Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace: Fawning

Ling Yunche was a rough man who only knew how to fight, and he really couldn't think of any good way to present the pastries in the food box to the emperor without exposing himself.

Just when he was worrying about how to get the food box to Hongli, someone from the imperial kitchen passed by him. He suddenly had an idea and secretly went to the imperial kitchen to swap Hongli's meal with the pastries in the food box.

The people in the imperial kitchen were so busy that they didn't notice that the food had been touched.

Ling Yunche returned to Baoqing Palace, quietly approached Li Yu, and slipped a note into his hand.

After Ling Yunche left, Li Yu turned his back and glanced at the note. It contained only the two characters "惢心" (惢心, a Chinese character for "惢心"). He had been close to Hongli since childhood, previously forced to conceal his intelligence due to the presence of his master, Wang Qin, and under Ruyi's tutelage. But when it came to惢心 (惢心), he seemed to lose his mind. Sensing a bad premonition, Li Yu calmly stuffed the paper into his mouth and swallowed it. He then stole a glance at Hongli and called for Jinzhong.

Jinzhong smiled and said, "What's the matter, Master?"

Li Yu whispered in Jinzhong's ear, "Jinzhong, please stay here and watch over the Emperor for me. Don't let him drink too much. I..." He suddenly clutched his stomach, his face grim. "I don't know what I ate that made me sick. I have a stomachache. I need to go to the Imperial Hospital..."

"Oh, your health is important. Do you need your disciple to accompany you?" Jinzhong held Li Yu's hand.

"Need not."

Seeing Li Yu running out in a hurry, the smile on Jinzhong's face gradually disappeared, and then a hint of ruthlessness appeared between his eyebrows. He snorted coldly. Li Yu's acting skills were really bad. What Imperial Hospital? Did he think he was a five-year-old child? He had stayed with Li Yu for quite a while. He would not believe Li Yu's lies.

Jinzhong didn't know what Lan Qi's next plan was. He quietly moved to Lan Qi's side, bent down to pour wine, and said, "My lady, what should we do next?"

Lan Qi wiped the corner of her mouth with her hand and said calmly, "Wait and see what happens."

Li Yu ran out of Baoqing Palace in a hurry and almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, Ling Yunche helped him up and asked, "Are you okay, eunuch?"

Li Yu shook his head, quickly stood up, pulled Ling Yunche aside, and asked, "What does your note mean?"

Ling Yunche hesitated for a moment before taking out a red chalcedony bracelet from his sleeve and handing it to Li Yu. "It's the Imperial Noble Consort. She asked us to help her out so that we can rescue惢心."

Ling Yunche leaned over and told Li Yu Ruyi's plan. Li Yu was shocked and pointed at himself and asked, "Me?"

Ling Yunche nodded and said, "You are someone close to the Emperor and can enter and leave the Yangxin Palace freely, so you are more suitable than me to steal the Seven Treasures Bracelet."

Li Yu held the carnelian bracelet tightly, feeling a little hesitant. If the emperor found out, ten heads would not be enough for him to chop off. Seeing that he was hesitant, Ling Yunche could only bring up惢心. Li Yu felt distressed and agreed after gritting his teeth.

Li Yu said, "Okay, I'll go, but if the emperor suddenly leaves and returns to the Yangxin Palace, you have to help me hold him back, otherwise we'll both be finished."

Ling Yunche clasped his fists and said, "Don't worry, eunuch."

Li Yu held up her skirt and hurried back to the Yangxin Palace.

The eunuchs from the imperial kitchen served the meal. Hongli drank a glass of strong liquor and suddenly caught sight of the word "Shou" on a cake. His face suddenly changed. He put down his wine cup, pointed at the cake and shouted, "Where did this come from?"

The young eunuch was terrified, his legs trembling, and he knelt down, begging for mercy: "Your Majesty, please spare me. This is the meal assigned by the head steward of the imperial kitchen. I am only following orders to present it."

Zeng Huan and the concubines also noticed Hongli's mood and turned to look at him. Wanyin also caught a glimpse of the "Shou" character on the pastry. She did not compete for favor, and she was not favored herself. The most thing she did on weekdays was to hide in the palace to paint Hongli's portrait and study his calligraphy and painting. When it comes to love for the emperor, Wanyin is no less than Yihuan.

However, this Longevity Festival was originally organized by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. The Emperor naturally would not write the word "Shou" himself and have someone from the imperial kitchen put it on some pastries and give it to him. So there is only one possibility: this plate of pastries was deliberately sent by someone, and they even copied the Emperor's handwriting. They must want to tell the Emperor something. This person can only be the Imperial Noble Consort.

