The Changchun Palace team travels back in time to Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

As the emperor spoke, he did not rush to stand up. Instead, he first asked Xiao Xiangzi to inform Consort Ling to also make the trip. He then quietly gave Jinzhong a few instructions before having a palace maid drape a cloak over him and leaving through the gate of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Jinzhong went to inform the Empress. When he arrived at the side hall, he saw the Empress wearing a cloak and sitting on a chair placed at the door. Yingluo was standing beside her, holding a tray with paper and pen in her hands.

Xian and Rongpei knelt on the dry ground inside the corridor. Rongpei held Xian with both hands. Hailan knelt not far away, her cheeks red from the cold, shivering. Several strips of clothing were scattered on the ground, and a garment was haphazardly draped under her skirt.

Shoes and socks were scattered on the stone steps, already soaked by snow. In the dim firelight, Jinzhong could vaguely make out that the shoes and socks were the style worn by palace maids, and he couldn't help but feel secretly alarmed.

He composed himself, walked to the corridor, and bowed, saying, "This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress. Your Majesty, the Emperor has ordered that you return to Changchun Palace first. The Emperor will come in person shortly."

Ruyi took this as the emperor's way of protecting her, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

Yingluo said loudly, "Now that smallpox is rampant inside and outside the palace, it is the time to accumulate blessings for everyone in the palace. Consort Xian lost some silver and did not report to the Empress first, nor did she allow the Censorate to investigate. She wanted to take private punishment, disregarding palace rules and damaging the royal family's benevolence. Although Her Majesty the Empress is wholeheartedly taking care of the Sixth Prince, she does not dare to sit idly by. At the very least, she must wait for the Emperor to arrive and report to him."

Jinzhong lowered his head and said obediently, "Yes, Your Majesty, you must follow the palace rules. But in this cold weather, His Majesty is worried that you will get cold. In the six palaces, there are many important and minor matters, and Your Majesty is always there. With so many people here today, according to past precedents, you should avoid any appearance of impropriety."

Yingluo turned to look at Rongyin and said, "Her Majesty the Empress would like to ask Hailan one last question, and we would also like to trouble Eunuch Jinzhong to be a witness."

Jinzhong said, "This servant dares not. Whatever Your Majesty the Empress commands, this servant will simply do as you say."

Rongyin listened to the voice in her mind, turned to Hailan, and said, "Hailan, today Xianyi suspected you of stealing money and wanted to torture you. Do you admit it? If you do, nod."

Hailan first began to cry silently, tears and snot bubbles streaming down her face, then she shook her head, trembling as she exhaled broken breaths: "Yin...it was me...who stole..."

Rongyin continued, "So, did Xian agree to torture you?"

Hailan shook her head frantically, then kowtowed repeatedly, squeezing out breathy sounds that sounded like she was confessing her sins.

Jinzhong asked, "Your Majesty, does she mean that this didn't happen, that she admitted to theft, and that this matter has nothing to do with Consort Xian?"

Hailan nodded emphatically, as if she had seen a savior.

Yingluo said, "Your Majesty, I have noted down the questions asked and Hailan's reactions. Have her confirm that everything is correct and sign it, then it can be presented to the Emperor."

Rongyin let out a soft breath: "Now that it's done, let's go and fetch the carriage."

Jinzhong hurriedly said, "It's so cold outside, Sister Yingluo, please be careful as it's windy. I'll go and tell her." With that, he left.

Once outside, they saw a carriage stop, and Chun Chan, who was at the head of the carriage, lifted the curtain and helped Yan Wan out.

Jinzhong hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings to the Imperial Concubine!"

Yanwan assumed that the Emperor had summoned her, and upon seeing Jinzhong, she showed no surprise, saying, "Eunuch Jinzhong, you may rise. May I ask what brings the Emperor to summon me here?"

Jinzhong looked at Yanwan, who was dressed in a crimson fox fur robe with crane patterns and a feather satin cloak. Although her face was made up, she still looked somewhat pale. Her hands, which were holding the hand warmer, were also white. He wondered if it was because she had been worried about the smallpox epidemic these past few days, or because she was called out late at night and was tired and cold.

