TV Series: When the Villain Chooses to Stand by

Chapter 160 Yixiu 29

"If you can't convince Concubine Jin without sufficient reasons, she will always worry about your future."

Chaogui frowned as she pinched the rough lychee shell, not knowing what to do.

She thought she was very powerful now, but she didn't expect that she was still so useless.

The rare silence in the room forced Chao Gui to calm down and think about the problems she had been avoiding.

"Sister-in-law, I don't want to get married, but marriages between Manchus and Mongols are an old custom. Even if there is no marriage, my brother will not allow me to remain single."

Chao Gui had witnessed her sister marrying far away in Mongolia. The emperor had only two daughters, and both were very young.

She actually knew that she could not escape this fate.

It was because Concubine Jin was worried about this matter that she repeatedly forced her daughter regardless of her wishes.

"Sister-in-law, I'm going to practice after I've cut my hair."

Chao Gui had no idea what was going on at this time. Princess Duanjing was beaten to death by her husband and died at the age of 37. Princesses Wen Ke and Wen Xian both died early.

In the mind of the still young Chao Gui, marrying someone was not a good way out, whether marrying far away or staying in Beijing.

After knowing her thoughts, Yixiu was so angry that she laughed out loud, and poked Chaogui's head in disappointment.

"How come you only remember these? Have you forgotten the Princess Gulun Kejing that the Emperor just conferred upon you a few days ago?"

"I asked you to learn how to handle accounts, but all you saw was money?"

"With such a huge amount of money flowing through, and so many nobles from all over the place, why is it that no one dares to make a move? Is it because they don't want to?"

"You are the Queen, who dares to come up and cause trouble?" Chao Gui puffed out her chest, she still had some pride.

"You see, only power and force can protect your interests from being snatched away by others. Only then do you have the right to speak."

Jianqiu skillfully walked over and replaced Yixiu's cup of tea with a new one.

She was no longer surprised by these outrageous remarks, and was shocked and frightened at first.

Now?

If Yixiu said she wanted to poison the emperor the next moment, Jianqiu would calmly prepare the poison, and maybe even prepare some extra.

Chaogui, who had been taught by Yixiu for a period of time, obviously did not take the ancestral teachings seriously.

The harem is not allowed to interfere in politics, so what does it have to do with her, a princess?

Seeing her thoughtful look, Yixiu nodded with satisfaction and took back the lychee that was badly damaged.

He took out a handkerchief and wiped the juice off Chaogui's hands.

"Go back and think about it carefully. Come over when you have an idea."

Chao Gui took all of this into account and prepared to make careful plans when he returned.

Zhou Ninghai hurried back to report with the ring given by the Queen. When Concubine Hua saw it, her heart tightened.

There was chaos at the time and no one thought of this. Although the ring should be fine after it got wet, it was still a hidden danger.

"The Queen told me to wear it without worry?"

"Yes, that's what the Queen said. She looked like she meant something."

Zhou Ninghai said worriedly that if anyone dared to plot against the emperor, it would be a serious crime that would lead to the extermination of nine generations of his clan.

Nian Shilan believed that her actions were secretive enough, but she still felt guilty facing the queen. The only thing she was sure of was that the queen was not an enemy.

"The Queen has helped me once again, and I owe her such a big favor."

"Songzhi, go get Doctor Shen and tell him I have chest pain."

Seeing that she didn't take it seriously, Zhou Ninghai and Songzhi relaxed, thinking that their master and the queen had reached a deal in private.

After a careful examination by Imperial Physician Shen, it was confirmed that all traces on the ring had disappeared. Concubine Hua was completely relieved and began to recuperate with peace of mind.

Her promotion to imperial concubine did not cause much stir. Being innocently implicated was enough to make the emperor feel guilty, not to mention the credit for saving him.

Everyone's attention was focused on the real culprit behind the scenes, and the palace servants coming and going became even quieter.

The emperor was furious as he looked at the confessions in front of him.

"You've been investigating for so long, and by chance there's nothing wrong at all?"

"Your Majesty, I have checked the people who inspected the garden several times and found nothing unusual."

"There was a heavy rain a few days ago, and the barrier at the lake entrance became loose. I personally led people into the water to investigate, and it seems that the snake came from Yuquan Mountain."

After hearing the guard's words, the emperor still had doubts in his heart. "Let's investigate further. Even if the snakes came from Yuquan Mountain, why would they attack the pleasure boat all at once?"

"Your Majesty, calm down. The eunuch confessed last night that he is indeed Prince Lian's man."

"It's just... after investigation, it turns out that it has nothing to do with this matter."

