"Does favoring the concubine mean destroying the wife?"

  Yuan Qi's face revealed a stern smile, his eyes gleaming with anger like a sharp sword. Some of the eunuchs were so frightened by his appearance that they almost fainted.

  "Everyone get back!!"

  The emperor shouted in a low voice, and people couldn't wait for this shout, hastily leaving. Chenlu also wanted to retreat, but was stopped by the emperor.

  "Grind some ink for me."

  He turned his head and said to the queen:

  "You still remember that you are the Empress?! And look at yourself, mad and frantic, is this how Emperor Jing of Han taught you every day?"

  The emperor gazed at her, thin and haggard, yet full of bitter resentment on his face, coldly sneering and saying, with sharp and ruthless words, showing no mercy.

  "My father... Hmph! He was loyal to the country and suffered an assassination attempt by a Tartar assassin, his life or death is still unknown!"

  The queen's laughter was tinged with mockery, and she adjusted the crimson silk sleeve with gold embroidery on her arm. Amidst the dazzling pearls and jewels, she laughed with a sorrowful and painful expression. Her large black eyes, due to the smile, seemed like a deep pool that had been disturbed, rippling and fragmented.

  Morning dew watched from the side, for a moment, her heart and mouth seemed to be scratched by something sharp, painful as strangulation.

  That smile, how similar it is! Isn't it exactly the same as the last sight seen in the mirror when one's breath is exhausted?

  So resolute, so heart-wrenching, so blood-curdling like a cuckoo's cry... the silent wound...

  At this moment, she saw herself in a daze.

  She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, forcing herself to suppress the trembling, but only heard the Emperor say with a slightly slower tone: "Since Duke Jing'an is injured in bed, if you are willing to return and serve him, I will definitely allow you to return home. If it's about the complete set of phoenix carriages and imperial sedan chairs, who can surpass your position?!"

  This is a sincere remark, if the queen would let it go and take advantage of the opportunity to step down, then everyone would be happy. But she didn't take the hint and instead said: "Didn't the emperor say that my father was 'injured on duty', that's also considered loyalty from my family, there's nothing to worry about - I'm only afraid that I will follow in the footsteps of the previous dynasty's queen!!"

  As soon as this was said, the atmosphere became tense again. The Empress of the previous dynasty was originally the legitimate empress of Emperor Jingyue, but she was framed by a concubine and thrown into the cold palace, where she was given poisonous wine to drink. It is said that her death was extremely tragic, with blood flowing from her mouth as she cursed the emperor and "that little demon". Not long after, Emperor Jingyue died at the hands of the Tartars, which seemed to fulfill her curse.

  Yuan Qi saw that she was still arrogant and suspicious, even questioning her father's assassination. He could no longer tolerate it and angrily shouted: "You are actually so unfilial and unloyal!!"

  The empress gazed at him, momentarily dazed and confused: "Your Majesty, I am not cursing you - have you forgotten what you said to me on our wedding night?"

  She seemed to be immersed in the past: "At that time, I heard that the old site of Chao Yang Palace was the cold palace of the previous dynasty, and Queen Wang died here... You comforted me by saying that you would never be like Emperor Jingyue, unfaithful and heartless. Now, your words are still in my ears, but you have done such a heartless thing, how can I bear it?!"

  She said this, her voice choked with emotion, unable to control herself.

  "I had long lost your heart, now even the only honor of the imperial palace, this noble and dignified position, you also want to bestow upon someone else!!!"

  I will never allow such a thing!!

  In the queen's eyes, dazzling brilliance shone like two clusters of ghostly fire, eerily startling.

  In those bright eyes, there is a madness of being in an absolute predicament, despair, and heart-wrenching sorrow.

  Yuanyu gazed at her for a long time before finally speaking up ——

  "How dare you suspect me of being lucky?!"

  He seemed to have heard a huge joke, and sneered coldly: "My oath was made to that gentle and lovely, pure as water woman, not you this kind of venomous woman! You ask yourself, in these three or four years, how many despicable means did you use to prevent the women in the harem from giving birth to a prince? Your hands are stained with blood, do you still have the face to say that I am unfaithful?"