As if possessed, Jinzhong stepped forward and whispered urgently, "Master Ling, someone reported today that Xian promised to spread rumors about you and Ling Yunche!"

Yanwan immediately became alert and gave Chunchan a wink. Chunchan immediately took out a purse and stuffed it into Jinzhong's hand: "Eunuch Jinzhong, what did the Emperor say?"

Jinzhong could already feel the silver in his purse digging into his palm. He regretted speaking as soon as he finished. Things were different now. Ever since the incident at the Mulan Hunting Grounds, the Emperor was keeping a close eye on those serving him and would not tolerate them passing on messages for others. In any case, the Emperor had not really suspected anything. If Consort Ling were to be completely discreet, it would only make him, the imperial eunuch who had met Consort Ling, a suspect.

How could he have made such a foolish mistake! He really wanted to slap himself twice.

But now that he has the money in his hands, what right does he have to refuse it? In the eyes of the concubines, isn't he just someone who does things for money? Even though Lingzhu is a Noble Consort, she is still so accommodating. How could he possibly lose face for her?

His usually shrewd mind was now in a mess, so he could only accept the silver and say haphazardly, "Don't worry, Master Ling. You just need to keep quiet and not say much. This servant still needs to go and fetch the Empress's carriage, so I'll take my leave now."

Yanwan thought that it seemed the Emperor had no suspicions, and Jinzhong probably couldn't reveal more details.

She felt somewhat relieved, and then she saw the emperor's entourage approaching from afar.

The emperor alighted from his carriage, she bowed, and followed him into a side hall, where she encountered the empress who was about to leave.

Yanwan was also shocked by the scene in the palace. Suppressing her suspicions, she first bowed to the Empress. The Empress said that she was originally going to return to the palace according to the Emperor's decree, but because it was late and cold, she was delayed for a while while waiting for the carriage. She then asked Yingluo to present a statement recording the various sides' accounts.

The Emperor remained calm and composed: "The Empress is virtuous, but the Sixth Prince cannot do without your care now. You should go back quickly. I will handle Ruyi's matter myself, so there is no need for the Empress to worry about it."

Although Ruyi was still kneeling on the ground, she felt even more pleased that the emperor had saved face by rebuking the empress in public. She smiled and glanced at the empress.

The Empress didn't even glance at her, and after saying "Your Majesty, I take my leave," she departed.

As soon as the Empress left, Ruyi felt a sudden sense of relief, and she collapsed to the ground, a glimmer of joy rising amidst her sorrow. He's here, he's finally here.

The Emperor instructed Jinzhong to wake her up, and said with concern, "I had originally chosen Consort Ling tonight and was about to retire when I heard about the trouble you've gone through, so I rushed over." He turned to Yanwan and asked, "Is that right, Consort Ling?"

Yanwan: ? ? ?

She caught the emperor squint his right eye, which was out of Ruyi's sight, and forced a "hmm".

The emperor dismissed all the guards and then angrily said, "How can these servants serve you like this? Can't you see how cold it is outside? Hurry up and bring a charcoal brazier for Consort Xian!"

Yan Wan thought to herself that if she truly cared for someone, she should let them into the house now. She also understood that the emperor was putting on an act, so she ordered, "Chun Chan, hurry up and do as the emperor says."

Ruyi stood up, feeling the warmth of the brazier at her feet and the howling wind. A surge of grievances and warmth welled up in her heart, and she pouted as she looked at the Emperor.

The Emperor seemed to feel immense heartache and said to Ruyi, "I have already heard that Hailan, that wretched maid, stole the silver and didn't return it to you. It's understandable that you wanted to give her a beating, but the Empress is always so rigid, and I can't disobey the Empress's wishes. So, now that the Empress is gone, I will take care of everything. You can do whatever you want."

Ruyi remained silent, but Rongpei angrily retorted, "Your Majesty, Consort Xian is already in dire straits. Hailan stole ten taels of silver but refuses to return it. Without severe torture, how can we possibly get the silver back!"

The emperor nodded and said, "You are a loyal servant, so do as you say."

Yan Wan thought to herself, "Wasn't the money used to spread rumors? Could this not be Ruyi's plan? And doesn't the Emperor already know about this?" But seeing that the Emperor didn't seem to want to dwell on this matter, and remembering Jin Zhong's words, "Keep quiet and don't say too much," she remained silent.

