diskusbooks Chapter 245 Antecedents
Chapter 245 Antecedents
Temple
"Didn't my father say anything else?" Chen Ruoyao stood there quietly, dressed in a simple nun's robe, her flowing garments making her seem detached from the world.
She wore a long string of Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist, which made a crisp clinking sound with her slight movements.
Chen Ruoyao's eyes were tightly closed, as if she didn't want to face the old woman speaking behind her.
This nanny was her wet nurse who had been with her since childhood, and the two hadn't seen each other for several years. This reunion was expected to be a warm reunion, but unexpectedly it all started because of her father's situation.
After hearing the news from the wet nurse, Chen Ruoyao seemed to be greatly shocked. She suddenly opened her eyes, and her originally calm face was instantly filled with surprise and confusion.
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she asked, "I... I didn't hear wrong, did I? What does he want me to do?"
Having a child? And having a child for her brother-in-law? This is utterly ridiculous! A nameless fire surged in Chen Ruoyao's heart, just like Chen Xianlin, who felt that what her father was doing was extremely absurd.
To force her to submit, her father even threatened her mother's safety, showing extreme ruthlessness.
Thinking of this, Chen Ruoyao couldn't help but laugh out loud in anger, her laughter filled with helplessness and sorrow.
At that moment, she felt as if she had truly seen her father's true colors for the first time—a selfish and unscrupulous person.
"Hmph, do you really think the current emperor is a fool? He's seen me before, so what? Are you trying to deceive the emperor?" Chen Ruoyao complained indignantly, her tone full of contempt and disdain for this absurd plan.
"Miss, you don't need to worry. Master has already taken care of everything!" As soon as the wet nurse finished speaking, a person slowly walked in from outside the door.
This person was tall and had a wooden box about half a person's height on his back.
Strangely, he was completely wrapped up, with only his eyes showing. Those eyes were as deep as a pool, calm and still, yet they exuded a mysterious and unpredictable aura.
Seeing this, the wet nurse quickly stepped forward and explained to Chen Ruoyao, "This is the master of disguise who was hired by the master at great expense, Second Miss! It is said that this master of disguise has unparalleled skills. Once he has carefully transformed her, no one will be able to recognize her original appearance!"
At this moment, the master of disguise who had been silent finally spoke. He cupped his hands in a salute to Chen Ruoyao and said respectfully, "My name is Shan Yan. I greet you, Second Miss!"
Chen Ruoyao looked up and sized up the person in front of her, feeling somewhat displeased.
She snorted coldly and said without any politeness, "Since you've already made such thorough preparations, why bother asking for my opinion? Do you think I have any right to refuse?"
............
Inside the palace
"Your Majesty, Lord Chen requests an audience!" Xue Huaiyu was engrossed in processing the mountain of memorials when he suddenly heard the urgent announcement from a guard outside the hall.
He frowned slightly, put down the vermilion brush in his hand with some displeasure, and rubbed his temples.
When Xue Huaiyu heard that Chen Tongyu wanted to see him, he knew that it must be someone else who had come to deliver someone.
The beautiful woman sent was indeed beautiful, but Xue Huaiyu felt he was not worthy of her.
His daughter, Chen Xianlin, had been keeping a close eye on things. Every time he wanted to favor a beauty, Chen Xianlin would send someone to interrupt him, saying that the Empress had important matters to discuss with the Emperor.
Xue Huaiyu had no idea what the father and daughter were up to. He tried to push them away while simultaneously trying to stop them.
"Tell him I am busy with state affairs and have no time to receive him. Tell him to come another day." Xue Huaiyu waved his hand impatiently, signaling the guards to send the man away.
The guard did not immediately obey and leave, but instead stammered, "Your Majesty... Lord Chen said he has important matters to present to Your Majesty in person, and hopes that Your Majesty can spare some time to meet with him."
As he spoke, the guard's body trembled involuntarily, and his head drooped lower and lower, as if afraid of angering the emperor.
Upon seeing this, Xue Huaiyu's anger was instantly ignited.
He slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and said sternly, "You audacious servant! Do you even dare to disobey my decree? Don't you know that when I say I won't see you, I mean it?"
The guard was so frightened that he knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for mercy: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! I had no such intention. It was only because Lord Chen insisted that I dared to report this. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
Xue Huaiyu was already very unhappy about Chen Tongyu and Chen Xianlin's situation, and now he doesn't even have the right to refuse to meet them?
Who is the real emperor? Does Chen Tongyu still see him as the puppet of the former prime minister?
Xue Huaiyu grew angrier the more he thought about it; these people were all trying to climb all over him.
"Death!" Xue Huaiyu spat out these two chilling words through gritted teeth, then turned and stormed off, his face ashen and his hair standing on end in fury.
"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, have mercy..." the guard pleaded desperately as he was dragged away by two other imperial guards.
His pleas for mercy grew fainter and fainter until they finally disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Xue Huaiyu had just stepped out of the palace gate when he unexpectedly bumped into Chen Tongyu, who was coming from the opposite direction.
Chen Tongyu, his face full of concern, hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm down. What has caused Your Majesty to be so furious? What if you harm your health?"
Xue Huaiyu took a deep breath, suppressing his anger and slightly calming his expression, but his tone remained stiff as he said, "He's nothing but a dog who doesn't know his own death, yet he dares to offend me."
Xue Huaiyu turned to look at Chen Tongyu, his mind recalling what had just happened, and his expression softened instantly. He said to Chen Tongyu, "Oh, by the way, I just heard that Lord Chen has something important to discuss with me."
"That's right, I was just about to go and summon you, Lord Chen! I didn't expect to run into you here, which saves me a lot of trouble."
As he spoke, he gestured for Chen Tongyu to accompany him to the Imperial Garden.
At this moment, Xue Huaiyu was completely different from his previous furious self. He was like a completely different person.
Chen Tongyu naturally saw all of this, but he didn't expose it. He simply nodded knowingly and responded in accordance with Xue Huaiyu's words:
"Your Majesty, the reason I came here is because I was quite anxious as no palace servants came to report for a long time. I was worried that something might have happened to the servants that caused the delay."
"Therefore, I took it upon myself to come and investigate."