vrcanaries Chapter 400 Shifting the blame
Chapter 400 Shifting the blame
Yongzheng's imperial edict quickly spread throughout the harem.
The concubines in the harem were all shocked when they heard the news, but they also vaguely realized that something important had happened, and no one dared to ask.
From that moment on, the Empress vanished from public view. The gates of Jingren Palace were tightly shut, guarded by imperial guards. No one dared approach. Occasionally, a palace maid would pass by, only glancing briefly at the closed gate before quickly lowering her head and scurrying away.
The days within the palace walls continued as usual, with the sun rising and setting, and the flowers blooming and withering.
In Yonghe Palace.
In front of a square table, the four people with the highest status in the harem sat on each side, holding playing cards in their hands and playing with great interest.
Zhen Huan threw out a card and said, "The Emperor's decree is quite interesting. It says 'especially remembering the old kindness' instead of 'especially remembering the old feelings'."
An scoffed and said, "The Queen has never shown any favor to him. This statement is meant to imply something."
"what do you mean?"
"The Emperor said this to the Ulanara family. He didn't depose the Empress Dowager partly because of the Empress Dowager's will, and partly because he himself has Ulanara blood. If he tarnishes the Ulanara family's reputation, it would be tantamount to denying himself. Besides, the Ulanara family supported his bid for the throne, so they might know some past secrets. If he pushes them too hard, they might do something!"
As she spoke, she lowered her head to arrange the cards in her hand, her tone tinged with disdain: "In the face of imperial power, the Emperor can sacrifice anything, even family and love. The Empress Dowager's will merely placed these things before him, allowing him to make a choice. However, our Emperor has truly not disappointed me."
After saying that, she raised her head and sneered.
Feng Ruozhao was stunned for a moment when he heard her words.
"six!"
An Lingrong shouted and threw out a card.
Feng Ruozhao finally came back to his senses: "Sister Wen, I haven't left yet!"
An Lingrong raised an eyebrow: "Just now it was your turn and you didn't play, and now I played and you want to play again, don't cheat!"
Feng Ruozhao laughed and said helplessly, "It's not me who's cheating, it's you who's cheating!"
"I don't care, I won't wait any longer! Hurry up, keep going, I'm going to win soon!"
The three of them looked at each other, all showing doting smiles, and took out a piece of silver and handed it to her.
Shen Meizhuang smiled and said, "Rong'er, you are getting better and better!"
"Yeah, I think so too."
An Lingrong was very proud and raised her chin slightly, like a rooster that had won a battle.
Just as they were having a good time, Xiao Shi entered the hall and said in a low voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, Eunuch Su just sent someone to report that the emperor is unhappy. Please come and see him when you have time!"
Hearing Xiao Shi's words, An Lingrong blurted out subconsciously:
"If you're not feeling well, go find the doctor. I can't treat illnesses."
As soon as she said that, she reacted instantly, a trace of annoyance flashed across her face, and she quickly raised her hand and slapped her mouth twice, muttering, "I'll teach you how to be quick-witted, I'll teach you how to be quick-witted!"
Seeing this, Shen Meizhuang quickly reached out and took her hand, gave her a comforting look, and then looked at Xiao Shi and said, "I understand, you can go down!"
After Xiao Shi left, Shen Meizhuang turned her gaze towards them and asked softly, "Who's going?"
Almost at the same moment, the four of them pointed their fingers at the person to their right in unison, their movements in unison.
"You go!"
Afterwards, the hall fell into a brief silence, and the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.
After a moment, the four of them spoke at the same time: "Why should I go?"
This sudden tacit understanding instantly made the atmosphere in the hall humorous.
Feng Ruozhao was the first to break the silence. He blinked and said, "Sister Hui, you are the one that the emperor values the most. It would be most appropriate for you to go."
Shen Meizhuang smiled helplessly: "The emperor values me, but that doesn't necessarily mean he wants me to entertain him. Huan'er, you are the emperor's confidant, and he always likes talking to you. You can definitely go for this."
Zhen Huan quickly waved her hands, "The Emperor must be in a bad mood because of the Empress's matter. If I go, people with ulterior motives will only think that I'm the one who instigated the Emperor. It would be best if Rong'er goes. Rong'er is very perceptive and can always speak to the Emperor's heart, which will definitely put his mind at ease."
Upon hearing this, An Lingrong sighed in an exaggerated manner, her tone tinged with a hint of teasing, "Oh my goodness, please don't push the blame onto me. The Emperor is furious right now. If I say something wrong, it would be treason, and he might even order me to be punished. Then you'd have to bother saving me, which wouldn't be too much trouble. In my opinion, Concubine Jing is the most suitable person to go. The Emperor needs someone gentle and quiet by his side right now, and Concubine Jing has a gentle temperament, so she'll definitely calm the Emperor down."
"No, no, no, you go..."
"You should go!"
"You're the best person to go!"
The atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense due to the frantic attempts of several people to give in. The maids looked at their masters passing the buck to each other, not knowing what expression to make.
An Lingrong shouted, "Alright!"
Zhen Huan, Shen Meizhuang and Feng Ruozhao all looked at her.
"You two go!" An Lingrong pointed at Zhen Huan and Feng Ruozhao.
The two people being pointed out spoke at the same time:
"Why!"
"Sister Zhen, go and talk to the Emperor. Remember, neither the Empress nor Empress Chunyuan is ours to discuss. The changes in the harem have caused panic among the people. Although the power of the harem is in the hands of Sister Zhen, the Empress is in charge of the internal affairs. The Emperor must give everyone an explanation for the current situation. Sister Jingfei, go visit the Emperor and see if he has any instructions."
Feng Ruozhao was a little confused: "Sister Hui should ask, right?"
"No, you're the most suitable!" An Lingrong looked at Feng Ruozhao. "If I go and ask, it will inevitably make the Emperor think too much. I'm eager to seize power, but you're different. You've always been low-key and reserved, never fighting or competing. The Emperor trusts you and won't be suspicious of you, so only you can go!"
Only then did Feng Ruozhao nod.
Although Zhen Huan also understood that An Lingrong's words hit the nail on the head, she still felt unhappy and annoyed at being forced to work overtime. She couldn't help but mutter, "We are going to serve the emperor, what are you doing?"
"Sister!" An Lingrong called out affectionately, her voice soft and sticky, like a coquettish kitten.
"Oh!" Shen Meizhuang responded subconsciously.
"I'm tired, sleep with me for a while!" An Lingrong pouted slightly, "Now that everything is settled, I can finally get a good night's sleep!"
"Okay!" Shen Meizhuang smiled helplessly, gently tapped An Lingrong's nose, and helped her walk towards the bedroom, leaving Feng Ruozhao and Zhen Huan rolling their eyes speechlessly.