Chapter 268

Do not keep?

Suddenly understanding the meaning of these words, Fuling's face changed slightly, and she hurriedly stood up and followed Wu Zhiqiu into the room.

"Get out!"

When Wu Zhiqiu bypassed the screen and entered the inner chamber, a low roar suddenly came from the bed. The voice wasn't necessarily loud, but the hoarse, angry, and suppressed roar really startled Wu Zhiqiu, and his steps stopped.

Fuling, who followed closely behind, hurriedly stepped forward, saluted Wu Zhiqiu, and hurriedly lifted the layers of curtains to enter. Walking to the edge of the bed, Fuling was startled by the scene before her. The large embroidered bed was a mess, the plain white silk bed sheet was all wrinkled, but one could still see the bright red blood stains on it at a glance.

Qingfeng was curled up, wrapping herself tightly, with only her head exposed. Qingfeng was not crying, just curled up so tightly. The ink-black hair, the plain white silk, and the dark red blood stains made Fuling feel a chill.

Fuling had been inside for a long time, but there was no sound. Wu Zhiqiu finally lost his patience and said loudly, "Madam, it is better to drink the medicine while it is hot."

Right, there was still medicine. Fuling only came back to her senses at this time. Just as she was about to explain to Qingfeng, she had already slowly sat up and asked coldly, "What medicine?" It would be best to give her a bowl of poison that would cut through her intestines.

The hoarse voice made people feel very uncomfortable. Qingfeng's originally clear and bright eyes were now bloodshot, dull, and lusterless, and the sharp look was no longer there. Fuling bowed forward and whispered in Qingfeng's ear, "It is a secret medicine. Only with the Emperor's consent can a concubine... conceive an heir for the royal family."

"Bring it here!" Qingfeng really wanted to laugh three times, but unfortunately, she couldn't. She hated Yan Hongtian and it was impossible for her to give birth to his child. This bowl of medicine was exactly what she had been praying for.

Qingfeng took the medicine bowl nimbly and poured the medicine down in one breath. The thick, black medicine was sour and astringent in her mouth. Qingfeng didn't feel it was bitter, only endlessly astringent.

Qingfeng looked up to drink the medicine, and Fuling was surprised to find that her neck and shoulders were full of red marks. Fuling's face flushed slightly. She had seen marks left after intimacy, but this was the first time she had seen them so terrifying.

Watching Qingfeng drink the medicine through the gauze curtain, Wu Zhiqiu saluted and took the little eunuch out of the hall.

Returning the medicine bowl to Fuling, Qingfeng curled up again, lying silently, and said in a tired, faint voice, "You go out too."

"This servant will go prepare hot water for you to bathe." Fuling retreated quickly. Seeing Qingfeng like this made her feel very uncomfortable.

Outside the window, the early birds were chirping, and inside the inner chamber, it was dead silent.

Yan Hongtian had already achieved his goal and probably wouldn't come again in the future. As for her, she had lost everything she should have lost and had nothing left.

Qingfeng slowly closed her eyes.

The sky was just brightening, and the morning sun was still wrapped in clouds and mist. A day had just begun. In the magnificent and exquisite palace, a woman wearing a deep purple silk skirt, her long hair unbound, leaned on a soft couch, half-closing her eyes in a fake sleep, opening her beautiful eyes from time to time to look outside the hall.

A woman in blue walked from afar. As soon as she entered the hall, Xin Yuening immediately sat up straight and asked, "Did the Emperor let her keep the dragon seed?"

"No."

Hearing Shui Xin's answer, Xin Yuening revealed a satisfied smile and said, "Tell Wu Zhiqiu, in the future, if the Emperor flips a tablet, have him put Qingfeng's tablet on the very top." As long as she couldn't conceive a dragon seed, letting Qingfeng be proud for a while didn't matter. The most important thing was to dampen the arrogance of that bitch Zhen Zhen!

"Master, although Qingfeng's appearance is damaged, she is still a beauty. She has long been famous, so she must have extraordinary qualities. You are helping her so much and letting her grow, I am afraid it will be disadvantageous to you in the future." After seeing Qingfeng last time, Shui Xin felt that Qingfeng was restless and sharp-edged at this time, so she was naturally difficult to become a climate. But if one day she calmed down, she would definitely be a difficult character. The master was only thinking about destroying Consort Hui's prestige at this moment, not knowing the trouble in the future.

Xin Yuening was dismissive and sneered, "An outsider woman with no one to protect her in the court, just relying on that bit of appearance and cleverness, what can she do even if she is favored? On the contrary, that Zhen Zhen, who has been favored by the Emperor for many years and relies on her brother and uncle to support her, looks down on me more and more. If she conceives a dragon fetus, the position of the mistress of this harem will change hands!" Once she got rid of Zhen Zhen, wouldn't it be easy to solve Qingfeng?

Shui Xin's face was calm, but she couldn't hide her worry in her eyes, and she persuaded in a low voice, "But this servant heard today that Prime Minister Lou has already informed the Emperor that he wants to marry Qing Ling as his legal wife." Lou Xiyan was more difficult to deal with than Consort Hui's uncle, the Minister of Rites, and the Lou clan was far stronger than the Zhen family.

"What? How is this possible?" Was Lou Xiyan crazy? What was good about that strange woman named Qing Ling? This news obviously disrupted Xin Yuening's plans, but after thinking for a while, she seemed to calm down and replied, "Princess Zhaoyun has admired Lou Xiyan for many years, and the Emperor will not agree to him marrying Qing Ling. Even if the Emperor agrees, the Empress Dowager will not agree. There are still many variables in this matter. You just do as I say first."

