OBS Chapter 239 Seizing Power
Chapter 239 Seizing Power
The emperor was originally angry, but at this moment, he saw Ruyi turn around and leave with a resolute figure, without any sign of obedience that a subject should have to the monarch.
The emperor stood there, watching Ruyi gradually go away, her figure getting smaller and smaller.
The emperor couldn't believe that Ruyi would be so bold as to turn around and leave.
His eyes were full of astonishment, but just a moment later, a complicated look appeared on the emperor's face, and then he couldn't help but laugh out of anger.
Slightly suppressed laughter echoed in the empty hall.
He pointed at the door and said to Ruyi who was leaving angrily, "Hahahaha...good...good...look! This is the good queen I personally chose. Did you see that, Noble Concubine? She even forgot to ask for my permission before leaving..."
He was so angry that he was breathing heavily, his face flushed, his chest heaving violently, and he was breathing heavily from his mouth, like an enraged lion.
Yan Wan looked concerned and quickly raised her hand to gently pat the emperor's back to help him calm down. Her movements were cautious, but a hint of imperceptible cunning flashed in her eyes.
While patting the emperor's back, she did not forget to stab him in the back when he was angry.
"Your Majesty, don't be angry. The Empress is always like this. Not only did she forget to ask for your permission before leaving, she also didn't even greet you when she came in..."
The gentle voice of the woman in front of him echoed in the air, but the emperor felt a lump in his heart when he heard it.
These heartbreaking words almost choked the emperor to the point of being speechless. It was like a heavy hammer, hitting the emperor's heart hard.
He turned to look at Yan Wan in disbelief and asked, "Really?"
Has she become so arrogant in the harem now?
Yanwan nodded, looking at him with a hint of pity in her eyes.
He didn't forget to add fuel to the fire: "Today's incident might have been caused by the carelessness of the subordinates. Your Majesty, please don't blame the Empress. Jingxuan is fine anyway..."
She is fine, but I am seriously ill!
The emperor roared madly in his heart.
The emperor was very angry about what Yan Wan said, and he interrupted her with a dark face.
"Stop speaking for her."
The emperor's voice was cold, he frowned slightly, his eyes full of anger.
"I know what kind of character my good queen has."
The emperor took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and turned his head to speak.
"Alright, it's getting late, and I have to go back to the Yangxin Palace. As for the family banquet, since you are Jingxuan's biological mother, you will be in charge."
Then he said with some resentment: "From now on, all matters in the palace, big or small, will be handed over to you. Since the Queen is not capable of these things, let her stay in Yikun Palace and I will have some peace and quiet."
After saying this, the emperor flicked his sleeves and left.
Yan Wan finally heard what she wanted to hear. She suppressed her expression and quickly agreed, not forgetting to respectfully salute his back.
"I obey your order and respectfully send your Majesty off..."
This submissive appearance, like a docile dodder, formed a sharp contrast with Ruyi, who was rebellious from beginning to end.
Such a strong contrast seems even more heartbreaking, like a sharp blade piercing straight into the emperor's heart.
At the sound of her salute, the emperor's determined steps froze, as if he were under a spell. In that instant, perhaps the image of Ruyi flashed through his mind, the woman who always refused to bow her head easily.
But after only a moment, the emperor regained his resolve and left Yongshou Palace in a hurry.
Jinzhong, who was waiting outside, hurried forward, his face full of tension and worry.
Jinzhong carefully supported the emperor, who was a little unstable, with gentle and cautious movements, for fear of upsetting the emperor again.
He carefully probed the emperor's expression and tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, it's getting late. Do you want to go back and rest?"
The emperor rubbed his brows and sighed, "Let's go back. I'm tired..."
At this moment, the emperor looked ten years older.
He didn't understand why Ruyi, who was almost forty years old and had become the mother of three children, was even more rebellious than when she was young. The thought of Ruyi's stubborn attitude gave him a headache.
Is there any emperor in the world who, when he is nearly fifty years old, still worries about his queen?
Jinzhong just waited respectfully on the side, not daring to breathe.
The air around seemed to be frozen, and only the slight sound of the night wind added a bit of tension to the atmosphere.
The emperor stood there quietly, lost in thought, and time seemed to freeze at this moment.
After a long time, he slowly raised his head and looked at the palace brightly lit in the dark night.
The bright lights, against the backdrop of the night, appear particularly dazzling, yet also carry a hint of loneliness.
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression complicated. He said to Jinzhong, "Forget it. Let Rongpei return to serve her. Just let her be a lowly servant, and let Yurong keep a close eye on her. As for the rest of the old people in Yikun Palace, if they reach the age limit, they will leave the palace. If they are not, they will be granted grace to leave the palace."
The emperor was a little tired. He had used those tricks to control her with his subordinates many times, and now he could see that they had no effect on Ruyi.
He sighed softly, an inexplicable emotion welling up in his heart.
So in the future, she would just be a queen without real power, an old palace maid. If she wanted to, then let her do it.
"Yes, slaves follow the order."
Thinking of this, the emperor felt a little sad and inexplicably distressed for himself.
After saying this, the emperor, supported by Jinzhong, slowly sat on the dragon chariot.
