Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace: Fawning

"Aunt Su Lian, why are you still wandering here so late?" Wang Chan shouted with a smile.

Su Lian was startled by the sudden voice, and her face suddenly became a little panicked, "It's Eunuch Wang Chan, Chun, Concubine Chun asked me to go to Zhongcui Palace to get something."

Wang Chan stopped beating around the bush and stated his purpose directly, "The noble lady sent me to escort Miss Cheng back to the palace. Miss Cheng saw Aunt Su Lian from a distance and asked me to ask her about her. By the way, please go to Guanju Palace."

Su Lian's face suddenly changed. She subconsciously wanted to refuse, but then she thought that she was just a palace maid and her master had passed away. Langya was good friends with Lan Qi during her lifetime, so Su Lian gritted her teeth and followed Wang Chan to Guanju Palace.

"Your servant greets Concubine Cheng." Su Lian knelt on the ground trembling, not daring to breathe.

Lan Qi sat upright in the main seat, holding a string of agarwood bracelets in her hand, fiddling with them from time to time, making crisp sounds that were particularly clear in the silent room.

Lan Qi asked Ji Tao and Wang Chan to leave and not to serve her.

Lan Qi said calmly, "Get up, Su Lian. It's so late. If you don't stay in front of the Queen's spirit, where are you going to sneak around?"

Su Lian lowered her head, her eyes wandering, "To answer your Majesty, it was Imperial Concubine Chun who ordered this servant to go to Zhongcui Palace to fetch some things."

Lan Qi sneered, "Oh? Concubine Chun left Ke Xin, who is so familiar to her, unused and asked you to go? Su Lian, your lie is really clumsy."

"I dare not." Su Lian trembled all over.

Seeing that Su Lian refused to tell the truth, Lan Qi did not force her. She had to stand up and let Su Lian go somewhere with her.

Su Lian did not dare to disobey and could only follow Lan Qi tremblingly.

Along the way, Lan Qi said nothing, and Su Lian didn't dare to ask. She could only follow behind silently, feeling anxious and uneasy.

The two of them came to the lakeside of the imperial garden, one in front and the other behind.

Lan Qi stopped behind a rockery and signaled Su Lian to hide behind it.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing..." Su Lian looked at Lan Qi in confusion, not understanding what she was up to.

"Shh, don't make any noise." Lan Qi said in a low voice.

Although Su Lian was confused, she didn't dare to ask too much. She could only hide behind the rockery and look across the lake.

There were two women standing across the lake. One of them was wearing a plain white dress and a white mourning scarf on her head. Su Lian was obviously frightened by the woman because she looked exactly like herself.

The woman was naturally Yingsi, who was disguised as Su Lian by Lan Qi.

Opposite Yingsi was a woman in black with a black veil covering her face, so her features could not be seen clearly. But judging from her figure, she should be Zhenshu who was beside Yuyan.

Zhenshu took something out of her arms and handed it to Yingsi. Just when Sulian wanted to take a closer look at what it was, she saw Zhenshu taking advantage of Yingsi's inattention and suddenly pressing her head against a stone pillar next to her.

With a dull "bang", Yingsi fell limply to the ground without even having time to scream. Blood slowly flowed down her forehead, staining the white mourning scarf red.

Su Lian witnessed all this with her own eyes and was terrified. Her face turned pale as paper and cold sweat kept dripping down her forehead.

She suddenly retracted her head, fearing that Zhenshu would discover her.

Zhenshu did not look in the direction where Lanqi and the others were hiding. After killing Yingsi and making sure she was dead, she quickly left the scene.

Su Lian was still in shock when Lan Qi pulled her back to Guanju Palace.

Su Lian looked like she had lost her soul, her face was pale, her lips were trembling, and she couldn't say a word.

If Lan Qi hadn't ordered Wang Chan to call her, she might have been the one who died by the lake. But how could Lan Qi know that? She even found a woman who looked so similar to herself to go to the appointment in her place. What exactly did Lan Qi want to do?

Is she related to the death of Empress Xiaoxian?

Lan Qi actually admired Su Lian for being so patient.

Lan Qi sat down, opened the cup lid, flicked the tea leaves in the cup, and said lightly: "Aunt, don't you want to ask something?"

Su Lian remained undaunted in the face of danger, standing tall and straight as she faced Lan Qi. "My Lady Cheng is very intelligent, and I'm sure you've already guessed it. If that's the case, I won't complain if you choose to kill me or chop me up."

Su Lian tried hard to overcome her inner fear and knelt down in front of Lan Qi. She closed her eyes and wanted to accept the punishment.

Lan Qi looked down at Su Lian who was kneeling before her, a meaningful smile on her lips: "Do you want to avenge Empress Xiaoxian?"

Su Lian slowly opened her eyes and asked, "Are you willing to help this servant?"

Lan Qi smiled. "Of course, but... Su Lian of Changchun Palace is dead. You have to take Yingsi's place in Guanju Palace. Listen to me and don't act on your own, or I won't be able to protect you."

