C204

Bai Yan looked at Ruo Lan's hands that were as dried up as firewood and her eyes that were covered by a white strip of cloth. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions, and she didn't know how to describe it.

And at this moment, he finally understood why Bai Zhan had made a deal with the Empress Dowager to save them at this critical juncture.

He really didn't expect that the person he had saved was the person he had longed for his entire life.

"Ruo Lan, all these years, I've troubled you. "Also, I'm sorry …"

Bai Yan's eyes were somewhat moist. He tried his best to hold back his tears so that he wouldn't cry.

However, he was still unable to hold it in. Tears rolled down his face.

"What are you talking about? You don't owe me anything. If you didn't secretly help me so much, I would have died a long time ago. I should be the one thanking you, thanking you for your help, thanking you for all these years for taking care of Zhuo'er."

In Ruo Lan's opinion, Bai Yan truly didn't owe her anything.

On the contrary, Rowland felt that she owed him quite a lot.

"No, I'm really sorry, Lan'er. I promised you that I would protect you for the rest of your life, but I couldn't make you suffer for more than ten years. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry …"

In Bai Yan's memory, he was extremely fond of Ruo Lan.

Originally, Ruo Lan should have become his wife, but because Ruo Lan's father wanted to request for a high official position, he greedily sent Ruo Lan into the imperial palace, becoming the imperial concubine of the late emperor.

If he had proposed to her earlier, things would not have been this way.

"Big brother Yan, cough …"

Ruo Lan called out 'Big Brother Yan'. Suddenly, she felt that something was wrong. She lightly coughed to hide her embarrassment.

"Look at me, I'm already this old yet I'm still calling you this." Master Hou, you really don't owe me. This is life. You and I are destined to end up like this. I don't blame anyone. "Really, don't blame yourself. The more you blame yourself, the more uncomfortable I feel. Speaking of which, it's also me who has blamed you. I'm sorry."

Twenty years ago, Bai Yan and Ruo Lan had been in love, and this was an almost public secret.

However, because Bai Yan wasn't ambitious and didn't ask for an executive position, Ruo Lan's father greedily sent Ruo Lan to the Imperial Palace, where he became the imperial concubine of the late emperor.

Originally, the late emperor didn't plan to include Ruo Lan in the harem. However, after seeing Ruo Lan's beauty and being moved by it, he eventually abandoned his younger brother's request and became his concubine.

"Lan'er, I won't let you suffer in vain. I swear, I will definitely make Nangong Liuli pay a painful price. I swear!"

Bai Yan and Ruo Lan stayed in the small courtyard for a long time, so long that they forgot the time.

The green bamboo listened to Bai Zhan Ke's instructions, and naturally didn't dare to disturb him.

When Hibiscus vulgaris woke up, the sky was already getting dark.

As for Mu Qiu, he had also been brought over to the Gesun Hall by Luo Chen.

Inside the side hall, Mu Qiu was lying on his bed. His expression was haggard and devoid of any color.

Even his lips were somewhat pale.

She looked at the hibiscus flower, her expression filled with guilt and helplessness.

"Big sis Jin, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry …"

Mu Qiu apologized profusely. Hua Mu Jin's expression remained calm as she gently sighed and shook her head to hold onto Mu Qiu's hand.

"Don't think too much into it. This matter is already over. Just pretend that it never happened in the future. We are still good sisters, do you understand?" "Oh right, I've got someone to prepare some food. Later on, you can eat more or less, don't let your body get hungry."

"Sorry, sorry …"

Mu Qiu bit his lips, his heart feeling extremely uncomfortable.

The better the flower hibiscus was to her, the more guilt she felt.

"Alright, you've already fainted for half a month and haven't eaten much. You already don't have any strength left, and you're only using your strength to apologize to me. How boring is that? Didn't I say that before? As long as you have something to say, tell me and I'll definitely help you. "

Actually, when Mu Qiu fell into the ancestral hall and was saved, Hua Mujiao had taken advantage of the time she was holding Mu Qiu to quietly tell her to pretend to be unconscious. This act of pretending lasted for half a month.

It was only because of Mu Qiuzhuang's coma that Hua Mujiao's following plan was able to smoothly proceed according to her plan.

As for the imperial physician treating Mu Qiu, he was the one who had asked Bai Zhan Ke to personally issue the decree. Naturally, it was their people who would not expose Mu Qiu's pretense of unconsciousness.

"Big sis Jin, I really want to … I really want to leave this cage. If this goes on, I'll really be out of breath."

Mu Qiu clearly understood how much Hua Mu Jin treated him.

She also knew that if she said that, Hua Mu Jin would definitely help her, letting her leave the palace and live her own life.

It could be said that she was using the flower, hibiscus, to treat him well.

"I will arrange it. However, at that time, I'm afraid that I will have to make you suffer a little. If you are willing to suffer, I guarantee that I will be able to send you out of the palace safely.

Hua Mu Jin had already thought of a way to send Mu Qiu out of the palace.