But then Rong Pei stormed forward and bound Hailan tightly with her belt. Then she ripped open the garment under Hailan's skirt and dragged her into the snowy courtyard.

Hailan exposed her bare ankles to everyone.

A woman's feet are a private part of her body, and to expose her bare feet to others is a great disgrace for a woman.

Besides, in such cold weather, even wearing thick shoes and socks wouldn't keep you warm, let alone kneeling barefoot in the snow.

Back when Hailan was in the Department of Punishments, the officials and nannies had been instructed to act only according to the law and not to use torture arbitrarily. Even during interrogations, they never used the severe torture of the clamps used on men. Therefore, no matter how Hailan was tortured back then, she was always covered with a pair of cloth socks. She would never be in this situation today.

Yanwan instinctively turned her head away, not daring to look.

Her reaction was observed by the emperor, who thought that as long as she was alive, it was fine; he couldn't bear to let Yanwan actually see those bloody scenes.

Besides, if he frightens Yanwan and she avoids him in the future, how can he protect himself from illness?

Besides, I have some things to do today and it's inconvenient for her to know.

Thinking of this, the emperor put on a stern face and said, "Consort Ling, look at Consort Xian. She remained calm even when Mount Tai collapsed in front of her. As expected, you are too young to handle things. Never mind, Consort Xian is fine here. You can go inside and stay. You don't need to keep me company."

Yanwan breathed a sigh of relief, aptly expressing her embarrassment at being so inferior, and then walked into the room with Chunchan.

The room was a mess. After searching for a while, Chun Chan finally found a clean spot, pulled out a chair for Yan Wan to sit on, and added charcoal to the remaining brazier, making it burn brightly.

Yanwan beckoned her over to warm herself by the fire. The two of them approached the warm charcoal brazier, trying to ignore the howling wind outside, the crisp sounds carried by the wind, and the hoarse screams.

The screams grew fainter and fainter until they were no longer audible.

The emperor tightened his sea dragon skin cloak, looking at Hailan lying on the snow, thinking to himself that he really had to make these people commit suicide. Hailan, who was so hard to kill, had fainted after taking less than ten blows.

Rong Pei stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, she couldn't withstand the torture and fainted. What should we do now?"

The Emperor snorted coldly: "Rong Pei, you served her later, you don't know, Hailan didn't faint so easily when she was being caned before, isn't this just a pretense? She likes to play dead, so let her lie there!"

He then summoned Jinzhong and asked, "How's the investigation going with the money Xian promised?"

Jinzhong said, "Your Majesty, Xiaoxiangzi reported that a young eunuch who delivers meals found ten taels of silver and a note in the food boxes he collected today, asking him to spread some gossip. The boy is quite well-behaved; he didn't get confused over such a small amount of silver and handed over both the silver and the note."

The emperor asked, "Oh? He's quite a good servant. Why did you let him spread rumors?"

Jinzhong said, "To be honest, I find it strange too. It's just gossip about Xiao Lingzi. You know, Xiao Lingzi is a eunuch, so how could he have gossip to spread?"

Upon hearing this, Ruyi's face immediately turned cold, and she raised her head at Rong Pei.

Yanwan and Chunchan were encouraging each other, reassuring each other that they would be leaving soon, when they heard a splash of water outside, followed by a groan, and then Ruyi's angry voice: "You'll kill Ling Yunche like this! Even if we have no choice in the palace, Ling Yunche is innocent. He has saved me many times and shouldn't become a sacrifice between me and Consort Ling!" (Dialogue quoted from the original drama)

Yanwan frowned. Had the fire finally reached her?

Just as she was about to go out and argue, she heard the emperor say coldly, "I know what's going on with Xiao Lingzi. No one, no words, can shake my opinion of Ruyi. But by doing this, you are clearly telling others that Ruyi is guilty, which is even more hateful!"

Ruyi's disappointed voice came: "Hailan, you shouldn't have done this. All these years I've treated you like a younger sister. Now it seems that perhaps my soft heart has made you make a mistake."