Su Lian nodded without hesitation and agreed, "As long as I can avenge Empress Xiaoxian, I am willing to obey the orders of Concubine Cheng."

Lan Qi smiled with satisfaction and reached out to help Su Lian up.

"Very good, go back to Yingsi's room and rest first."

After Su Lian left, Lan Qi turned and walked to the side hall.

She picked up a few incense sticks, lit them with candles and placed them in front of the Guanyin statue. There was no table on the altar, only a high table, but it was filled with some items such as garlands, vases and incense burners, and seven oil lamps were placed on the side. Lan Qi knelt down in front of the altar, bowed devoutly, and then picked up the scissors beside her to cut off one of the wicks.

The lights went out and the people died, representing Langya's passing.

The weak candlelight shone on Lan Qi's face. She looked calm as she lay on the altar, fiddling with the lamp oil. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly as she murmured to herself, "Empress, please be more careful in your next life and don't marry into the royal family again. Don't hate me, it's Ulanara Ruyi you should hate. But don't worry, I will send them down to accompany you soon."

Yingsi's body was soon discovered by patrolling guards.

Everyone thought that she was Su Lian, who died by hitting her head against a pillar to sacrifice herself for her master.

The body was sent to the Ministry of Punishment, and Lan Qi and Ji Tao went to see it secretly.

I heard that when the guards saw Yingsi, she died with her eyes wide open. After all, they were master and servant, and Lanqi must have felt bad for killing an innocent person.

After leaving the Ministry of Punishment, Lan Qi asked Ji Tao to find out who else was in Yingsi's family, send some silver over, and build a grave for her outside.

The funeral ceremony had not yet ended. Hongli did not believe that Su Lian would commit suicide at this time. He ordered Jinzhong to bring Lianxin to the Yangxin Palace, asked Li Yu to invite Ruyi over, and asked Yu Hu to go to the lake to check Su Lian's body.

In the Yangxin Palace, Lianxin was kneeling with red and swollen eyes. Li Yu ordered someone to bring two chairs for Hongli and Ruyi to sit on.

Langya died, and Ruyi thought that Lianxin would bite back at Langya because she resented Langya for marrying her to Wang Qin.

She thought that the three years of suffering she had endured in the cold palace would finally be justified today, but she was overthinking it.

Big tears fell from Lian Xin's eyes. She lowered her eyelids and answered fluently, "Su Lian has always been worried about her sick and frail mother at home. She hopes to leave the palace and serve her in the future. Therefore, I don't think it is possible for her to commit suicide."

Lianxin's words aroused Hongli's suspicion again.

Lianxin explained again, saying that there were many things Langya was not aware of.

Ruyi refused to give up and mentioned in front of Hongli the suffering she and惢心 had endured when they were in the cold palace. She asked the eunuchs to deliver food that aggravated rheumatism, and she also released poisonous snakes and used snakeberries to lure snakes into Concubine Yi's palace.

Lian Xin shook her head. "The Empress Dowager was born a lady. How could she understand the warm and cold properties of food? She even has no idea about snake berries attracting snakes."

Lianxin is the palace maid who serves Langya closely besides Sulian. Hongli also knew about Wang Qin's affair back then, and he also saw the suffering that Lianxin endured. Although Langya did not do it on purpose, it was her wrong decision that led to Lianxin's tragedy. Now Lianxin is still willing to speak for Langya. Doesn't this indirectly indicate that he really misunderstood Langya?

A trace of loneliness flashed through Hongli's heart.

Seeing Hongli's hesitation, Lianxin continued to talk about Langya's good relationship with Concubine Chun and Concubine Jia during her lifetime, and at the same time pointed out that Concubine Jia and the deceased Imperial Noble Concubine Huixian were not on good terms with each other.

Lujun is gentle and cowardly, and gets along well with everyone. Now that the queen has passed away and the throne is vacant, only concubines above the rank of concubine are qualified to succeed her.

Li Yu looked up at Hongli and saw that he seemed to be moved by Lianxin's words. He immediately stepped forward and reminded him, "Could it be that the Empress secretly instructed Su Lian to do these things? Su Lian knew that she could not escape, so she committed suicide..."

Hongli glared at Li Yu fiercely. Li Yu was afraid that Hongli would punish him, so he simply shut up and stepped aside.

Lian Xin was crying, but she said sternly, "Eunuch Li, what are you talking about? I have served the Empress for many years and I know her heart. Although she loves her son deeply and blames Concubine Xian for the death of Crown Prince Duanhui, and even fears Concubine Xian because she was once a candidate for the first wife, I think there are many things she shouldn't do. Perhaps the Empress will act inappropriately out of selfish motives, fearing that she will be implicated. She values ​​the honor of the Fucha family and the position of Crown Prince the most. If this matter is exposed, the entire Fucha family will be implicated."

Ruyi was speechless when she heard this.