Empress with no Virtue – Chapter 35
AUGUST 28, 2015 ~ LAMLAM1990
“Mother, why are you here?” Ji Wu Jiu ‘s face got even more serious after seeing his mother here. Although he was not happy to see the scene, but he really didn’t want his mother to find out.
“Why can’t I come, although I did not bother about the matters of the inner court since a long time ago, but I will also not allow anyone to disturb the peace of the inner palace, so I would definitely be strict this time and not allow any obscene things to happen here, that will make us royal family lose our face and bloodline” The empress dowager walked closer, and looked at the people there, and did not stop talking, and sarcastically said “I didn’t know it would be so happening at Ying Hua Hall, empress, even if you want to meet up with Lieutenant Lu, you should have avoided the Buddha”
Her words were very unpleasing to the ears, even if they meet up they don’t need to avoid the Buddha, it seems like they were definitely doing something bad.
Ye Zhen Zhen felt her body turned cold, she was never in such a defensive state. Clenching her fists, to force herself to calm down, cleared her voice and said “mother, you think too much, I was practicing my martial arts here, it was a coincident to meet Lieutenant Lu here. Everyone knows that he is skilled in martial arts, so I just asked him some advice. I think the Buddha would not be angry over this type of matter.”
The empress dowager scoffed “coincident? Lieutenant Lu is not on duty today, how was it coincident?”
Ye Zhen Zhen also scoffed “mother you really know everything, even when Lieutenant Lu is on duty, also you know so well” In another words, this scheme was acted out by you.
In terms of speaking, the empress dowager truly can’t fight over Ye Zhen Zhen, she turned and look at Ji Wu Jiu, “you empress and her childhood friend meeting up here, you have nothing to say?”
Ji Wu Jiu was looking at Ye Zhen Zhen all the while. Although hearing the empress dowager’s word made him unhappy, but at this moment, he just really want to know what really happened. Taking a deep breath he said “Empress, I will give you a chance to explain yourself”
“You really came here to listen to me explain?” Ye Zhen Zhen looked at him coldly, and added “if so, why did you not hear what I explained just now?” It was obvious you are in the same gang as the empress dowager, why are you still acting.
Ji Wu Jiu’s face darkens. The empress dowager shouted “how dare you, speak to the emperor like that! Really not bounded by rules eh! People, catch that adulterous couple!”
The people then wanted to move over to Ye Zhen Zhen, and she with wide eyes, took one step forward and shout “who dares!”
Her powerful voice really scared the people there, and making them contemplate. She is still the empress, if they were rude to her now, next time if she return, to kill them would be too easy.
Ye Zhen Zhen looked at the empress dowager and said “mother, you are thinking for the inner palace, I can understand, but to catch someone without evidence or witness, I am afraid that would be not following the rules” If you can, bring out the evidence!
The empress dowager knew she would say that, gestured and said “check his body”
Of course the him, refers to Lu Li, one cannot simply check the empress’s body. Believing the saying that if they are really in any sort of romantic relationship, they would exchange token of love. Therefore if on Lu Li’s body now, can find any sort of item that belongs to Ye Zhen Zhen then todays case would be settled.
Su Yue was so nervous that she almost can’t feel her heart beating anymore. She saw a few eunuch rushing to Lu Li and was searching thoroughly on Lu Li’s body, she held on to the pouch tighter. Lucky, real lucky, he gave her the pouch when he reach, if not the crime will never be washed of. This empress dowager, her plan is really evil!
The eunuchs has completed their search, and expected there was nothing.
Even if they can’t find it, it was find, the empress dowager thought, this time really cant let Ye Zhen Zhen go. So she said “then lets ask Lieutenant Lu to explain, why are you here at night, and was happily conversing with the empress?”
Actually, just now after greeting the empress dowager, Lu Li has been quiet all this while, now he finally opened his mouth “replying to your majesty, emperor, I received an order from the emperor to come her, as for why, I do not know”
Hearing these words, the empress dowager stunned for a while and turned to Ji Wu Jiu.
Ji Wu Jiu was also stunned “I have never ordered you anything, nor said anything close to this”
“I do not dare to speak any lies. Today there was an eunuch holding an item to tell me about this matter, although I was not sure, but I do not dare to oblige, so I acted according to that person’s saying and came here, only to find the empress being here. I see that your majesty was not arriving, so I took courage to ask the empress, and she was holding to a martial arts book and asked me a few questions about it, then your majesty and the empress dowager arrived”
His words were spoken so bluntly, even Ye Zhen Zhen started to believe it.
But to use an item to give the order was abit weird. The emperor does not lack any paper or ink, to write a note or what, or to ask his close eunuchs to pass the message, but for an item and order to be passed like that…
After hearing Ji Wu Jiu asked “o?, what did that eunuch give you?”
Lu Li opened his hands, and on it there was a white, with 1 inch diameter, round shaped item. Feng You De walked forward and took the item, and gave to Ji Wu Jiu.
That was a white jade, with a dragon engraving dress ornament, white and warm, definitely of high quality and hard to find. That was not the main point, the main point is this item does belong to Ji Wu Jiu. Jade that was made for the emperor, to be worn at specific occasions or seasons based on colour. This jade was white colour, it was worn by him during the autumn season, and since it has entered winter already, he has ordered it to be kept already, so he did not know why it would reach Lu Li.
Ji Wu Jiu’ face flashed through a suspicion.
Not only him, the people around them looking at the jade was also starting to think what happened. The empress was thinking, maybe my son is on the same side as me? But to use this method is too easy to be found out; Ye Zhen Zhen thinks, so it was Ji Wu Jiu doing this, but to place her into this trap, it was really to cruel.