  He was still furious and pointed at the palace gate: "I don't want to see you, take advantage of my patience, leave quickly!"

  Chenlu looked at the queen, who was already disheartened and bewildered, listening to the emperor's scolding with a twisted face, but she had no words to defend herself. She stumbled forward and walked to the tightly closed palace gate. Chenlu suddenly felt an urge and went forward to push open the door for her.

  The moment the queen stepped out of the palace gate, Chenlu heard her whisper: "From now on..."

  "I am no longer your wife, but merely your empress."

  Her voice was low and husky, yet each word was enunciated clearly, as if she had made up her mind about something.

  ****

  The injury of Duke Jing'an, although serious, healed quickly. The imperial physician invited by King Jing extended an audience with Qu Yun as soon as he arrived at the mansion. He was originally a wandering doctor who had stolen the red fruit from Princess He's place to cure the empress dowager. After being intimidated this time, he continued to pretend to be a superior person and prescribed medicine. As soon as Duke Jing'an took it, he came to his senses.

  After the matter was over, Chen Lu asked Qu Yun with some doubts: "When you and I were under the same master, your poisonous medicine was not effective. This time, what kind of poison did you infuse on the sword that made Lin Yuan unconscious for several days?"

  Gou Yun was not very skilled in the art of toxic medicine, and his clumsy practice had unknowingly harmed many birds and beasts on the mountain. When a talented junior sister asked about it, he couldn't help but proudly say: "This is my own patented medicine, its advantage lies in its shocking symptoms, yet being safe and reliable - if Lin Yuan really died, that wicked woman would not rest until she was satisfied."

  "What's the antidote?"

  Chenlu was even more suspicious and pressed on with her questioning.

  "Hehe... Today is really a beautiful day!"

  Gu Yun felt somewhat uneasy and changed the subject.

  "Little Cloud..."

  He looked at the girl in front of him with a cold smile and immediately surrendered: "Okay, say it, just a bit embarrassing..."

  "The antidote is two liang of croton seed, ground into powder and formed into pills."

  This earth-shaking, ghost-wailing answer made the girl unable to hold back her laughter any longer, and she burst into hearty laughter.

  A gentle breeze swept across her hair, and her bright, crystal-clear smile blossomed for the first time in early summer, an absolute beauty beyond compare.

  It's as if those dark and resentful past events had vanished without a trace, as if they had never happened at all.

  ****

  The assassinations by the "Tartar Emissaries" gradually decreased under the strict guard of the six-panel gate experts, and just when people let out a sigh of relief, a massive and tragic case occurred.

  At that time, the palace gate had already been locked, and the Prefect of Beijing panted into the palace, but was informed that the Emperor had already entered his bedroom.

  "Please wake up Your Majesty!"

  His face was deathly pale, but he said with unwavering determination.

  Xihua Gate official, with a worried and bitter face, said: "The emperor's sidekick Qin Xi, the Grand Manager, will definitely break the dog legs of this slave!"

  "I don't know if I'll break your leg or not, but what I do know is that if you don't go and report this now, neither of us will live to see tomorrow!"

  The Governor of Beijing was stern and unyielding, his face pale, it was unclear whether he was frightened or angry.

  Yuan Qi received the report and got up at midnight, he listened to it and his sleepiness was gone, he only used his cold and stern eyes to stare at the Prefect of Jingzhao.

  "I... find it strange that you still have the face to come back and see me alive!"

  He said in a low voice.

  And now it's time for commercials~~

  First, let me give a plug for my good friend Zhuzi's article, after all, great articles also need more attention.

  Traveling through the Tang Dynasty, watching the young people of Chang'an and the blooming flowers... The greatest taboo love in history, this time with memories from a thousand years later, will she still leave regrets behind? Everything is in "The City of Devastating Love"

  Also, add some fuel for a fellow orange classmate who is currently P-ing, and those who love online games can go take a look.

  Shu Shan Weekly Issue 142640