The Emperor's uncle loves me! My paranoid wife, don't run away

Pause for a moment.

Imperial Concubine Jing raised her eyes and smiled slightly. That smile was both decent and gentle. There seemed to be a hint of unconcealable joy between her eyebrows, as if she was extremely happy with the emperor's reward.

"I am extremely honored to be recognized by your majesty. This jade hairpin is so exquisite. I am terrified, but I dare not disappoint your majesty. I will accept it."

Her voice was soft and her tone was respectful, as if even the slight ups and downs of her emotions were just right, without a trace of impoliteness.

The emperor nodded slightly, his eyes still fixed on her, smiling, as if he was pondering something.

Eunuch Qian bent over and walked to Concubine Jing in small steps, carefully handing the brocade box to her. He kept his head down and did not dare to raise his eyes.

Concubine Jing took the box, lowered her eyes, gently opened a corner, and her gaze fell on the jade hairpin.

The light touch of her fingertips, the cool and delicate touch made her heart tremble slightly, but the smile on her face deepened a little.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward." She closed the brocade box and put it away carefully.

The emperor looked at her quietly, without moving his eyes away for a second, as if he was observing her every expression and every subtle movement.

After a long while, the emperor clenched the Buddhist beads in his hand, cleared his throat, and slowly said to Eunuch Qian: "Step down."

"Yes, I'll take my leave." Eunuch Qian bowed and saluted, then carefully took a few steps back until he was out of the hall. He then gently closed the door, leaving the space inside the hall to the two of them.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation suddenly became quiet, with only a faint scent of sandalwood remaining in the air.

The emperor's eyes moved to a border map on the table. He reached out and stroked the border cities embroidered on it. He said in a low voice: "Your father, Prince Jing'an, has guarded the border for so many years. I understand his contribution."

Concubine Jing was startled, her expression changed slightly, and then she lowered her head.

"Your Majesty, it is my father's honor to guard the border for Tianyan and serve Your Majesty."

The emperor's gaze was still on the map. His finger paused for a moment, then he slowly retracted it and turned to look at Concubine Jing who was kneeling on the ground.

His expression was calm, but his voice was somewhat elusive: "Your father has indeed made great contributions. Over the years, he has worked hard on the frontier, and I don't know..."

He paused, narrowed his eyes slightly, and stared at Concubine Jing's expression, as if waiting for her reaction.

Concubine Jing lowered her head and said nothing, her face was submissive, but there was no sign of anything unusual between her eyebrows.

Seeing her like this, the emperor sneered slightly and his voice became low.

"The war is intense, and I don't know if his body can handle it." The words rolled through the hall like thunder, in a low and slow tone.

Upon hearing this, Imperial Concubine Jing suddenly raised her head, tears in her eyes and slightly reddened at the corners of her eyes, as if the emotions she had been suppressing for a long time finally found an outlet.

He took a deep breath and spoke with a slight tremor: "Father, I will go through fire and water for your concern."

As she spoke, she stretched out her sleeve and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Her movements were gentle and restrained, showing both the concern of a girl for her father, but also the dignity and calmness of a minister's daughter.

The emperor looked at her and did not speak immediately. Instead, he slowly leaned back on the dragon throne and adjusted his posture, as if looking for a more comfortable position for the upcoming conversation.

There was a hint of interest in his eyes, but his tone remained calm: "Prince Jing'an is at the frontier, he must miss you very much, have you exchanged letters recently?"

Imperial Concubine Jing's drooping eyelashes trembled slightly, as if these words had touched the softest part of her heart. She lowered her head and wiped away her tears, her voice revealing a sob that was difficult to conceal: "Yes..."

The emperor raised his eyebrows, obviously interested, and looked at her meaningfully: "Oh? What did you say?"

Imperial Concubine Jing paused for a moment, then raised her head and said slowly in a trembling voice, "Father said in the letter that I should put Your Majesty first, serve Your Majesty well, and expand the royal family. I hope that Tianyan will soon have peace in the world."

After hearing this, the emperor gently stroked the Buddhist beads in his hand, smiled slightly, and said with an elusive meaning: "Prince Jing'an, you really care about me..."

Although the voice was calm, every word was like a stone dropped into a lake, causing ripples.

The atmosphere in the hall became eerie with his laughter, and the smell of sandalwood seemed to become stronger, making it difficult for people to breathe.

The emperor's gaze fell on Concubine Jing again, and he still looked at her so carefully, as if he wanted to see through her from inside out.

Suddenly he smiled, with a hint of amusement in his smile: "I guess you miss your father too."

Concubine Jing was slightly stunned, and immediately concealed the momentary nervousness in her eyes.

"From today on, you will stay in your palace and pray for him day and night." The voice suddenly changed. Although the tone was gentle, it was as irresistible as reading an imperial edict.

"Pray that Tianyan will win a great victory soon."

"I...understand." She bit her lip, her voice a little dry, and bowed respectfully.

The emperor didn't seem to notice her uneasiness. He just picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip slowly, and looked away, as if announcing that the topic was over.

Imperial Concubine Jing knew very well that this was not a reward, but a punishment. The excuse of "praying for blessings" seemed kind, but it was like a sharp knife that cut off her connection with the outside world.

"Your Majesty's command is obeyed."

There was a dead silence in the hall, with only the sound of the teacup gently falling back on the table echoing in the air, as if bringing this delicate conversation to an end.

……

When Concubine Jing returned to Ruifu Palace, she found that the palace had already been turned upside down by the emperor's imperial guards.

The air was filled with a dull atmosphere, as if even the sandalwood had lost its warmth. The palace maids were silent, not daring to even breathe. They hurried forward and knelt in front of her, saying in a trembling voice: "Madam, we can't stop you..."

Concubine Jing did not respond, but took a deep breath, waved her hand to signal them to leave, with a hint of coldness between her brows.

The note was switched.

She clenched her hands in her sleeves, her nails digging into her palms, but she didn't feel any pain at all.

Just now on the way back to Ruifu Palace, she used silver to send away a group of not-so-clever palace maids and eunuchs, and finally gained a chance to be alone with Eunuch Qian for a moment.

Beneath the red palace wall, the sky was gloomy and the surroundings were shrouded in the tranquility unique to evening.

The wind passed through the cracks in the palace wall, rolling up a few green leaves and making a rustling sound. In the shadow of the palace wall, two figures were vaguely visible.

"What? Your Majesty, what did you say was written on the note?" Eunuch Qian's face changed slightly, his eyes full of disbelief.

"The word 'reward'." Imperial Concubine Jing whispered in a low voice, with a cold tone in her voice. She frowned slightly and stared at Eunuch Qian with a serious look.

Eunuch Qian panicked, waving his hands and eagerly defending himself: "Madam, I dare not lie to you! I clearly wrote the word 'suspicion' on the note!"

"So what's this 'reward' about?"

Eunuch Qian wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and his whole body was almost bent like a bow: "Old slave... Old slave doesn't know..."

Concubine Jing was silent for a moment, then looked up at the gray sky, with a hint of sarcasm flashing across her face: "So, someone swapped the notes."

Eunuch Qian suddenly held his breath, not daring to say a word. He lowered his head, his eyes flickering, and it was obvious that he understood the seriousness of the situation.

Under the red palace wall, a gust of wind blew, and a few prematurely withered leaves swirled and scattered, and there was deathly silence all around.

Who swapped the notes? And for what purpose?