The emperor seemed to be reassuring her: "Ruyi, you are a kind-hearted person, none of this has anything to do with you."

She said something else at the end, as if it were a whisper, but her voice was too low for Yanwan to hear.

Ruyi overheard the whisper clearly: "I have always had you in my heart. When you were in the Cold Palace, I favored others only to avoid the ministers of the court from nagging. Otherwise, why didn't I have more children during those three years? Even Yongcong, my legitimate son, was only born because I was happy and slept with the Empress after your innocence was cleared and I was certain you could leave the Cold Palace. Before that, the Fifth Prince, that wasn't my wish. It was Hailan who put a lot of aphrodisiac in my tea... Hailan claimed she wanted to clear your name, but what she did was give birth to a child before you and make you bear the false reputation. I don't want to speculate about her intentions."

Ruyi was stunned and couldn't help but say, "I love Yongqi, but Your Majesty, Hailan drugged you and made you aroused. This is truly an unforgivable crime!"

The emperor was somewhat annoyed. Yanwan was still sitting inside. Ruyi said, "How can she hear all this dirty stuff if I'm so loud!"

The cold water in Hailan's hair froze into ice crystals, and frost formed on her face. Upon hearing Ruyi's words, "unforgivable sin," she almost fainted again. But just as she swayed, Rongpei struck her foot hard with a stick, and she couldn't help but groan and start sobbing again.

The Emperor, having calmed himself, sighed and then said softly, "Back then, she had no status or title in the Prince's residence. It was you who mentioned it that I gave her a title. Perhaps that's the origin of her infatuation. But Ruyi, I wasn't heartless back then; I always harbored doubts. When I was drunk, I would have gone back to my room or someone else's room. Why would I have wandered off to this remote embroidery workshop? If I was so drunk that I couldn't even tell where I was, I would naturally be unconscious, so how could I possibly favor anyone?"

As if reminded of something, Ruyi said, "Your Majesty, I know that incense made from ylang-ylang and other flowers, when burned with agarwood, has the effect of arousing emotions. Your Majesty cherishes me, and all your clothes are scented with my beloved agarwood. Could it be that Your Majesty was also...?"

Unable to continue, she glared fiercely at the stunned Hailan: "Hailan, it was out of pity that I gave you a title back then, but I never imagined it was all your scheme!"

The Emperor said gravely, "Ruyi is indeed wise. Such things can happen repeatedly, but since you recommended her, for the sake of your innocence, there is no other way..."

Ruyi bowed solemnly, a rare occurrence for her: "Your Majesty, I do not know what to say, but I am willing to send Hailan to the Censorate to prove my innocence!"

Hailan was stunned for a moment before she seemed to come to her senses. She sobbed and rushed towards Ruyi, trying to grab her skirt and beg, but she couldn't speak. Rongpei didn't give her a chance and hit her with a stick, knocking her to the ground.

Jinzhong flicked his whisk, and two eunuchs came up and dragged Hailan away, who was speaking in a hoarse voice, leaving two bloody marks on the ground.

The Emperor suppressed his displeasure, helped Ruyi up, and led her into the room. There he saw Yanwan sitting at the table, dozing off with her head propped up by one hand, and Chunchan standing to the side, pecking at rice like a chick.

The emperor chuckled inwardly. Jinzhong stepped forward and woke Chunchan. When Chunchan saw the emperor, she was startled and her legs went weak, so she knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

As if hearing the noise, Yanwan opened her sleepy eyes and saw that the Emperor and Ruyi were looking at her. She hurriedly got up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I was too sleepy and made a mistake. Please forgive me."

Ruyi thought to herself that Yanwan was indeed frivolous, even being so disrespectful in front of the Emperor. However, the Emperor was relieved and smiled, saying, "Indeed, she is 'sleepy for three months of winter.' Well then, Consort, you are so sleepy, go back to Chengqian Palace to rest."

Chun Chan helped Yan Wan leave, both of them feeling fortunate that they had managed to get away with pretending to be asleep this time. Otherwise, if the Emperor had thought they had overheard so much nonsense, he might have held a grudge against them in the future.

Jinzhong was also relieved that the Emperor said he had no doubts and didn't ask about Lingzhu'er Ling Yunche's affairs.