Quick Transmigration: The Charming Beauty Who Was Short-Lived and Alluring

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In the midst of the tense atmosphere, the door suddenly opened from the inside.

Qi Jingheng's eyes lit up with joy as he stepped into the hall.

However, Chu Yun was nowhere to be seen. In the end, Qi Jingheng found Chu Yun behind the door.

At that time, she was only wearing a single layer of clothing, huddled in the corner, hugging her knees with her hands, burying her head in her legs, and her shoulders twitching from time to time.

This scene made Qi Jingheng's eyes widen in horror. He quickly walked to Chu Yun's side, knelt down on one knee, and stretched his hand out in mid-air, but dared not touch Chu Yun at all.

Never before had he felt so afraid; he had a feeling that Chu Yun was about to turn into a transparent butterfly and fly away.

"A-Yun." He only dared to call her name softly.

Just when Qi Jingheng thought he wouldn't get a response, Chu Yun slowly raised her head, revealing a face full of tears, swollen eyes, and lips that were peeling due to excessive water loss.

"Your Majesty." Her voice was hoarse, as if it contained a layer of fine sand, and speaking must have been painful for her, but she still called out, "Your Majesty."

He called out "Your Majesty" twice, the first time in nearly a month.

Qi Jingheng immediately replied, "I'm here."

He sensed that Chu Yun was acting strangely and was about to comfort him when Chu Yun suddenly hugged him tightly.

It wasn't really a hug; Chu Yun practically pounced on him. Perhaps because she had been sitting on the ground the whole time, her legs were too weak to support her weight, so she half-knelt down to get closer to Qi Jingheng.

Qi Jingheng was stunned by this action. If it weren't for the real touch in his arms, if it weren't for Chu Yun's hands around his waist, if it weren't for the wetness on his chest, he would have thought he was dreaming.

After a pause, Qi Jingheng finally confirmed that it was not an illusion. He reached out and placed his hand on Chu Yun's back, hugging her back.

"Your Majesty, please don't leave A-Yun," the woman in his arms choked out.

Qi Jingheng: "I'm here, I will never leave you."

With his comforting words, Chu Yun gradually calmed down, and her body stopped trembling. She only let out intermittent sobs, which made Qi Jingheng's chest even wetter.

Qi Jingheng stayed with her, patting her back to help her catch her breath from time to time.

It's unclear how much time passed, but Qi Jingheng's legs were numb and aching from kneeling before Chu Yun finally stopped crying.

She shakily raised her head, her eyes swollen beyond recognition. "Jingheng, I dreamt that you abandoned me like a child. I'm so scared."

Qi Jingheng had five brothers. The names of the other four brothers were personally chosen by the late emperor. Only he was born three months ago and had no name. At that time, the Empress Dowager was still alive and felt that it was not right. She took it upon the Ministry of Rites to give Qi Jingheng this name.

He was initially of lowly status, and apart from his mother, no one called him by his name. Later, he became wealthy and powerful, and others only called him His Majesty. In fact, it has been a long time since anyone has called him Jingheng.

Qi Jingheng was momentarily stunned, but upon hearing the meaning behind Chu Yun's words, he realized why she was so emotional, and a surge of joy welled up within him.

Qi Jingheng was also heartbroken at losing his child, but Chu Yun was utterly despondent and even contemplated suicide, which truly alarmed him. Sometimes he wondered, was the child really that important? Was it worth her giving up everything, including him?

But the child ultimately died indirectly at his hands, and Chu Yun was unable to muster any energy. Qi Jingheng could only suppress this selfish thought and pretend to be indifferent. As time went on, he himself thought he no longer cared.

Only now do I realize that this is not the case; he still cares a lot, but he forces himself to ignore it.

Now that he realizes that Chu Yun cares about him too and is afraid of losing him, Qi Jingheng feels both heartache and joy, and the pent-up frustration that has been lingering in his heart for so long gradually dissipates.

"No, I won't leave you," Qi Jingheng promised softly.

Chu Yun hugged him even tighter. "Really?"

She strained to open her eyes wide, staring at him stubbornly, wanting a definite answer from him.

"Really," Qi Jingheng said firmly.

"Jingheng, I misunderstood before. I was only focused on being sad and neglected you. I'm sorry." Chu Yun sincerely apologized, tears streaming down her face.

Qi Jingheng couldn't bear to blame her, so he wiped away her tears. "Silly girl, I don't need your apology. I just want you to be happy and carefree like before."

"I'll get through this soon. Wait for me, don't leave me behind," Chu Yun said earnestly, holding his hand.

"Okay," Qi Jingheng replied with a smile.

The two talked for a while longer, but Chu Yun had been crying for too long and couldn't take it anymore, so Qi Jingheng carried her back to bed and watched her fall asleep before leaving.

*

The Regent's Palace.

"We've found out why Qi Jingheng left the table." Qi Qingjia stood by the window with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on a leaning tree branch.

Outside the study stood a tall evergreen tree, meticulously maintained by a dedicated person. Its branches never strayed or leaned outwards. Yesterday's heavy rain bent one of its branches, and now, this branch, broken at the base, dangles precariously, ruining the tree's overall aesthetic appeal. Consequently, it caught Qi Qingjia's attention.

The guards reported in his ear: "Your Highness, after His Majesty left his seat, he went to the Falling Cherry Blossom Palace to visit Consort Zhao, and he has not come out yet."

Consort Zhao, Qi Qingjia pondered these two words in his heart. He was right, that palace maid was the one who appeared with Consort Zhao by the pavilion that day.

"What happened to Consort Zhao?" Qi Qingjia asked again.

The guard said, "I am incompetent. Since Consort Zhao's miscarriage, His Majesty has been purging Luoying Palace and the palace. All the people we planted have been eliminated. I do not know Consort Zhao's current condition. I only know that Luoying Palace often summons the imperial physician. I am afraid that Consort Zhao's health has not yet recovered."

This information was enough, Qi Qingjia thought casually. He could basically piece together the various reasons from this information.

Qi Qingjia's attack, based on the pretext of imperial heirs, not only silenced the aristocratic families but also confused them.

But if we think about it the other way around, if there were no imperial heir, or if the imperial heir were unharmed, Qi Jingheng would have no excuse to launch an attack.

The emperor's heir, concubine Zhao...

It's likely that Consort Zhao's loss of her child was not accidental.

Qi Qingjia suddenly understood the key to it.

He's been so busy this past month that he's almost forgotten about Consort Zhao, or rather, people who could be sacrificed are never on his radar.

It seems that Qi Jingheng still has feelings for Consort Zhao. Even such a scheming person has a weakness.

Qi Qingjia curled her lips and said to the guards, "Find the imperial physician who is taking care of Consort Zhao's pregnancy. Also, send someone to remove the broken tree branches outside."

A broken branch is the weakness of an evergreen tree, and Consort Zhao, hidden deep within, is Qi Jingheng's weakness—delicate yet crucial, just like that broken branch, prominently positioned, ready to strike at any moment.

Consort Zhao, you must not disappoint me.