song Shuangning feigned confusion, reaching out to tug at his sleeve, and said coquettishly, "Why can't I get close to the Emperor?"
Xiao Yan didn't look at her again, but walked straight past her and sat down in the wicker chair she had just been sitting in.
He spoke each word with conviction: "Song Shuangning, I am very angry."
Song Shuangning immediately moved closer to him and massaged his shoulders: "Your Majesty, please calm down. What if you ruin your health?"
Xiao Yan glared at her coldly.
"Is this what you call acting? Making yourself cry so heartbrokenly? What if you lose control of your emotions, harm the baby, or something terrible happens to you? What am I supposed to do then?"
Song Shuangning smiled.
So he was angry that her acting was too good.
She stood with her hands on her hips and questioned, "I haven't even settled accounts with His Majesty yet! We clearly agreed to first demote him and then confine him to his quarters, to make it more convincing, so why did His Majesty only punish him with confinement?"
Is this the same thing?
Xiao Yan felt a tightness in his chest from anger.
He reached out and pinched her cheek.
"If you anger me again, I'll leave right now."
"Alright, alright, it's my fault."
Song Shuangning immediately gave in, hooking her arm around his sleeve and gently swaying it, her body swaying along with it, her eyes crinkling as she leaned closer to him.
"I'm not angry with the Emperor anymore, Your Majesty, please don't leave. I know I was wrong, and I will never dare to be so stubborn again. Besides... I really miss A-Yan."
That one soft "I miss A-Yan" instantly extinguished all the anger in Xiao Yan's heart.
The atmosphere inside the palace was enchanting, with the emperor and empress entwined in each other, whispering sweet nothings, filling the room with tender affection.
Song Shuangning nestled in Xiao Yan's arms, her fingertips gently tracing his jawline, and softly asked, "Did you sneak in, A-Yan? Nobody knew you were here, right?"
"You're still under house arrest, so I naturally came secretly. I've arranged for people to guard the route, so no one knows. Don't worry." Xiao Yan lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.
Song Shuangning blinked, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and pressed on, "Did the Emperor climb over the wall to get in? The gates of Yaohua Palace are locked."
Xiao Yan feigned anger and lightly flicked her forehead with his finger.
"You're asking for it!"
Knowing it in one's heart is one thing, but saying it out loud is another, undermining him.
Song Shuangning covered her forehead and laughed.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report." Tao Banxia's respectful voice came from outside the palace.
Song Shuangning instantly abandoned her coquettish demeanor, quickly got up from Xiao Yan's embrace, straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, and sat gracefully beside him, her expression upright and her posture elegant and poised.
The charming and coquettish demeanor of just moments before vanished instantly, replaced by the composed and dignified Consort Yuan.
Seeing her smooth and fluid movements, Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle.
Song Shuangning cleared her throat and said calmly, "Come in."
Tao Banxia pushed open the door and entered the hall, her expression solemn.
"Your Majesty, you have been eating much more than usual these past few days. I examined your food and discovered that it has been laced with Wen Gu San (a type of herbal medicine). This medicine is mild and gentle; it may not seem to harm the fetus on the surface, but it will gradually increase your appetite, causing the fetus to grow excessively large in a short period. When it comes time to give birth, it will easily lead to a difficult labor, and if you are not careful, it could result in the death of both mother and child."
She paused, then continued, "This medicine is extremely insidious, and the difficulty in detecting it lies in its very mild nature. When mixed with food, it is impossible to detect anything unusual. Moreover, pregnant women are naturally more prone to overeating, and it is normal for their appetite to increase. No one would suspect that someone has drugged them. If Your Majesty's appetite hadn't increased so abnormally these past few days, I might not have noticed it either."