pdf-ebookys Chapter 1199: Concubine Chen is sent to the Imperial Study to serve the pen and ink
Chapter 1199: Concubine Chen is sent to the Imperial Study to serve the pen and ink
An indescribable sense of security quietly filled my heart.
Yes, how could they forget.
In the deep palace, the one who truly controls life and death and turns the tide of events is never the Empress Dowager lying in the Cining Palace, barely surviving.
Nor are they those concubines who are ready to make a move.
But it was the emperor sitting on the dragon throne who treated the empress like a treasure!
Since the Queen said there is nothing wrong, then there really is nothing wrong.
They just have to wait and see.
The tense atmosphere in the inner room quietly relaxed.
The charcoal fire is warm and the tea aroma is wafting.
Shen Zhinian looked calm, as if what they had just discussed was not a life-or-death conspiracy, but a game of chess whose outcome had already been foreseen.
Fuqi and Handan looked at each other and saw relief in each other's eyes.
……
The night was dark.
The candlelight in the Hall of Mental Cultivation was bright, illuminating the emperor's calm profile behind the imperial desk.
Nangong Xuanyu's red pen, which was used to review memorials, hovered in mid-air, thinking about the news that Li Changde had just reported.
He slowly put down the red brush and tapped his knuckles lightly on the cold rosewood imperial desk.
The candlelight danced in his bottomless eyes, reflecting no ripples, only an icy chill.
Waiting for illness?
At this juncture?
The Liu family had just been uprooted.
Liu Chongshan was cut into pieces and died a miserable death.
The Empress Dowager lay bedridden, her life already at the end of its rope. The fall of Duke Dingguo's mansion seemed to have drained away her last vestiges of life.
Nangong Xuanyu thought about the affection for raising his daughter that had long since faded to the point of being almost non-existent, and the fact that Empress Dowager Liu really didn't have much time left.
He even specifically instructed He Yuanpan to stop the hidden tricks in her warming and nourishing soups and medicines.
He wanted this nominal queen mother to complete her final journey quietly in the Cining Palace, which would be the last bit of dignity for the royal family.
But...she is still restless!
Like a poisonous snake lurking in the shadows, even if it is dying, it will spit out its last venom before dying!
Although the emperor could not know exactly what Empress Dowager Liu was up to, it was not difficult for him to infer it based on his insight into the infighting in the harem.
The Empress Dowager summoned all the concubines to attend to her illness, and the first one was Concubine Chen, who had the highest rank and was the most favored by the Emperor.
If you say there is no calculation, no one will believe it!
The Queen Mother's move is despicable!
The last trace of hesitation in the emperor's eyes, caused by affection, was completely annihilated and replaced by a cold murderous aura.
He tolerated her because he was nostalgic.
He didn't kill her out of consideration for her.
But this does not mean that he will tolerate the Queen Mother extending her claws to Nian Nian!
Reaching out to the woman he cherishes as a treasure and will never let lose!
"Li Changde."
The emperor's voice was not loud, but it carried an invisible pressure that instantly broke the silence in the hall.
Li Changde, who had been standing in the shadows with his hands hanging down, immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your servant is here!"
Nangong Xuanyu cast his gaze towards the dark night outside the palace. His voice was calm and emotionless, yet it contained an unquestionable determination: "Tomorrow at noon, summon Noble Consort Chen to the Imperial Study to serve her with writing materials."
Li Changde's heart skipped a beat.
Serve the pen and ink? That excuse...
He understood almost instantly the profound meaning of His Majesty's action.
Tomorrow should have been the first day for Concubine Chen to go to the Cining Palace to attend to the patient.
Your Majesty is... going to pull Concubine Chen out of the troubled area of Cining Palace!
Li Changde did not hesitate at all. He immediately bowed and accepted the order, saying in a steady voice, "I obey your order."
He knew very well that His Majesty's protection of Concubine Chen had long surpassed ordinary favor.
Then, the emperor gave a few more cold orders, with murderous intent in his tone!
……
The next morning, the sky was dim.
Shen Zhinian had already dressed up, and her light blue palace dress made her look beautiful.
Fuqiu was putting a black cloak with gold weaving on her, preparing to go to Cining Palace.
Handan gently reminded, "My Lady, it's almost time."
Shen Zhinian nodded slightly, and just as she was about to leave, Li Changde's steady yet respectful voice rang out from outside: "May the Royal Concubine Chen be blessed with good fortune and safety!"
"I, Your Majesty, have ordered you to move to the Imperial Study and wait for your writing."
Shen Zhinian paused, the corners of his lips curled up slightly, and a knowing smile disappeared in an instant.
She turned around, a gentle and flattered look on her face. "Thank you for the trip, Eunuch Li. I'll be right there."
Fuqi and Handan looked at each other and saw a sense of relief in each other's eyes.
His Majesty has taken action!
It’s just as the Queen expected!
Li Changde lowered his head and stepped aside to make way, his attitude extremely respectful: "Your Highness, please."
Shen Zhinian took Fuqiu's hand, walked out of Zhongcui Palace calmly, and got into the warm sedan chair.
……
Cining Palace.
The hall was filled with a strong smell of medicine.
Concubine Xue arrived very early.
She was still wearing a plain moon-white palace dress, with a cloak of the same color on the outside, as cold and pure as ice and snow without any dust.
After the ceremony, Concubine Xue stood quietly in a corner of the hall, far away from the empress dowager's bed, as if she was just a silent jade sculpture in the hall.
Yu Mei was holding a brocade box containing prepared herbs for calming the mind.
Nanny Yuan reported to Empress Dowager Liu, who was breathing weakly inside the heavily draped brocade curtains, "Your Majesty, Concubine Xue is here to tend to you."
The tent was silent for a moment before Empress Dowager Liu's hoarse voice was heard, carrying a hint of disappointment and gloom that was hard to conceal: "... Concubine Xue?"
"Where is Concubine Chen?"
Concubine Xue lowered her eyes and knitted her robes, her voice clear and calm, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty summoned Concubine Chen this morning to the Imperial Study to serve you with writing materials."
"So today I, your concubine, have come to serve the Empress Dowager."
Serve with pen and ink?
Intense emotions suddenly surged in Empress Dowager Liu's cloudy eyes!
It was disappointment, resentment, and a hint of rage at having plans forcibly interrupted!
Her skinny fingers hidden under the quilt clenched tightly!
it is good!
What a great Nangong Xuanyu!
What a Shen Zhinian!
They actually thought of this step and didn't even give her this last chance!
The huge resentment and sense of powerlessness hit Empress Dowager Liu's already fragile body, causing her vision to go dark.
Nanny Yuan's expression changed slightly, and she quickly stepped forward and whispered soothing words.
Xue Fei seemed to be unaware of the movement in the tent. She continued to stand quietly with her head lowered, like a doll made of ice and snow.
On this day, the Cining Palace was dead silent, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of medicine.
Concubine Xue occasionally offered her medicine, her movements were polite, but her eyes were always calm, without a ripple.
No accidents, no trouble.
Empress Dowager Liu lay behind the heavy brocade curtains, as if every last bit of her strength had been drained away, and even her resentment seemed to have mostly disappeared.
There is only endless despair and silence.
It was not until dusk that Concubine Xue silently bowed and took her leave at the signal of Nanny Yuan.
She walked out of the heavy door of the Cining Palace. The cool winter wind blew across her plain clothes, bringing a breath of long-lost fresh air.
The day was uneventful.