But no one dared to speak out in the face of this situation. After all, the matter between Ruyi and Master Anji was always a thorn in Hongli's heart.

The atmosphere in Baoqing Hall instantly became quiet, and no one dared to speak. Zeng Huan saw that the young eunuch was shaking violently and said calmly, "There's nothing for you to do now. Go down first."

Then he turned to Hongli and said, "Your Majesty, look at these concubines and maids, all in such a riot of colour, it's truly a sight to behold. But Your Majesty, there must always be a conclusion. What do you say?"

Rumors of the assassin's entry into Yikun Palace had already spread throughout the palace, and Hongli's summons to Qixiang Palace for questioning of Ruyi were widely known. Master Anji, implicated, chanted sutras and prayed for blessings, never leaving Anhua Hall. This only fueled the rumors, and Ai'er's death seemed to confirm their affair. Even if Ruyi and Anji were truly innocent, the rumors could become reality under the influence of public opinion.

Hongli looked at the word "Shou" in silence.

Zeng Huan took a piece of white jade frost square cake, took a light bite, and said quietly, "Your Majesty, I know what's bothering you. The monks of Anhua Palace are cultivators. It's really not appropriate to start a fight before the results of many things are fully investigated. After all, accidental killing is a minor matter, but it would be bad if it disturbed the respect for the Buddha."

Yuyan also wanted to take this opportunity to show herself well in front of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. She supported her pregnant belly and stood up and said, "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, rest assured that the supplies in Anhua Palace will remain the same as before. However, in order to prevent the incident with the Imperial Noble Consort, I have ordered that the concubines and palace maids are not allowed to enter Anhua Palace."

Zeng Huan was annoyed when she was interrupted while talking to Hongli. She scolded him, "I'm talking to the Emperor, why do you keep butting in?"

Yuyan felt frustrated, but she had no place to vent her anger. Her face flushed red, and she lowered her head in frustration. "I know I was wrong."

Yan Wan found Yu Yan's frustrated look very funny, so she lowered her head and covered her mouth with her hands, and laughed secretly.

Hongli couldn't bear it and said a few good words for Yuyan in front of Zeng Huan, and Yuyan sat down with a smile. Zeng Huan saw that Hongli was not on her side and felt bored, so she found an excuse to leave.

Several rounds of singing and dancing followed, but Hongli was completely distracted and kept staring at the "Shou" character that Ruyi was imitating. The more he thought about it, the more upset he became, so he simply took Jinzhong and Jinbao and left Baoqing Hall.

"I am tired, please take your time."

"Congratulations to the emperor."

Yuyan's prepared program had not yet started, and she was so angry about Hongli's departure that she stomped her feet. Since the emperor was not there, the concubines also felt bored and left one after another.

As Hongli sat in the sedan chair, Ling Yunche had a bad feeling. He didn't know what was happening with Li Yu. If the emperor returned to the Yangxin Palace at this moment, he would definitely run into Li Yu inside. If their plan failed, not only would they not be able to save惢心, but the imperial concubine would also suffer. He couldn't bear it, so he ran forward and said, "Your Majesty, where are we going?"

Hongli was a little drunk. He squinted his eyes and rubbed his nose. He lowered his voice and said slowly, "Return to the Yangxin Palace."

Ling Yunche said anxiously, "Your Majesty, you are drunk. How about I and the two eunuchs accompany you for a walk in the Imperial Garden, or perhaps visit Empress Xiaoxian in Changchun Palace, or perhaps..."

Hongli suddenly opened his eyes and shouted angrily, "You bastard, how can you give me orders? Who is the emperor anyway? Ling Yunche, you are just a third-class guard. Do your duty as a subject."

Ling Yunche was startled and quickly knelt down to admit his mistake, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have overstepped my bounds."

Hongli ignored him. Several eunuchs lifted the sedan chair and accidentally stepped on the back of Ling Yunche's hand, leaving a red mark. He didn't dare to make a sound. Jinzhong passed by him and saw his former rival kneeling before him. He looked as if he had won the whole world. He looked down at Ling Yunche and warned him, "Master Ling, don't blame me for not warning you. Don't think about things you shouldn't think about. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what lies ahead. It could be a bottomless abyss."

Ling Yunche lowered his head guiltily.

Jinzhong spat on his head when he saw his wimpy expression. He truly didn't understand what Yanwan had ever seen in Ling Yunche. He was a coward, unable to offer Yanwan anything. Sometimes he'd wondered how much better it would be if he weren't such a rootless person, taking Yanwan out of the palace to be an ordinary couple. But he simply didn't have that blessing. Since he couldn't give her the joy of having children, he decided to sacrifice his life to help the woman he loved rise to a higher position, so she wouldn't be bullied anymore.