Marrying a concubine to seduce him and lure him into the game

"Your Majesty..."

Yu Yanwan's eyes were filled with tears and her voice was as weak as a mosquito's.

However, Su Jingchen just responded with a faint smile, turned around, and walked step by step into the endless darkness.

Witnessing the figure walking away, Yu Yanwan's grief turned into heart-wrenching sobs: "Prince... don't leave me! Prince..."

"Princess! Wake up!"

A sharp female voice suddenly broke through the dream and pulled Yu Yanwan, who was immersed in the abyss of despair, back to reality.

It was Zi Yu? Yu Yanwan was stunned. Looking at the familiar yet slightly unfamiliar face in front of her, she was filled with questions: "Where is this place? Why are you here?"

Zi Yu quickly looked around and answered in a low voice, "This is the attic of Yaohua Palace. I ventured here today in the hope of getting the princess's help to expose the heinous crimes of Concubine Shu."

Yu Yanwan smiled bitterly and asked, "Do you think I still have that ability and strength now?"

If Su Jingchen were still alive, perhaps she could still hold out a glimmer of hope, but the reality is that Su Jingchen might have already died. Could the dream just now be the farewell between Su Jingchen's soul and herself?

Zi Yu answered firmly: "The princess is extremely intelligent and will definitely be able to come up with a plan to deal with Concubine Shu. If you are willing to join forces with me, I will follow you to the death!"

After saying that, Zi Yu kowtowed repeatedly. Her pious look was very moving.

Outside the door, there was a sudden sound of chaotic footsteps, which made the two of them hold their breath unconsciously. Then, in the dim corridor, a few lights gradually became brighter. It turned out that the eunuchs on duty came to illuminate, and the tension of the two was slightly relieved.

"I am trapped here now and can't take care of myself..."

Yu Yanwan's eyes flickered, and suddenly, a cunning light flashed in her eyes, and her body straightened up involuntarily, "I got it!"

"Ok?"

Zi Yu's eyes widened in confusion.

Yu Yanwan raised her eyebrows slightly, her tone full of confidence: "Playing hard to get!"

---

As the night deepened, the Yongshou Palace was brightly lit, appearing exceptionally splendid and magnificent.

Ruan Qionghua frowned and wandered anxiously in the lobby. Su Jingya had been missing since the afternoon. Although all manpower had been mobilized to search for her, there was still no news. This made Ruan Qionghua feel uneasy.

There have been frequent murders in the palace recently. Ruan Qionghua knows very well that all of this is related to Shu Rao, but she is helpless due to the lack of solid evidence and cannot bring Shu Rao to justice.

As Su Jingya is the princess of Yuan Kingdom, Shu Rao should not dare to act rashly, right? I hope so, Ruan Qionghua prayed silently in her heart.

Ruan Qionghua's thin hands seemed to be able to clearly feel the fine beads of sweat on the palms. Anxiety and uneasiness made her already slender fingers twist even tighter, as if she wanted to wring water out of the handkerchief in her hands.

Unable to find Su Jingya, her heart seemed to be crushed by an invisible boulder, making it hard for her to breathe. Every breath was accompanied by heaviness and uncertainty.

"Queen Mother, Master Nan Sheng has arrived."

Although the little eunuch's voice was soft, it flowed into Ruan Qionghua's ears like a stream of clear spring, bringing a hint of imperceptible comfort.

Her eyes flashed with a bright color, and she hurriedly straightened her clothes and walked quickly to the vermilion door of the lobby.

Although the pace was hurried, each step was taken firmly, as if grasping a glimmer of hope.

Ruan Nansheng had just stepped over the threshold and had not yet bowed to greet when Ruan Qionghua pulled him inside with such force that he was slightly surprised.

The door closed lightly, isolating the outside world, leaving only the conversation between the two people echoing in the air.

"Nan Sheng, Jing Ya is missing. I feel like I'm being scratched by a cat. I'm in a state of panic. Do you think she has had an accident?"

There was an obvious tremor in Ruan Qionghua's voice, and her usual dignity was now replaced by worry.

"I have just recovered from a serious illness and there is no reliable person around me to share my worries. I really don't know what to do."

There was a hint of helplessness in her tone, as if she was blaming herself for her powerlessness.

Ruan Nansheng had a blank expression on his face, but his eyes could not hide his resentment about Gu Lingyun's matter.

He stared at the anxious Ruan Qionghua in front of him, and said sharply: "If Aunt had rescued Lingyun earlier, how could there be so many twists and turns now?"

In his heart, Gu Lingyun's death has always been a knot that is difficult to untie, and his resentment towards Ruan Qionghua has not faded with time.

After hearing this, Ruan Qionghua sighed helplessly, as if she was sighing for the past, but also as if she was compromising with reality.

"Nan Sheng said this, is she still blaming me? You know how I pleaded with the emperor those days, and the emperor almost agreed to punish Ling Yun leniently. Who would have thought that she would commit suicide in the Dali Temple!"

Her words were full of bitterness and self-blame, and it was obvious that she couldn't get over the outcome of not being able to save Lingyun.

"There must be something fishy going on. I have been investigating secretly, but the most important thing now is to find Jingya first."

There was determination in her eyes, and she was unwilling to give up even in the face of numerous difficulties.

Ruan Nansheng, however, looked as if he was not involved in the matter. He said calmly, "Why didn't Auntie ask the Emperor for help when she was looking for someone in the palace? After all, Jingya is his biological sister. How could he not help her?"

Ruan Qionghua shook her head quickly and firmly, like a rattle.

"The emperor is now drunk and unconscious. I have gone to him several times, but I couldn't even wake him up."

His words were filled with exhaustion and helplessness.

Seeing that Ruan Nansheng was still indifferent, Ruan Qionghua's eyes flickered a little. After quickly looking around, she approached Ruan Nansheng, put her lips close to his ear, and whispered: "I guess Jingya may have been imprisoned by that vicious woman Shu Rao. Yesterday, I received an anonymous letter saying that Lingyun's death was actually caused by Shu Rao."

Ruan Nansheng's eyes suddenly widened when he heard this, and his fingers tightened unconsciously, making a slight clicking sound, revealing his inner shock. "Are you serious?"

Ruan Qionghua's tone also became uncertain: "I'm not completely sure, but at Dan Guiren's birthday party yesterday, I noticed Shu Rao's strange behavior, so I asked Jing Ya to follow her secretly. Who knew..."

At this point, Ruan Qionghua's voice choked, and a thin layer of red quickly appeared in her eyes. "After that, I could no longer find Jingya. Even the eunuchs and personal maid Shuying around her disappeared."

Ruan Nansheng looked at Ruan Qionghua, who was almost crying, and an indescribable emotion surged in his heart. He never thought that Su Jingya's disappearance was also involved in Gu Lingyun's old case.

"Aunt, why didn't you let the maids or eunuchs do this? Why did you let Jingya take the risk? She is just an unmarried girl. What big things can she do?"

Ruan Nansheng's doubts were mixed with confusion.

Ruan Qionghua was filled with regret. She agreed to Su Jingya's participation in the investigation out of trust in her volunteering and also because she hoped that her identity as a princess would facilitate their actions.