The queen is crazy and spoiled, and the tyrant bows to her

Although Ji Wuyuan looked normal, Xie Zhiyan knew that he was not normal at the moment.

But both of them tacitly chose to see through it but not say it out loud.

After explaining the follow-up matters, Ji Wuyuan returned to Taiji Palace.

Xie Zhiyan looked at Lei Shi, the bloody mass that was being dragged away by the guards, and recalled a question he had asked Jiang Wantang after he had taken her away not long ago.

He asked, "Why disembowel?"

It was like this last time with Qi Gui, and it was the same with Lei Shi this time.

Jiang Wantang said, "When you kill an animal, shouldn't you gut it?"

He looked at her in confusion.

She smiled and said, "When I was a child, I saw farmers killing animals like this..."

She said it lightly, but he was horrified.

Xie Zhiyan couldn't explain how he felt. He felt so uncomfortable that he could hardly breathe.

He couldn't imagine what she had experienced during those years when she lost her father at a young age.

He looked at Jiang Wantang's stubborn and crazy appearance, and a feeling of heartache emerged belatedly.

So when she asked him when he was going to take her back to the Dali Temple for interrogation, he remained silent.

He was a Dali Temple official who had learned etiquette and laws since childhood, and was strict in distinguishing right from wrong. This was the first time in his life that he had the idea of ​​favoritism.

He did so, and although he failed in his duty, he had no regrets.

Therefore, his answer to Jiang Wantang was: "The person standing before you today is only Xie Zhiyan, not the official-clad Dali Temple Minister Xie."

……

The moon is at its zenith, and all is quiet.

Jiang Wantang was dressed in plain clothes, standing alone quietly in the courtyard of Changle Palace, the moonlight gently falling on her shoulders like silver gauze.

She raised her head slightly, looking at the bright moon hanging high in the sky, her eyes revealing a complex emotion.

However, what is more complicated and unclear than her eyes is her heart at this moment.

Concubine Yu told her that although today's events seemed extremely thrilling and full of dangers, when she thought about it carefully, everything seemed to be going too smoothly.

It was as if someone had already set up a huge chess game, and everyone in this game was a chess piece.

Even though he was beginning to get emotional, Jiang Wantang, who had already calmed down, understood the metaphor in her words.

Today's events have indeed progressed too smoothly...

The world is the chessboard and people are the chess pieces.

Black and white, people playing chess.

The Qi family set up a trap and lured her into it; but she entered the trap and broke it.

They all think that they are the ones controlling the game, but in fact, everyone is in the game.

Everyone is just a pawn.

As for the real chess player...

Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on Jiang Wantang's lips, which was indescribably complicated.

It seems that Ji Wuyuan has been too good to her recently and too indulgent, so much so that she almost forgot that he is an emperor with iron-blooded methods and a tyrant.

Empress Dowager Qi was caught committing adultery in public and was convicted of causing chaos in the palace. Even if Ji Wuyuan ordered her to be executed immediately, no one dared to criticize her.

But he didn't.

It was like he had clearly noticed something was wrong with her a long time ago, but he pretended to know nothing.

Jiang Wantang originally thought that she could more or less understand his thoughts, but now she found it increasingly difficult to understand him.

After Ji Wuyuan finished dealing with the matters in the side hall, he went straight back to Taiji Palace. From beginning to end, he did not ask her a single question.

I didn't ask her where she went or what she did.

In this case, either he doesn't care about her at all, or he already knows everything and there is no need to ask.

Jiang Wantang would rather the former situation than the current turmoil and anxiety...

Under the moonlight, she sighed deeply, turned back into the palace, changed into a gorgeous dress, and walked towards Taiji Palace alone.

Outside Changle Palace, a black figure saw her leave, then turned around and quietly went to another palace.

Inside Zhaohua Palace.

Zhao Shujia, who was still under house arrest, was also in disbelief when she heard what happened at the palace banquet today.

She didn't expect that Empress Dowager Qi, who had been immersed in the harem for many years, would suddenly fall like this.

She had been trying so hard to please her recently, but it was all in vain.

Just as she was feeling overwhelmed, her personal maid came in with a little maid.

Zhao Shujia looked up at the newcomer and asked in surprise, "Why are you here so suddenly at this hour?"

The little palace maid knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I saw a man enter Changle Palace today..."

Zhao Shujia's eyes lit up, and she quickly sat up from the beauty couch: "Can you see it clearly this time?"

The young palace maid nodded slightly. "That person disappeared in a flash. I only caught a glimpse of his profile. It seems to be His Majesty's favorite, the Lord Xie who often visits the palace."

"I'm not sure either."

Zhao Shujia was startled at first, then a flicker of jealousy flashed in her eyes, and she said hatefully, "She's quite ambitious. Doesn't she wish all the good men in the world would revolve around her?"

"Having Her Majesty alone isn't enough. Now even the usually aloof and aloof Supreme Court Justice, Lord Xie, has lowered himself to become entangled with her?"

"What's so good about Jiang Wantang, a foxy girl from the countryside, that she could make them all bow down to her?!"

As she spoke, she was so angry that she threw all the teacups and incense burners on the small table beside her to the ground.

The crackling sound frightened the little palace maid so much that she trembled.

Coincidentally, at this moment there was a commotion coming from the Concubine Wang in the side hall.

Yes, besides Empress Dowager Qi, there was also Concubine Wang’s father, Minister of Justice Wang Anping, who was in trouble today. How could she possibly sleep?

Thinking of how she had previously laughed at herself with gloating glee, Zhao Shujia revealed a sinister and vicious smile.

She smiled at the little palace maid on the ground and said, "Find a way to spread the news of Jiang Wantang and Lord Xie's secret meeting to Concubine Wang..."

If she remembered correctly, Concubine Wang had been infatuated with Lord Xie for many years when she was still a boudoir dweller.

I heard that before entering the palace, she ran to the gate of the Dali Temple and made a fuss, asking Xie Zhiyan to marry her. Later, this matter was suppressed by her father and no one knew about it anymore.

The enemy of my enemy is my ally.

I just wonder if Concubine Wang will still laugh when she hears this news.

Thinking of this, Zhao Shujia felt much better.

By the time they met, Jiang Wantang had already arrived in front of Taiji Palace.

There was no one outside the door, not a single palace maid, eunuch, or guard, even Wang Fuhai was nowhere to be seen.

Not only was there no one there, but the hall was completely dark inside and outside, with not a single palace lantern lit.

Under normal circumstances, this would not have been possible.

Jiang Wantang walked in slowly with a palace lantern in hand. In the moonlight, she could see Ji Wuyuan sitting on the throne in the hall at a glance.

She understood instantly that he was waiting for her.

Ji Wuyuan, who was sitting on the throne, also glanced at Jiang Wantang, who was holding a palace lantern at the entrance of the hall.

When his eyes fell on her pink dress, he curled his lips and smiled, his smile full of sarcasm.

The two men, one at the head and one at the tail, one above and one below, looked into each other's eyes across the empty dark hall.

Jiang Wantang's heart skipped a beat and sank suddenly.