Crossing the Palace Fighting Fox Harem

Chapter 174 Leaving the Palace and Staying in the Palace

In fact, many people in the palace had learned about Concubine Baogui's death that night, but Ji Anni only heard about it the next day.

It was almost noon, and the bright sunlight was very dazzling. The flowers, plants and trees in the yard were all shrouded in an unreal white light, and the shadows were gathered into a small ball.

I heard that there are no shadows in the dream world...

Looking back, when she heard the news of Concubine Baogui's death, Ji Anni also felt like she was in a dream.

The person who brought her the news was Yizhen.

Yizhen also said that Guibao's body had been sent back to the West Palace. After the funeral ceremony, it would be put into a coffin in the evening and sent to the residence of the Minister of War, which was Guibao's mother's home.

Yizhen wanted to see Concubine Baogui for the last time before her body was put into the coffin. Since she entered the palace, Concubine Baogui had taken good care of her. She wanted to invite Ji Anni to go with her, but she didn't expect that Ji Anni knew nothing at all. After hearing the news of Concubine Baogui's death, she just kept mumbling "impossible, impossible" several times, and tears rolled down silently.

In fact, the news of Concubine Baogui's death was not sudden to Ji Anni, because she had already had such a premonition in her heart.

The dark clouds that had been weighing on her heart for the past few days finally turned into rain, which fell uncontrollably, washing away the bleeding wound in her heart.

"Xiao Zhao..." Yizhen took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears, frowning and asking, "How could you not know? Wasn't there no maid to tell you last night?"

Ji Anni shook her head and guessed what had happened.

I guess the palace servants who came to the right courtyard to report the news last night were all sent away by Hua Rong? And Hua Rong also deliberately didn't mention this to me, probably because she was afraid that I would get into trouble under impulse.

If Hua Rong knew that she was so calm and only shed tears after learning the news of Concubine Baogui's death, she would be very surprised, right?

In fact, even Ji Anni herself was surprised...

If I were my usual self, I would have rushed to the West Palace long ago, but now I just sit here quietly, letting my tears flow silently.

This frightened Yizhen, and she hugged Ji Anni and started crying: "Xiao Zhao, cry out loud, you are so silent... I am very scared..."

If Ji Anni knew where Concubine Baogui was bullied, she would definitely rush over excitedly.

But now, what we know is that she is dead...

died……

Nothing exists except a corpse...

Suddenly I felt like nothing could be saved, I had no strength left, I knew nothing...

I can’t explain what that feeling is like. It’s like I let go of a lot of things in my heart, and it feels empty and light… but at the same time, it feels like a lot of things are pressing on me, and it feels blocked and heavy…

After a long time, Ji Anni wiped her tears, took a breath and asked, "How did Bao Niangniang die?"

Seeing that she was finally willing to talk, Yizhen was so excited that she cried and laughed at the same time. She hurriedly said, "I heard that she was bitten to death by a poisonous snake in the dungeon."

"Where did this poisonous snake come from out of nowhere?"

In fact, it is not difficult to guess that this is a conspiracy.

Yizhen said, "Even I find it strange, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs has not made any move. They only invited Taoist priests from Taijue Temple to pray for the souls of the dead. It seems that they just want to end the matter in a hurry and have no intention of thoroughly investigating the truth..."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard two knocks on the door.

Without waiting for Ji Anni to respond, Hua Rong walked in with tea and snacks.

The reason why she showed up so timely was because she had been hiding outside the door and eavesdropping. When she heard Yizhen say that Baoguifei's death was strange, she had to come out and interrupt Yizhen because she was afraid that Ji Anni would delve into it.

Ji Anni has spent more time with Hua Rong than Yi Zhen these days. She has gradually become familiar with Hua Rong's temperament and can subconsciously guess some of her thoughts. She said to Hua Rong, who quietly put down the tea, "In fact, I know who the murderer is without checking... Don't worry, I won't do anything rash."

Hua Rong raised her head and smiled at Ji Anni, and said softly: "My Lady, you have seen through me, but I am gradually not seeing through you."

She thought Ji Anni would be impulsive, but not only did Ji Anni not act impulsively, she also saw her intention to interrupt Yizhen, which made her unsure whether to be happy or sad. In the past, she could always accurately judge Ji Anni's next move, but now she has gradually deviated. In fact, this is not a sign that Huarong's ability has declined, but a sign that Ji Anni has become a little different from before.

"My lady, Huarong has something to say..."

"Just say what you want to say." Ji Anni turned her eyes away and said calmly.

