Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace: Fawning

Chapter 116: Oh no, the Queen hanged herself

When Concubine Ke knew that Hongli was coming to Xianfu Palace, she immediately asked someone to prepare milk tea and barbecue.

At first, Hongli found it novel, but as time went on, he ate these two things every time he came to Xianfu Palace. He was not like these Mongolian concubines who grew up on the prairie and ate only cattle, mutton and game.

Soon Hongli got irritated and some small bumps appeared on his face. They were red and swollen, and the more he scratched, the more itchy it became.

The imperial physician prescribed some pills and ointments to clear away heat and detoxify.

Lan Qi picked up a ball of cotton and rolled it into a small ball. After soaking it in the medicine, she gently wiped the red area.

"hiss--"

Lan Qi paused, raised her eyes slightly and looked at Hongli, and said softly: "Did your majesty hurt me?"

Hongli said nothing, took the cotton ball from Lanqi's hand and the small mirror on the table and wiped it, "I'm fine, just a little itchy."

"It's because the emperor is greedy. He has been eating wild game in Xianfu Palace for so many days. How can he not get angry?" Lan Qi raised her eyebrows coquettishly. Her charming look was like a flower in bud, clear and lively.

Hongli curled his lips slightly and said, "Looking at the entire harem, you are the only one who dares to speak to me like this."

Lan Qi smiled and sat down opposite Hongli, her hand supporting her chin as she said, "I'm just thinking about your Majesty's health. The meat from Concubine Ke's palace is delicious, but the imperial physician said you have a weak stomach and shouldn't eat too much grilled meat. This morning, your concubine cooked yam porridge and asked Eunuch Wang and Lan Cui to bring a pot for me. I think it's delicious. Your Majesty, would you like to try it?"

Lan Qi glanced at Ji Tao and motioned her to serve a bowl of yam porridge.

Ji Tao stepped forward, opened the jar, picked up the large spoon and bowl, scooped two spoonfuls, and then handed it to Lan Qi with both hands.

Lan Qi picked up the soup spoon, blew the hot steam off the surface, and then handed the spoon to Hongli.

After eating a spoonful of porridge, Hongli nodded and praised: "I didn't expect Lingpin to be able to do this. I thought..."

It was a busy time. Yihuan was in poor health and the Mongolian concubines had just entered the palace. Hongli had to spend time with them. In his impression, Yanwan was a well-behaved and sensible woman.

When he first met her, he thought Yanwan looked somewhat similar to Ruyi, so he looked at her a few more times.

She was like a blank piece of paper, allowing Hongli to paint on her.

He could see that Yan Wan was an ambitious woman who dared to climb up the social ladder.

If Hongli loved Ruyi's willfulness and liveliness, then he liked Yanwan's gentleness and charm.

Lan Qi blinked her lively eyes and teased, "What do you think, Your Majesty? I heard that Yongshou Palace is quiet today, and to relieve her boredom, Concubine Ling specially found a troupe to learn Kunqu Opera. Would Your Majesty like to go and see it?"

Hongli glanced over and was stunned for a moment.

He knew that Lan Qi was close to Yan Wan and Yi Huan, but he grew up in the harem and was used to the intrigues of the women around the late emperor.

When Zeng Huan was still Consort Xi, she fought a life-and-death battle with the abandoned Empress Yi Xiu.

But Lan Qi is the first one who pushes her man into another woman's palace.

He pinched Lan Qi's face, and said with a hint of sourness, "Isn't it good for me to stay with you?"

Lan Qi took Hongli's hand and leaned on his shoulder, saying coquettishly, "Of course I miss you, but Your Majesty is not your Majesty alone. The affairs of the court have been a lot of trouble for you. Now that you have returned to the harem, Your Majesty should relax. Sister Shufei and I are good friends. She lost the Tenth Prince, and I want to spend more time with her."

Thinking of Yihuan, Hongli said distressedly: "I am sorry, Shu, Lanqi, you should take time to visit her more often."

"I will."

While the two were talking, Jinzhong ran in hurriedly. He glanced at Lanqi and Hongli, his lips trembling slightly, as if he had something to hide.

"What's wrong?" Hongli asked impatiently.

"Your Majesty, Concubine Cheng, the guards guarding the Yikun Palace just came to report that the Empress has committed suicide."

Hongli stood up suddenly, and the bowl on the table fell to the ground due to inertia.

"What's going on? Wasn't she fine a few days ago?" Lan Qi asked calmly, "Is the Queen okay?"

Jinzhong shook his head and said, "Fortunately, Rong Pei found the place in time, so the queen is fine."

Hongli finally breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that Ruyi was fine.

Without even saying hello, he just walked out of Guanju Palace.

When he arrived at the Yiku Palace, Hongli heard Ruyi's crying and shouting coming from inside the house while he was outside the door.

"Why did you save me?"

"The Emperor won't come to see me, and I can't even see the Twelfth Prince. I, the Queen, am like nothing. Why are you trying to save me..."

"Why don't you let me die? Why? Wuwuwu..."

Rong Pei choked up and said, "Empress, please take care of yourself. The Emperor is just a little delayed. He will definitely come to see you when he is done."

"Yes, Your Majesty, you still have me and Rong Pei, and the Twelfth Prince is still young. Can you bear to leave him?" Ling Yunche echoed.

Hongli suddenly stopped at the threshold. Jinzhong didn't have time to stop and bumped into Hongli's back. Fearing that he would anger the emperor, he immediately knelt down and said in panic, "I deserve to die, Your Majesty, please forgive me."

Hongli looked sullen and said, "You stay here and I'll go in by myself."

"Yes." Jinzhong stood up and quickly lifted the door curtain to let Hongli in.

I saw Ruyi half lying on the bed, half of her body hanging in the air, her face was covered with tear marks, and the bruises on her neck were especially eye-catching.

Rong Pei knelt on the ground and hugged her waist, while Ling Yunche knelt beside Rong Pei, wiping his tears and persuading her.

"Your Majesty..." Ruyi's face was pale, and her confused and disappointed eyes showed her extreme grief.

Rong Pei and Ling Yunche turned around and saw Hongli standing behind them like a statue. They saluted and said, "Your Highness."

Hongli walked up to Ruyi with a cold face.

After not seeing each other for a year, he only felt that Ruyi had lost a lot of weight.

"You go down first, I have something to say to the Queen." Hongli said.

Ling Yunche glanced at Ruyi, then left the house with Rong Pei.

Hongli walked around the room, then turned around and sat down on a stool. Ruyi wiped her tears and walked over to Hongli. She wanted to pour him some tea, but when she picked up the teapot, she found that not only was there no tea, but even the tea leaves were dry.

She picked up the teapot and wanted to go out to make tea, but was stopped by Hongli, "Don't bother, I'm not thirsty and don't want to drink."

Ruyi hurriedly put the teapot back on the table.

Finally, she met the young man she had been thinking about. She had a lot of things in her heart that she wanted to tell Hongli, but when she really saw Hongli, she couldn't say a word.

"Your Majesty, have you been well these days?" Ruyi asked.

"Of course I am fine. But Queen, why have you become so thin? Is it because the palace staff are not taking good care of you?"

Although his words seemed caring, there was contempt in Hongli's eyes, as if he was saying, if he had known this would happen, why did he do it in the first place?