However, this still required Mu Qiu's cooperation.

"I am willing! Elder sister Jin, I am willing to suffer! No matter how bitter it is, I am willing to suffer! As long as I can leave the Imperial Palace, even if I die, I will not be afraid!"

In the eyes of others, being the concubine was a glorious matter that brought honor to one's ancestors.

However, everyone had different thoughts. To Mu Qiu, this wasn't some dazzling imperial palace, but a cage that imprisoned her, forcing her to almost suffocate.

"Alright, I will arrange it. Oh yeah, you … The Right Prime Minister wishes to look at you, do you want to see him or not? "

When Mu Qiu heard this, his body stiffened.

Then she forced a smile and nodded, "See you."

"Then I'll let him in."

With that, Hua Mujiao walked out of the room. Not long after Hua Mujiao left, a slightly dispirited man dressed in the attire of eunuchs walked in.

"Father …"

The man dressed in the attire of a eunuch was the Right Prime Minister of the Huan Yue Country, Mu Qiu's father.

"I'm fine. Do you feel unwell?"

As the Right Prime Minister spoke, he was concerned about Mu Qiu's body.

It could be seen that as a father, he cared deeply about his daughter.

But...

"Your daughter is very well. With Big Sister Jin Jin taking care of her, she should be fine after a few days of rest."

The Right Prime Minister walked forward and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked at Mu Qiu and sighed deeply.

"Qiu'er, you have to thank esteemed Empress Xi properly. If it weren't for esteemed wangfei, your life would've been gone long ago." "Say, you child, why are you so shameless? You … You actually …"

From the looks of it, the Right Prime Minister knew that the child Mu Qiu was pregnant with wasn't the Emperor's child.

Listening to his father's reprimand, Mu Qiu felt very sad in his heart.

At the same time, she was also a little surprised at this slightly aged man in front of her.

"I know, I'm a shameless woman. Not only did I betray the emperor, but …"

As he spoke, Mu Qiu looked at the Right Prime Minister with determination.

"But father, you insisted on breaking up your daughter's relationship with Zi Chu, and your daughter once begged you to not send your daughter to the palace, but you stubbornly insisted on doing so, and still sent your daughter in. When you sent your daughter to the palace, you should have known that she would not survive in this hellish harem. "

Mu Qiu had described the harem as hellish, so to her, it wasn't exaggerated at all.

What was the difference between this emaciated harem that ate people without spitting out their bones and hell?

"Are you blaming me for saying that? I sent you into the palace all for your own good. Grandson Chu might be a nice child, but he's someone who's easily influenced by benefits. Later on, he even became the empress dowager's bodyguard.

The Right Prime Minister didn't think much of his grandson.

However, he did not misjudge his grandson. His grandson was someone who was easily taken in by the benefits.

"It's not like you don't know that the emperor and the empress dowager are at odds. If you really are together with your grandson Chu, then he might use you to achieve his goals." At that time, tell me, will your father help you in disobedience of the imperial edict, or will he not save you in the face of death? "

"But you shouldn't force your daughter into the palace. Even if your daughter finds someone more honest to marry, you wouldn't want to stay in this cage. Father, why don't you understand your daughter?"

Mu Qiu suddenly became agitated as tears rolled down from her eyes. She felt wronged in her heart, but she didn't understand this grievance in front of her as her father.

"You, you child, forget it, I'm not going to talk to you anymore. I just want to see you one last time, and you can do whatever you want from now on. I have the authority to be your father, but I've never given birth to a daughter like you!"

To the Right Prime Minister, being loyal to his king was a very normal and irresistible thing. Thus, in his heart, he valued loyalty more than his daughter.

But in truth, these two couldn't be measured on the same scale, and couldn't be measured at all.

The Right Prime Minister sent Mu Qiu to the palace. Firstly, he wanted her to lead a luxurious life, and secondly, he wanted to cut off Mu Qiu's thoughts on his grandson Chu Feng.

But the Right Prime Minister never expected that sending Mu Qiu to the palace not only wouldn't end her thoughts about her grandson Chu Feng, but would instead help them achieve their goal. Moreover, it would also allow Mu Qiu to become a shameless woman.

If others were to know about this, they would have no idea how much they would be scolded.

"Take care of yourself. In the future, your father will not be able to help you anymore."

After he finished speaking, the Right Prime Minister stood up and flicked his sleeve as he walked out.

Looking at the departing Right Prime Minister, Mu Qiu covered his face and cried loudly.

At the same time, in the main hall.

"Empress Dowager Xi, this old subject is here to thank you for the great kindness you have shown to my daughter, and for the great kindness you have shown me. This old subject has no way to repay you, and is willing to be a slave to you in the next life to repay you, esteemed imperial concubine."

As soon as the Right Prime Minister came out of the side hall, he knelt in front of Hua Mujiao and kowtowed heavily.

Hua Mujiao was a bit taken aback. She stared blankly for a moment, before stepping forward to help the kneeling Right Prime Minister up.