Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace: Fawning

After saying all this to Ling Yunche, I don’t know whether he will help Ruyi harm Yanwan again. However, even if he still chooses Ruyi, it cannot change the final outcome.

"My lady, why is Concubine Chun there?" Ji Tao said.

When Lan Qi looked up, she saw Lujun clutching a handkerchief tightly, pacing back and forth outside her residence anxiously, as if she was deliberately waiting for Lan Qi to come back.

Lan Qi turned around and said to Ji Tao, "Ji Tao, go to the imperial kitchen and bring a bowl of ginseng soup. We'll go see the emperor later."

"Yes." Ji Tao took the order and left.

"Sister Concubine Chun?" Lan Qi shouted.

When Lujun heard the voice, she didn't care about her dignified manners. She lifted her skirt and walked towards him in two steps.

"Sister Chengpin, you're finally back." Lujun lowered her voice, grabbed Lanqi's sleeve, and led her to a corner. She asked nervously, "Have you seen the Empress? Is she awake?"

Lan Qi smiled faintly, "What's wrong, sister? You seem very nervous."

Lujun frowned. She didn't understand why Lanqi could still laugh at this critical moment. Langya's fall into the water was strange. Lujun suspected that Langya must have heard their conversation and fell into the water because of anger. She was even more afraid that if Langya woke up, she would say something in front of the emperor. Not only her, but her Yongzhang would also be in trouble.

Lujun's face turned pale, and her lips trembled slightly. "I'm always worried. What if the Empress and the Emperor talk about us talking on the boat and being disrespectful to the deceased Crown Prince Duanhui and Prince Daomin..."

"Shhh..." Lan Qi interrupted her quickly, "Sister, be careful with your words. Don't say such things carelessly."

"What are you afraid of?" Lan Qi looked at Lu Jun and said calmly, "Sister Shupin is here too. Those words were said by Yupin. They have nothing to do with us. Just relax!"

Lujun bit her lip, her eyes slightly reddened, "But...but I still feel uneasy..."

Lan Qi sighed softly and patted the back of Lu Jun's hand, "Sister, please stop worrying about it. Go back and rest."

After Lan Qi's repeated consolation, Lujun's mood finally stabilized a little.

"Ke Xin, help your master go back." Lan Qi ordered.

"Yes, Miss Cheng." Ke Xin stepped forward to support Lu Jun, and they slowly left. Lu Jun looked back at Lan Qi uneasily.

After leaving Langya's residence, Hongli went straight back to his room.

He dismissed Li Yu and sat down to drink alone, Langya's face and what she had just said flashing through his mind.

Hongli held the wine glass and recalled Langya asking him if he still remembered her maiden name.

Of course he remembered.

Langya, a name that sounds very much like a queen's.

But in Hongli's memory, he never called her by her maiden name. When he was in the Qiandi Palace, he called her Fu Jin, and after he ascended the throne, he called her Queen.

It seems that in his heart, Ruyi is his only wife.

But what did he love about Ruyi? Was it their childhood sweetheart relationship? Was it her beauty? Or her headstrong and outspoken personality?

Hongli couldn't figure it out, but Langya did. If what she just said was true, then he would have let down a woman who was truly good to him. Hongli thought that when he found out the truth, if Langya was innocent, he would definitely make it up to Langya and treat her with sincerity.

Hongli felt as if a huge rock was pressing down on his heart, making him feel so depressed that he couldn't breathe.

He could only numb his heart with glass after glass of liquor.

At this time, Lan Qi walked in slowly, holding the wine glass, and said softly, "Your Majesty, drinking so much alcohol is not good for your health. You should drink a bowl of ginseng soup instead."

Hongli came back to his senses when he heard Lan Qi's voice. Looking at the charming Lan Qi in front of him, a ripple arose in his heart.

He put down his wine glass, took the ginseng soup, and said, "Why are you here?"

"I am worried about the emperor's health, so I specially made some ginseng soup and sent it to him." Lan Qi said softly, then sat down on the stool next to Hongli.

Hongli took a sip of the ginseng soup, put down his spoon, looked at Lanqi, and asked, "Lanqi, do you think the Queen would... use those methods to harm others?"

Lan Qi was slightly startled when she heard this, then lowered her head and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Your Majesty grew up in the deep palace. Naturally, he has seen more of the intrigues and deceptions of the harem than I have."

"Although I have only been back in the palace for a short time, I have come into contact with the Empress and know that although she dislikes Noble Consort Xian, she has never given her any hardship."

"I admire the Empress's courage. There are so many women in the harem, who would be willing to share their husband with other women?"

Lan Qi raised her head, her large, watery eyes gazing directly at Hongli, and said softly, "Your Majesty, the Empress is so kind. You and your wife are one, how can you not trust her?"

Hongli reached out and stroked Lanqi's cheek, sighing softly, "I just... have doubts."

Hongli was silent, his heart still full of doubts and anxieties.

Hongli put his arm around Lanqi's shoulders and let her lean on them.

Yes, how could Langya be such a vicious woman?

She is his wife.

At this moment, Li Yu hurriedly ran into the dragon boat, plopped down on his knees in front of Hongli, and said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, the Empress... The Empress..."

Hongli let go of Lanqi. Seeing Li Yu being so reckless, he felt unhappy. He picked up his wine glass and said in a deep voice, "How reckless! How disgraceful!"

Li Yu was lying on the ground, not daring to look up. After a while, he said, "It's the Empress. She has passed away..."

"What did you say?" Hongli stood up suddenly, and the wine glass in his hand fell to the ground and shattered. He shook his head in disbelief, as if it was a bolt from the blue, making it difficult for him to accept it.

Lan Qi turned her back to Li Yu, picked up a handkerchief and calmly wiped away the tears from her face. This day had finally come.

Queen, don't blame me for being cruel. Your life is destined to be taken away by the King of Hell.

But don't worry, I will send those you hate and dislike down to accompany you one by one. As for Princess Hejing, I will fulfill my promise and ensure her safety for the rest of her life.

Although she already knew the result, Lan Qi still felt sad about Langya's death.

Hongli stepped forward and kicked Li Yu. Li Yu felt pain but didn't dare to make a sound. "Useless thing, how can you take care of the queen?"

As he said that, he left Lan Qi behind and rushed towards Langya's boat.

When Hongli arrived, Langya was lying peacefully on the bed. Except for her pale face, she looked like she was asleep. Jingse knelt in front of her, holding Langya's hand and calling her "Empress Mother". Sulian and Lianxin knelt behind Jingse and cried bitterly.

When Langya passed away, the whole palace was filled with cries.

But how much sincerity is there behind this crying?

Hongli felt dizzy, but he couldn't show his vulnerable side in front of everyone. He ordered Li Yu to let the dragon boat rush back to the palace as quickly as possible.

Li Yu accepted the order. Hongli took a last look at Langya and then returned to the dragon boat with his hands behind his back.

He thought of the years he had walked hand in hand with Langya, the years they had children, and although Langya had some faults, she was undoubtedly a respectable and good queen. No matter how much suspicion Hongli had towards Langya, all his doubts disappeared after learning of her death.

Hongli took up his pen and wrote the two words "Xiaoxian" on the paper, just because Langya had said during her lifetime that she envied Consort Huixian and hoped that after her death, he would also give Langya the word "Xian" as her posthumous title.

Looking back at the wise and virtuous queens in history, there is really no one who can surpass this one.