The emperor was unwilling to believe that this was a coincidence, but the idea of ​​boating on the lake was his own, and it was completely a spur-of-the-moment decision. The people serving him could not find any other problems.

Just as Yixiu guessed, the emperor set his sights on Nian Shilan.

However, he did not suspect Nian Shilan, but instead suspected the people serving her.

Concubine Duan has been secretly paying attention to everything. In order to confirm her guess, she met Zhen Huan by chance.

"Is Lady Wan also here to burn incense?"

Zhen Huan didn't expect to meet Concubine Duan here. After being shocked, she quickly stood up and saluted.

"Greetings to Consort Duan. I copied some Buddhist scriptures in my spare time and wanted to send them to you today so I can burn incense and pray for blessings."

Concubine Duan pretended not to notice the incense and candles in front of the Goddess of Childbirth, and enthusiastically held Zhen Huan's hand and helped her up.

"Sister, please get up quickly. There have been a lot of troubles these past few days, and I am also feeling uneasy. That's why I came out for a walk. Can you come with me?"

Zhen Huan had a good impression of the gentle and generous Concubine Duan, and immediately agreed when she heard the words.

In the evening, the sun had long lost its midday scorching heat, and the two walked slowly under the shade of the trees.

"Sister, it's been a while since you entered the palace. Are you used to everything?"

"Thank you for your concern, sister. Everything is fine in the palace. Except for missing my family when something happens, everything else is fine."

"That's great. My sister is so smart and charming. I'm sure she'll be pregnant soon. It will definitely be a very beautiful child."

Being looked at with such admiration by Concubine Duan, Zhen Huan's cheeks turned red.

She was also looking forward to giving birth to an imperial heir. The emperor's accident frightened her greatly. In addition to worrying about the emperor's safety, she was more anxious and panicked about the future.

"Sister, you are too kind. How can I, a humble concubine, deserve such praise?"

"Sister, there's no need to be so modest. Ever since I first saw you, I knew the Emperor would definitely like you. Pregnancy is only a matter of time, unlike us old folks..."

Seeing Concubine Duan suddenly feel sorry for herself, Zhen Huan didn't have time to think about what she had just said.

After some comforting, the relationship between the two became much closer, and Zhen Huan was not stupid enough to say anything.

He only picked out interesting things that happened since he entered the palace to make Concubine Duan happy.

"Chun'er lives with the concubines, and the food in the small kitchen is cooked in different ways every day."

"...Who knew they would be so connected? Their connection from the talent show has continued to this day, and they've become good sisters."

These are things that everyone knows, so Zhen Huan doesn't have to worry about anything wrong.

"Mrs. Xia has a straightforward personality and it's obvious that she's extremely favored at home."

"After chatting with my sister today, I feel much better. It's getting late, so I'll go back first. Please come visit me often when you have time."

"Then I won't be polite, sister."

After watching Concubine Duan leave, Huanbi smiled and helped Zhen Huan up.

"Master's favor is unparalleled in the palace. Even Concubine Duan has come to befriend you. Once Master has an heir, life will surely be even better."

"That's right!" Liu Zhu also laughed. They say that once you enter the palace, it's like entering a deep sea, but she doesn't think so.

Isn't this all good?

Seeing that they were all talking about this, Zhen Huan shyly raised her hand and tapped Huanbi lightly with her fan.

"You're talking nonsense again. You all speak so recklessly."

When she said this, Zhen Huan's expression became serious.

"Empress Duan has served the Emperor for many years and is deeply respected by the Emperor. How can you and I discuss her casually? You must never say such things in the future."

"Everything is safe and sound in the palace right now, but you must remember that words can cause disaster. If you make a mistake one day, I may not be able to protect you."

Seeing that Zhen Huan was really unhappy, Huanbi and Liuzhu quickly admitted their mistakes and promised to be more careful with their words and actions in the future.

After all, they grew up together and when she saw that they knew they were wrong, Zhen Huan quickly let the matter go.

Ever since Concubine Hua fell ill, the Emperor no longer concealed his preference.

This favor was seen by everyone in the palace, so Zhen Huan did not take Concubine Duan's firm words to heart.

And the distant Concubine Duan also got the information she wanted.

It is not difficult to see from Zhen Huan's words that her life since entering the palace has been really easy.

Concubine Hua only expressed her dissatisfaction at the beginning, and then she ignored them. Concubine Duan was sure that she had no feelings for the emperor anymore.

The palace was so peaceful after the newcomer entered, and even Concubine Xia, with her domineering personality, didn't cause any trouble. It was obvious that the Queen had put in a lot of effort.

