Yun Shang saw her pale face in Xia Huanyu's eyes, and the astonishment on her face was obvious. Yun Shang quickly hid her expression, silently picked up the black chess piece that had just fallen, and then looked up at Xia Huanyu. Her voice was slow and powerful.
"I've heard that father only doted on mother in the imperial household regardless of others' opposition. After mother's accident, father also had the plan to abdicate and look for her. Father, you can do this when you even didn't know whether or not mother was still alive. Moreover, Shang'er is still a living person now. You are not the only one who can give up the throne for your beloved one."
Xia Huanyu's eyes darkened. He chuckled, but there seemed to be a hint of self-mockery, sarcasm, and some unknown emotions in his laughter.
"Like father, like son." Said Xia Huanyu in a somewhat cold voice.
"Do you want to take your favorite tea set with you?" Hua Ling walked out and asked softly.
Xia Huanyu's indifferent expression faded away. When he turned his head, a gentle smile appeared on his face. "Take it. Just put it in the carriage. If we have nothing else to do, we could boil the tea in the carriage."
Hua Ling glanced at the maid behind her, and the maid quickly responded, turned around and entered the inner hall again.
Since Hua Ling was there, Xia Huanyu and Yun Shang changed the topic at the same time, only talking about some ordinary things.
After Luo Qingyan finished dealing with the political affairs, he went straight to the Taihe Palace. The four of them had dinner together, taking it as a farewell to Xia Huanyu and Hua Ling.
After dinner, it was completely dark. Yun Shang and Luo Qingyan walked towards Weiyang Palace. Yun Shang recalled what Xia Huanyu had said and what Luo Qingyan had said to Liu Yinfeng yesterday. Her mind was in a mess.
In this situation, they had to choose between abdication and concubine selection.
Yun Shang bit her lips. She would feel guilty to Luo Qingyan if Luo Qingyan abdicated. But she couldn't accept the fact that Luo Qingyan would marry a concubine, unless she left Luo Qingyan.
Between guilt and leave, her choice was evident.
Yun Shang clenched her fists in her sleeves. Just as Ning Qian said, she had always been planning for Luo Qingyan. Let her be selfish this time.
Yun Shang was taken aback when her hand was being held suddenly and turned around.
Under the dim light of the lantern, Luo Qingyan's eyes looked a little deep. He was staring at her.
Yun Shang came to her senses and asked, "Your Majesty, what's wrong?"
Luo Qingyan frowned. He looked at Yun Shang for a while and said, "That's what I want to ask you. Look at you. You look upset. What happened?"
Yun Shang kept silent for a long time and hesitated. Since she had decided to be selfish this time, she should tell him the truth. Besides, it was him who concealed the decision he had made.
Seeing that Yun Shang lowered her head and di
imperial household. What happened to Li Fuhua only alerted them. She still needed an opportunity to win their support, at least half of them.
If they can't be used by me, they can only be killed by me.
Yun Shang bit her lip and drew a circle with her hand. She decided to start from Qi Ruihai. Qi Ruihai was in charge of all the servants in the imperial household. He was a smart man who knew how to judge the situation.
There were only two ways to communicate with smart people. One was to cater to his wishes, and the other was to let him understand that choosing her was the best choice.
Yun Shang thought for a moment. She couldn't decide which one to use now, so she had to test it.
"Qin Yi is now focusing on the affairs of the Imperial Household Department. You are the only one in the Weiyang Palace and it's difficult for you to handle it alone. Send someone to invite Qi Ruihai here." Yun Shang turned to Qian Zhuo and ordered softly.
Qian Zhuo replied with a smile and went out to ask Qing Hao to do it.
Soon she returned and whispered. "The secret guards told me that His Former Majesty and Her Former Majesty had left Jin An, but they didn't go in the direction of Liucang City. Instead, they went northwest."
"Northwest?" Yun Shang frowned and wondered why Xia Huanyu would go to the northwest?
Yun Shang stood up and walked to the map. She gently touched the map with her hand. Northwest, Mingyi City, Luoyin City, Huaiyin City, and Lingxi City.
Huaiyin, Lingxi.
Yun Shang's hand paused. These two places...
Zhao Yingjie was here.
Could it be that Hua Ling went to visit Zhao Yingjie with Xia Huanyu? It might not be impossible, but did Xia Huanyu really just plan to travel with Hua Ling?
Yun Shang shook her head and felt uncertain for the first time.
She found that she was really confused with Xia Huanyu. Just like she couldn't figure out how Xia Huanyu got to know that she was infertile and that Bao'er was mentally disabled.