"Yes." Xin Yuening had lost her patience, and Shui Xin did not continue to persuade her, bowed slightly, saluted, and retreated silently.

It was long past the Hour of the Shen (3-5 PM), and the sunlight outside the window was dazzling and blinding, but the embroidered bed under the layers of curtains was dark. After bathing, the person on the bed had been lying quietly like this for a day.

Lifting the curtain and coming to the window, Fuling persuaded in a low voice, "Master, you haven't eaten anything all day. Drink some bird's nest porridge."

Qingfeng lay with her back to her, turning a deaf ear to everything she said. Fuling walked closer, sat on the edge of the bed, and whispered, "This servant heard a piece of news today."

The person on the bed still ignored her. Fuling deliberately said loudly, "It's about Miss Qing Ling."

After finishing, Fuling stopped talking, and there was silence in the inner chamber. A moment later, the person who had no reaction suddenly turned around and asked urgently, "What news?"

Fuling took the opportunity to hand over the bird's nest porridge in her hand.

Glaring at her, Qingfeng sat up, took the bowl, and while scooping porridge into her mouth, asked, "What news exactly?"

She finally ate something. Fuling breathed a sigh of relief secretly and replied, "Prime Minister Lou asked the Emperor for an imperial decree yesterday to marry Miss Qing Ling as his legal wife."

Qingfeng's hand holding the spoon paused, and she asked in disbelief, "Really?" Legal wife! Although in her heart, this was originally the position her sister should have obtained, but... Lou Xiyan wanting to marry an outsider woman as his legal wife, how was that possible?

"Yes." Fuling's affirmative answer made Qingfeng's already surprised heart even more uneasy, and she asked, "Where did you get this news?"

"This matter has been spreading in the palace early on. I heard that when Princess Zhaoyun heard this news, she almost fainted. Both the Eastern and Western Empress Dowagers went to comfort her. This matter will not end here. I am afraid you will be implicated in this matter..." Miss Qing Ling was outside the palace and had the protection of Prime Minister Lou, so naturally, nothing would happen to her. I am just afraid that the innocent will be implicated.

"Afraid of what?" Qingfeng snorted lightly: "Even Lou Xiyan isn't afraid, I have even less to be afraid of." She was just barely surviving in the palace. "I won't eat anymore." Handing the bowl back to Fuling, Qingfeng asked suspiciously, "Are there two Empress Dowagers in the palace?"

"Yes." Fuling glanced at the bird's nest porridge in her hand that had only been half eaten, shook her head secretly, but said nothing more. Getting up and putting the bowl on the low table aside, Fuling replied softly, "The Western Empress Dowager was originally the late Emperor's most favored concubine, who gave birth to two sons and one daughter, and is the Emperor's biological mother. The Eastern Empress Dowager was the late Emperor's original Empress, who never gave birth. The late Emperor adopted the Emperor to be raised by the Eastern Empress Dowager. After the Emperor ascended the throne, there was a distinction between the Eastern and Western Empress Dowagers. And... the Eastern Empress Dowager is Prime Minister Lou's aunt."

Aunt? So that was it. No wonder Yan Hongtian seemed exceptionally tolerant of Lou Xiyan. With Lou Xiyan having such an identity, it would be even harder for Big Sister to marry into the Lou family smoothly. However, Qingfeng was not very worried about her sister. Since Lou Xiyan had already asked Yan Hongtian for a decree, he must have had a plan. If such news as "Prime Minister Lou wants to marry an outsider woman as his legal wife" wasn't instructed by someone with a motive, who would have the guts to spread it in the palace? The corner of Qingfeng's mouth raised slightly. At present, it seemed that Lou Xiyan was still very attentive to her sister. If he really became her brother-in-law, it would be her sister's good fortune.

"Madam." Outside the screen, Lan'er called out cautiously.

Scolding her yesterday was truly because of the pent-up anger in her chest. Although Qingfeng had no intention of apologizing to Lan'er, her tone was significantly gentler: "What is it?"

Lan'er breathed a sigh of relief secretly before whispering, "Someone from Xixia Palace came to convey the Empress Dowager's decree, inviting you to attend the evening banquet at Xixia Palace at the Hour of the You (5-7 PM)."

Trouble came so fast! Qingfeng's face sank, and she replied impatiently, "Say I am unwell and won't go."

When the Empress Dowager bestows a banquet, even the Empress wouldn't dare say she wouldn't go. If she really replied like this, it would definitely bring disaster. Lan'er hesitated for a while, not daring to say anything, and finally just murmured "Yes." Just as she was about to retreat, Qingfeng suddenly called out, "Come back."

Lan'er waited outside the screen for a while, but there was no response from inside for a long time. She tilted her body slightly to look inside. Through the thin gauze, she saw Qingfeng still sitting on the bed, her head slightly lowered, unable to see her expression or know what she was thinking. Suddenly, Qingfeng raised her head and said in a deep voice, "When you reply, say... I will attend the banquet on time."

"Yes." Lan'er hurriedly stood up straight to avoid Qingfeng's gaze and retreated quietly.

Qingfeng supported herself on the bed frame and barely stood up straight. Whether it was because of the medicine, her lower abdomen was twitching with pain. Qingfeng gritted her teeth and insisted on getting out of bed, saying in a low voice, "Fuling, help me dress and do my hair."

"Yes." Fuling hurriedly stepped forward to support her and helped Qingfeng to sit before the bronze mirror. The sunlight outside the window shone on her face, and Fuling saw clearly that her face was terrifyingly pale, the marks on her shoulders and neck were bruised and red, and the faint bruises on her wrists were clearly visible.

Fuling was worried. In this state, how could she attend this banquet that was clearly ill-intentioned?

(End of chapter)