C195

"Empress, when did you ever speak to Nangong Waner about you being ordered around by someone else? I've always been by the Empress's side, and have never heard you mention it? " Imperial Concubine Su's personal palace maid, upon hearing Imperial Concubine Fu's words, could not help but have some doubts as she softly inquired.

"You, ah, are really stupid, but that Nangong Waner is actually very clever, the meaning behind my words are completely clear, maybe she will accept my favor in the future, enough, it's about time for Qin Ruxue to come to my palace to retrieve the net, wait for her a while, I will also rest." Imperial Concubine Su returned to her usual calm and composed self as she quietly sat at the table, waiting for Qin Ruxue's arrival.

On the other side of the imperial flower garden, after Nangong Waner followed Shuang Fei for a few hours, he happily coaxed the empress dowager. The empress dowager was amused by him until she kept smiling.

The empress dowager did not know what had happened, so the Prince Zhan walked into the imperial garden with a happy expression on his face, but when he saw that Nangong Waner was not on his seat, the Prince Zhan's face immediately became gloomy. The empress dowager did not know what had happened.

The empress dowager could see everything clearly from the corner of her eyes, but pretended to ignore it and laughed at Qin Ruxue. "Xue'er, you really are a good child. The empress dowager pretended to be in a good mood as she praised Qin Ruxue.

Prince Zhan stood there with a gloomy face. The emperor immediately understood and took the initiative to speak up to save her. He asked the empress dowager, "Imperial Mother, why is Nangong Waner not on his seat?"

Her Majesty did not answer.

The Prince Zhan's expression darkened even more, as if he was about to flare up. Qin Ruxue was actually a "clever" person, and hurriedly helped the empress dowager answer, "Big Brother Emperor, the wind in the Imperial Garden is a bit strong. Wan Er's body didn't feel well, so Imperial Concubine Fu carried him to her chambers to rest."

When the Prince Zhan heard Qin Ruxue's words, his expression darkened even more. He looked at Qin Ruxue and the empress dowager with disdain as he said in a low voice, "The emperor has already decreed that Wan Er will marry into our Prince Zhan's Mansion two months from now. He is to be my, Chu Xiuhan's, wangfei."

The Prince Zhan's voice was cold and clear, but there was a sense of threat mixed within it. That's right, Nangong Waner is my wangfei, my, Chu Xiuhan's, people, are not people you can touch however you please.

You are not the kind of people who can afford to do this, and you still need to consider your own abilities before you act.

The empress dowager was both shocked and embarrassed by Prince Zhan's words. The empress dowager had only been stunned for a short period of time, so how could the emperor grant her a marriage, and even a position of principal? The emperor clearly knew her, Xue'er … Could it be that the emperor was going to go after her as well?

The empress dowager was also embarrassed by Prince Zhan's tone, it was just that the empress dowager's daughter actually drugged Prince Zhan with some kind of aphrodisiac which he was so concerned about. Although the empress dowager's personality had been cold for so many years, she at least treated the empress dowager with respect and knew about etiquette.

He had never been like this, cold words against each other …

The empress dowager sat there in a bad mood. Qin Ruxue was also shocked when she heard the news, she knew that Nangong Waner and the Prince Zhan had slept together in the same bed for two days, she knew that the Duke Palace had spread word that the Duke would soon marry Nangong Waner and become the Crown Princess.

It was just that she did not expect Prince Zhan to be so impatient, she still held a trace of hope in her heart that Prince Zhan only had a bit of interest in Nangong Waner … Just like she did with Su Xiangxiang, she had abandoned him in the end like a pair of shoes …

"I can't lose. I can't, I won't lose, I won't lose." Qin Ruxue clenched his fists tightly in his sleeves and worked hard to maintain his image so that he wouldn't lose control of his emotions.

"That's right, I haven't lost. Since I haven't been married into the palace for a day, it doesn't count as my loss. Even if I were to marry … "I already have a plan …" Qin Ruxue thought about it carefully in his heart, and his somewhat uncontrollable emotions finally calmed down a little.

At this time, the empress dowager seemed to have something to say to the emperor in private. Qin Ruxue reckoned that it was most likely about the empress dowager giving the emperor a decree for marriage, and the empress dowager wanted to reprimand the emperor. Since it was inconvenient for Qin Ruxue to be present, she found a reason to leave.

As expected, after Qin Ruxue left the imperial garden, he went straight to Imperial Concubine Fu's quarters. "Imperial Concubine Fu, I'm worried about Wan Er's body, and I wanted to come and see him."

Qin Ruxue smiled gently, as if she was really here to visit him.

However, just as he entered the palace, Qin Ruxue took a glance at the stove that Imperial Concubine Su usually used to light her own incense. Qin Ruxue saw that the furnace was filled with ashes that had been burned by the Calming Incense, and the handle at the bottom of the incense was still lying there.

Peach Blossom immediately went close to Qin Ruxue's ear and whispered, "It's our incense, it's already burnt completely. It's very clean, there's no evidence left behind."

Qin Ruxue couldn't help but smile, looking even more intimate towards her.

"It's unfortunate that you came, Ruoxue. Nangong Waner was just taken away by the Prince Zhang and has not been gone for long. My body shouldn't be too injured from the looks of it, there's no need to worry."

Although Qin Ruxue understood in his heart, after hearing that Nangong Waner had been taken away by the Prince Zhan, his face showed a moment of displeasure, but quickly returned to normal again. "Consort Su really has a good nature.

"Then thank you very much, Ruxue, for your beautiful words in front of the empress dowager." Imperial Concubine Fu's smile was rather magnanimous.

Qin Ruxue pretended to understand and led Peach Blossom away. On the other side of the imperial garden, the atmosphere was a little weird.

When the empress dowager saw that Qin Ruxue had left, she scolded the emperor somewhat unhappily. How could the emperor decide the marriage of Prince Zhan? Since ancient times, marriage had always been ordered by parents, the words of a matchmaker were, "Do you take it that I don't care about it, and don't put me in your eyes?" The empress dowager was very displeased as she rebuked the empress dowager.

The Emperor opened his mouth, hesitating to explain, but then seemed to consider what to say to make the Empress more acceptable.

The empress dowager seemed to sense that the emperor was hesitating to speak, but the empress dowager misunderstood. The empress dowager thought that the emperor was teaming up with the Prince Zhan and was currently thinking of a way to convince her.

The empress dowager was even more displeased as she frowned, her eyes filled with rage. "Your majesty! Do you not see this old man in your eyes?! "

Seeing that the empress dowager could only let out a quiet sigh, the emperor dejectedly and slowly said, "Imperial Mother, Chu Xiuhan directly asked me for an imperial decree to marry Nangong Waner and make her an imperial concubine. I know what Imperial Mother meant, I had wanted to refuse, but Chu Xiuhan asked me directly."

"What did he say?" Her Majesty asked anxiously when she saw the emperor's tone falter.

The emperor lowered his eyes and said softly, "Chu Xiuhan asked me, did I forget how Concubine Chen died thirteen years ago?"

"This …" The empress dowager's face was filled with fear and guilt. In the blink of an eye, tears filled her eyes again. "It was my fault, I shouldn't have forgotten how Consort Chen died. It was my fault, Han'er. I let him down, I know he always hated me, always hated me …"

The emperor wanted to comfort the empress dowager, but didn't know how. He could only allow the empress dowager to fall into her deep guilt.