Only Lu Li, who was still in calm composure, showing his innocent.
Ji Wu Jiu held the jade and said “must be someone falsifying my order, you may rise”
“thank you your majesty”
“Do you know that eunuch, do you remember how he looks like?”
“Replying to your majesty, I do not know him, but I remember him”
“If so, then I will need to investigate properly, who is the fella that has so much courage, that dared to falsify my order.”
In the empress dowager’s heart she can’t accept this ending, but ever since Lu Li took out that jade ,she already know the case was close. No matter if the order was real or not, he already has the reason to appear here, this was already enough. Furthermore, just now when the eunuch searched his body, they already nearly took off all his clothes, also they didn’t manage to find anything.
That person, really was too cunning.
Since it was just a misunderstanding, then I am not worried anymore. Empress to practice your martial arts here everyday, it is still better to be more careful” The empress said slyly.
“thanks for worrying, mother. As a honest person, surely the Buddha will look over me, and nothing would happen for sure” Ye Zhen Zhen also learned how to scold people humbly.
So the empress dowager who came with her head held high, left with her dropping head.
After the empress dowager left, Ji Wu Jiu who was standing away from her, turned back and called her, “still not leaving?”
Ye Zhen Zhen then started to walk, when passing by him, he wanted to hold her hands, but got brushed off by her quickly. Ye Zhen Zhen said in a low voice “Despicable”, her tone was full of disgust and hate.
JI Wu Jiu didn’t know why but his heart felt a prick, very uncomfortable. When he returned to his senses, he realized she has misunderstood him, so he quickly rushed to her.
“I … I really didn’t know about the jade”
Did not answer him.
“How would I help other man to meet up with my wife?”
Still did not answer.
Su Yue was worried , looking from the side, the emperor was already like this, niang niang shouldn’t you give him some face.. furthermore, the jade was obviously not provided by the emperor.
How would Ye Zhen Zhen not know about that. Although she does not believe Ji Wu Jiu’s character, but believes in his intelligence, even if he wants to trap her, he would not give the jade, it was such a loop hole. Even so, she was still very angry, although the trap was not planned by him, but he still came to catch them! Furthermore it seems like he really wanted her and cousin brother to have something.
Lu Li was standing in front of Ying Hua Hall, looking at the back of the 3 of them. Ji Wu Jiu wants to hold Ye Zhen Zhen’s hands, and was pushed away by her a few times, and in the end he held onto her hand tightly not letting go, so the both of them continued to bicker and was lost in sight in the darkness.
Lu Li looked down and laughed. Besides himself, most probably no one else will know how the jade got into his hands…. He stole it.
Yes stole. Lu Li was skilled in martial arts, his flying skills were exceptionally good. Also not to mention he knows the palace in the back of his hands. To steal something that was heavily guarded was also an easy job for him. Also he has counted the timing properly, when Ji Wu Jiu was working in Yang Xin Hall, was the best time, as there will be less guards at Gan Qing Palace, and without Ji Wu Jiu, this leader, it was way easier.
Lu Li was an honest person, and have never stolen anything before, but this time it was different, he had to steal, for Ye Zhen Zhen. This type of blaming the empress of committing adultery , if it can happen once, it can happen twice, why not first put on a show, to demonstrate their evil heart to the emperor, and to get rid of the emperor’s worries towards her, next time even if there will be people were to report about this type of things again, the emperor would also not believe them easily anymore.
Also, he has already realized Ji Wu Jiu’s presence earlier. He knew that the emperor is easily suspect others, and if he were to act too proper in front of Ye Zhen Zhen, he will notice, and will only make Ji Wu Jiu suspect that he is hiding something, so being natural was the best. Also Ji Wu Jiu knew Lu Li’s martial skills, so he did not dare go too near, most probably he did not hear what they said.
Luckily this time nothing happened, zhen zhen you have to be more careful. Lu Li was thinking alone.
Real author’s note : I want to explain a little of Ye Zhen Zhen’s attitude matters.
I think a lot of friends put too much hope on to Zhen Zhen. She is only a smarter girl compared to the rest. Also this girl grew up in a very good environment, rich, and the whole family dotes on her, and did not really put too much expectations on her strictly, just like a flower grown in a greenhouse. So it made her attitude a bit more pampered, and act as she likes, and sometimes what she says are not processed by the brain. You see the things that she plays with, none of them are normally played by ladies from rich families, but she likes them, and her family also does not reprimand her as well.
This type of people to be thrown into the inner palace warfare, would require some training, not possible for her to win everyone at the beginning. So she is considered to be only in a defensive mode in the palace, keep getting framed for this and that, also she was lucky that she is rather smart and a little lucky, so she managed to escape each round. But of course it could not be like that forever, because people needs to grow, being targeted a few times, slowly she will be better. Understanding that you guys like to see the empress being the most powerful one and obeyed by everyone in the palace, but one must understand that the storyline needs to be based by the character. The empress is not a perfect person, she has many weaknesses. I have always thought that a person with weakness is a true complete person. Although you guys might not care about the character’s behavior or attitude, whether it was complete or not, but as an author I have always hope that I can face the challenges of an author. I hope everyone understands.
Translators note: I purposely translated the author’s thoughts, because it seems very fitting to do so. ^.^
Now seriously happy weekend, next update will be on Tuesday afternoon +8GMT.
Happy weekend, and long holiday for Malaysians ~~ hip hip hurray!!!! (Merdeka!!)