After the emperor was firmly seated, Jinzhong waved his hand gently, and the procession slowly moved forward. The dragon chariot gradually moved further and further away in the night, finally disappearing into the vast darkness.
Rong Pei can return to Yikun Palace, but Sanbao cannot.
This refers to palace maids, not eunuchs.
In the palace, the status of eunuchs is not as high as that of palace maids. Eunuchs have to stay in the palace until they are old before they can leave.
Poor Sanbao happened to be the chief eunuch, and he was close to Ruyi. The other eunuchs were sent away and could get a better job in exchange for some silver, but he was the emperor's order.
Without the emperor's pardon, he would have to work in the greenhouse for the rest of his life.
Ruyi's words were like a stone dropped into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in the emperor's heart and keeping him awake all night. He lay on the dragon couch, his eyes fixed on the curtains overhead, his mind racing.
Is everything you have really as stable as you think?
Is it true that Concubine Ling was willing to do this just because he was the emperor?
This question kept circling in his mind. He thought of Concubine Ling's usual gentleness and obedience, her endless attempts to please him, her sweet words and considerate actions.
In the past, he felt that this was natural and what he deserved as an emperor.
But now, he couldn't help but wonder how much of this was sincere, and how much was because of the imperial power he represented?
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, and the feeling of worry and fear became stronger.
Therefore, as soon as he finished his government affairs, he went to Yongshou Palace. He wanted to seek an answer in person.
"My concubine pays your respects to the Emperor."
"Stand up, I'm here to see how Jingxuan is doing."
The emperor reached out his hand to help Yan Wan, who was kneeling to salute, and said to her with a burning gaze.
Of course, he couldn't reveal his true purpose, so he could only use visiting Jingxuan as an excuse to ask what his favorite concubine was thinking.
The emperor also knew that most of the women in the palace became concubines because of his power.
But Concubine Ling is different from him. She was trained by him personally and is the only person in the world who understands him.
He didn't want the only special woman to him not to have him in her heart, and he would not allow such a thing to happen.
Yan Wan pretended not to notice his abnormality. After hearing this, she said softly, "The emperor's arrival is really unfortunate. Jing Xuan was almost well when she woke up this morning, so I sent someone to send her back to Sister Shu Fei."
Hearing her say this, the emperor, who had other intentions, shook his head indifferently. He took her hand, gently placed his other hand on hers, patted it twice, and then spoke.
"That's fine. If that's the case, it's fine for me to stay here and talk with you. It seems like I haven't talked to you in a long time..."
Ruyi's ridiculous behavior haunted him like a ghost, and it had indeed been a long time since he had a free chat with her like today.
Somehow, I was full of impatience on the way here, but as soon as I sat down and saw her smiling face, my messy thoughts were smoothed out.
"Well, what does the Emperor wish to say to me?"
Looking at Yan Wan's serious expression, the emperor suddenly didn't know where to start.
Suspecting her because of what the queen said?
He was a little speechless.
"What were you doing?"
"Your Majesty, are you talking about this? I'm making your pajamas. Summer is almost here, so I need to choose some light and thin materials so that Your Majesty can sleep better at night, right?"
Yanwan took the sewing basket that she had just put down and carefully showed him what was inside.
"In the past, I was afraid that the Emperor would dislike my crudeness, so I never made nightgowns for him. In recent years, I've been assisting the six palaces, so I haven't had a routine. A few days ago, I thought of coming when I had some free time. Your Majesty's arrival is just in time. It only needs two stitches. Why don't you wait a moment? I'll make it and show you how it fits."
Yan Wan did what she said and picked up the needle and thread as soon as she finished speaking.
Seeing how serious she was, he swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth and nodded involuntarily.
"Okay, I'll wait."
After saying that, he watched her threading the needle.
Having said this, the emperor realized that he seemed to have never looked at her face seriously.
He was busy with government affairs during the day, so the two of them had little time together, and he mostly slept with her at night.
This seemed to be the first time I looked at her so carefully without any lust.
He leaned his face against the soft pillow and stared at her.
The delicate eyebrows, the clear eyes, the corners of her mouth that were often smiling, and the fine hairs on her face, all fell into his eyes.
His scorching gaze fixed on Yan Wan. She lowered her head and smiled sheepishly, "Your Majesty, why do you keep staring at me?"
"Of course, it's because you, the Imperial Concubine, are so beautiful that I can't take my eyes off you. Having you in my life is a blessing in my life..."
The emperor sighed.
He was serious about what he said. He almost didn't dare to imagine what his life would be like if there was no Concubine Ling in the harem.
Yan Wan was right. After so many years of deployment, he was now completely dependent on her.
"It is my honor to meet the Emperor."
Yan Wan didn't say anything more, but continued to sew clothes with her head down. The emperor also continued his movements, taking in her every move.
Soon, a set of pajamas was ready.
The emperor couldn't wait to put the clothes on. The size was exactly right and it was more exquisite than those made by the Imperial Household Department.
He didn't leave Yongshou Palace until late in the evening, and when he left, he had an extra nightgown. He told Jinzhong to take it back and keep it safe, as he would wear it when summer came.
But he never said that because he had already found the answer.