"In fact, Empress Bao already wanted to die. If you don't let her die, it will be a torture to her."

Hua Rong dared to say this with such certainty because she had read the last letter that Concubine Baogui wrote to Yun Zhen. But to Ji Anni and Yi Zhen, who didn't know the inside story, Hua Rong's words seemed very harsh, as if she was saying that Concubine Baogui deserved to die.

Yizhen didn't dare to get angry and just looked at Ji Anni's face.

Ji Anni turned her gaze back to Hua Rong's face and glared at her, "Don't think you know everything."

Hua Rong smiled slightly and replied, "Although I don't know everything, I have stayed in the palace for a little longer, so I know a little more... For example, the palace's previous life and death rituals were all handled by the Imperial Master, but this time, Empress Bao's ritual specially invited outsiders from Taijue Temple to perform the ritual..."

She probably realized that if the topic stayed on Concubine Baogui, it would only cause trouble, so she suddenly switched the topic to Yun Zhen and successfully diverted Ji Anni's attention.

Ji Anni was really worried and asked, "Where is Yun Zhen?"

What surprised Hua Rong was that Yizhen's voice almost overlapped with Ji Anni's voice and came out at the same time. Yizhen asked "Where is the Imperial Master?" Although it was a little unfamiliar compared to Ji Anni's "Yun Zhen", her nervousness and worry could still be seen from Yizhen's uneasy face.

Huarong looked at Yizhen meaningfully for a few times, then said to Ji Anni, "I heard that the Imperial Master has left the palace."

"Leaving the palace?" Ji Anni couldn't believe it and her eyes widened subconsciously.

Hua Rong spoke slowly and calmly, "Perhaps some adult interceded for mercy in front of the Queen Mother, or the Queen Mother herself came to her senses and released the Imperial Master. In fact, the Queen Mother's eyes have always been on Lady Bao... Although I don't know what grudges there were between her and Lady Bao, now that Lady Bao has passed away... The Queen Mother seems to have let go of a lot of things..."

"So Yun Zhen just left the palace like that?" Ji Anni still couldn't believe it.

"Empress Bao has passed away. What's the point of the Imperial Master staying in the palace?" Hua Rong said deliberately to provoke Ji Anni.

"But...but..." Ji Anni became flustered. She didn't expect Yun Zhen to leave so suddenly.

Although it was a good thing that the Queen Mother was willing to release Yun Zhen from the dungeon, I didn't expect that the Queen Mother would actually release Yun Zhen out of the palace!

Hua Rong sneered, "Your Majesty, do you think that after what happened between the Imperial Master and Empress Bao, they can still stay in the palace as before? This time, I'm afraid that even the privilege of the three generations of the Yang family to carry swords into the court will be revoked."

Ji Anni then remembered that she had heard Yun Zhen say before that when the late emperor went on a private visit in disguise, Yun Zhen's father had blocked a knife for the late emperor, so Yun Zhen's father was granted the privilege of carrying swords into the court for three generations as a sign of absolute trust.

Therefore, Yun Zhen faced very few restrictions in the harem, and even when he frequently entered the West Palace for the first time, no one bothered him.

But now…what happened between him and Concubine Baogui, it was reasonable for the Yang family’s privileges to be revoked.

Ji Anni, lost in her memories, looked dazed.

Hua Rong called out softly, "My Lady, I have actually found out something..."

Only then did Ji Anni come back to her senses.

Hua Rong's eyes suddenly flashed with a few sharp lights, and she lowered her voice and said, "In fact, the Queen Mother did not force the Imperial Master to leave the palace, but gave her two choices, asking her to temporarily leave the palace to consider, and then give her a reply in three days."

"What choice?" Ji Anni asked, her heart beating faster unconsciously.

Hua Rong raised two fingers and said, "One is to leave the palace, the other is to stay in the palace."

This was completely in vain. Ji Anni knew that Hua Rong had only half of what she said, and she was waiting anxiously and worriedly for the next words.

Hua Rong paused for a moment and added, "Baogui Concubine is dead. The Queen Mother and the Emperor don't seem to want to investigate the cause of her death and what happened with the Imperial Master before. Therefore, whether the Imperial Master chooses to leave the palace or stay, he will no longer be held responsible. However, if the Imperial Master still wants to stay in the palace, he must agree to an additional condition..."

"What conditions?" Ji Anni asked without even thinking.

At this moment, Huarong's faint smile froze on her lips, emitting a hint of coldness.

"That condition is... for the sake of the purity of the harem, the Imperial Master must... purify himself."