"Jixiang, tomorrow you should prepare a valuable gift for Concubine Hua."

The development of the situation was completely beyond Concubine Duan's imagination. She knew that continuing to wait would only lead to missing more opportunities, so she decided to take the initiative.

"Your Majesty, what if Concubine Hua gets angry and comes to trouble you again?"

"That's best."

Jixiang could only nod with a bitter face. With Concubine Hua's temper, throwing things out at them was a small matter. But if she brought more people with her, they would suffer.

When Concubine Duan's gift was delivered, Nian Shilan was taking medicine under Songzhi's persuasion. When she heard that the person coming was Jixiang, she put on the medicine bowl on the table with a stern face.

"What is she doing here? Songzhi, let her in. I want to see what tricks Concubine Duan has up her sleeve."

Songzhi glanced at the medicine bowl, opened her mouth and stopped trying to persuade him.

She silently took the medicine out and asked someone to heat it up. The medicine had to be taken eventually, and there was no point in avoiding it for the time being.

When Jixiang heard Songzhi's words, her whole body froze. She had already prepared herself to be kicked out and never thought that Concubine Hua would meet her.

I could only walk in with trepidation.

"This servant pays respects to Her Majesty Hua Guifei."

"Get up, show me what your master has sent you."

Jixiang's heart was in his throat. "My Lady, these are some aged tonics."

Nian Shilan looked at those things with a hint of sarcasm in her eyes. Medicinal herbs?

The emperor did not attach much importance to Concubine Duan, so these things must have been part of her dowry.

She dared to give it to him. The reason they became enemies was because of the medicinal herbs. He had been hiding and refusing to come out all these years, but now he dared to show up.

"Go back and tell your master that I have accepted the gift. Tell her to take good care of herself and live a long life."

"Yes, the slaves retire."

After hearing these ironic words, Jixiang felt that everything was back to normal.

She raised her eyes slightly, but saw that Concubine Hua's eyes were very strange. Unlike the usual eyes full of resentment, they were unexpectedly peaceful... and seemed to be a little nostalgic.

Jixiang wiped away the strangeness in his heart, took a quick look, then lowered his head and retreated.

Nian Shilan looked up at the bed curtain, put her hands over her chest and slowly adjusted her breathing.

Songzhi saw this scene as soon as she brought in the new medicine, and she was so scared that she rushed over.

"Your Majesty! How are you? I'll go get the imperial physician right away!"

"No, don't make a fuss. I'm just a little stuffy. Bring me the medicine."

Nian Shilan knew that this kind of thing would become the norm in the future, and she didn't want to always see Doctor Shen's indifferent face, and the medicine he prescribed was more bitter each time.

Songzhi wanted to run out but was called back. She had no choice but to obey.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid Jixiang's visit this time isn't just for a visit. If I just meet her like this, will Concubine Duan think too much?"

Nian Shilan held her breath and drank the medicine in one gulp. The strong sour and bitter taste rushed into her body from her mouth, and she couldn't help but shiver.

Songzhi had already prepared candied fruit and quickly fed it to him.

"Hmm~"

The sweet fruity smell suppressed the smell, and Nian Shilan finally felt a little more energetic.

"What else can I think about? Concubine Duan is an old fox. She must have seen something, so she sent someone to test her."

"Then..." Songzhi looked at Nian Shilan's face. It seemed that she was not angry because of Concubine Duan, so she mustered up the courage to continue speaking.

"Would you like to explain clearly to Concubine Duan what happened back then? The one hiding behind the scenes was the Emperor, but in the end it was you and Concubine Duan who turned against each other."

Songzhi thought about how unpleasant the relationship was when they first entered the palace.

The master and Concubine Duan have always been good friends. At that time, I was happy for them and felt that the master also had a close friend in this backyard, but now.

When the thing that Nian Shilan had been avoiding was brought up, her eyes involuntarily turned to the medicinal herbs on the table.

"It's not that easy. Some things happen and that's it."

"My child lost his life because of that bowl of medicine, and Concubine Duan also lost her offspring because of my bowl of safflower. Even if it was all due to the Emperor's scheme, the grudge between them cannot be wiped out with just an apology."

"She and I...maybe we can work together in the future, but being friends again is impossible."

Seeing Nian Shilan so disappointed, Songzhi wanted to slap herself twice. Why did she say all these things for no reason?

"Let's not talk about this, Madam. I will put these things away right away so that you won't be upset when you see them."

Nian Shilan was helped to lie down, feeling her weak body, with Songzhi's words still echoing in her mind. Should she make herself clear?