C67
A slight smile appeared on Chu Zongge's lips, "I know what you want very well."
Xue Ronghua turned and looked at him, "You came here for revenge, you just want the lives of those from Chiron."
"Perhaps it's because I've been around for a long time," Chu Zongge said with a sigh, "There's something else I want."
Xue Ronghua was startled, and said seriously: "That won't do, we must focus all of our attention on preventing others from taking the opportunity to take advantage of us."
Chu Zongge felt a little sour in his heart, and said with a smile: "You're right."
Xue Ronghua pondered, "Xue Liuhua must have gone to look for the Prince Jin."
"That's what I thought too. Do they have plans for the future?"
"It shouldn't be. We already know that the Prince Jin has ulterior motives. He needs to rest for a while before he can make a move."
"Then, your alliance with the Prince Jin," Xue Ronghua said worriedly, "Did it collapse not long after that?"
"No," Chu Zongge said as his eyes narrowed, "Prince Jin is trying his best not to let go right now, why don't we maintain this kind of condition that we are well aware of. After all, we still need Noble Consort Kang to deal with the matter of him taking down Empress Chen and the crown prince."
Xue Ronghua nodded and said: "Then let's wait for the banquet in the palace."
Chu Zongge said with certainty: "We can't wait anymore. We'll go tomorrow."
Xue Ronghua was startled, and asked puzzledly: "Why are you in such a hurry?"
Chu Zongge sighed: "If we let Prince Jin enter the palace first and talk about what happened today, then the content of what Noble Consort Kang originally wanted to tell us must have changed. We must enter the palace first before Prince Jin does, in order to avoid unnecessary trouble."
Xue Liuhua lightly spun in a circle. From her bun, a glass bead shook in her hair. With golden steps, she lowered her silver hair, her bright eyes and white teeth, gently touched her lips, revealing a sweet smile that was filled with endless spring color.
Despite the myriad of thoughts lingering in his mind, under the influence of such a heavenly beauty, Prince Jin still gave a praising smile. He clapped his hands and said, "The title of the capital's number one beauty is truly well-deserved."
Xue Liuhua's cheeks flushed red, she turned around and softly said: "Thank you Prince Jin. I will be entering the palace to see you today, I dare not slight you."
Prince Jin smiled, "Don't be nervous, my mother is kind to people." He sneered in his heart, My mother is kind to people, it's just that he doesn't like you.
Xue Liuhua smiled like a flower, "The Queen of Noble Consort is a generous person, it is my daughter's fortune."
"When you greet the Royal Father, get up first."
Xue Liuhua could not hide the surprise in her eyes, "You still want to see the Emperor?"
"Of course," the Prince Jin said with a smile. "You are the future consort of the Prince Jin, how can we not see His Majesty?"
"That's great." Xue Liuhua was extremely excited.
"That's still not good," the Prince Jin whispered into her ear. "If I become the future ruler, you will be the Crown Princess and one day you will inherit the throne. Aren't you the queen of this world?"
Xue Liuhua was startled, she stared at him in a daze, he had never said that she wanted to fight the crown prince for the throne.
"Why do you look so stunned," A trace of ruthlessness flashed past Prince Jin's eyes, "If I'm not interested in the throne, why would I go all out to snatch Xue Ronghua away from Prince Duan?"
Xue Liuhua knew that he was hiding her magnanimity behind her gentle smile, but she was not afraid at all. It turned out that the reason why he took all the trouble to snatch Xue Ronghua away was not because he loved her, but because she was using her. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Why?" Prince Jin narrowed his eyes, "Did you hear my secret and feel fear?"
Xue Liuhua smiled lightly: "In the future, when I become your consort, we will naturally be on the same boat. No matter what you do, whether it be seizing the throne or killing people, I will stand by your side unwaveringly."
Prince Jin raised his eyebrows and said, "Are you sure? It is an extremely dangerous path filled with thorns. If you are not careful, you will be pushed into an unrecoverable hell. "
"I'm sure," Xue Liuhua's eyes flashed with the light of certainty. "Whether I win or lose, even if I have to go against anyone in the entire Great Qi, I will still unswervingly follow you."
Prince Jin looked at her for a while, then smiled. "Alright, I thank you."
Chu Zongge and Xue Ronghua knelt within the Weiyang Palace together. Dressed in a red peony pattern palace attire, Noble Consort Kang leaned against the Noble Consort's chair and drank her tea. She lowered her head and took a light sip, saying gently, "Stand up."
Chu Zongge laughed: "The Noble Consort's Empress has a new tribute from the southwest right?"
"The Prince Duan's eyes are perfect," The corners of the Noble Consort Kang's lips curled up into a smile, "I had thought that you would only enter the palace during the New Year's feast."
What? Chu Zongge and Xue Ronghua were both startled, but the Prince Jin still beat them to it.
"Why do you guys show such expressions?" The Noble Consort Kang laughed, "Yuan Ma just came over and told me about you guys playing outside of the palace. Bright Hall's lantern was really good, he even gave me one."
Noble Consort Kang had a relaxed expression, she did not seem to be abnormal at all. Chu Zongge braced himself and said: "Prince Jin asked us to come to look for the Noble Consort's Empress."
Noble Consort Kang said: "It's about the Mrs. Heyi."
Chu Zongge immediately nodded.
"Sigh." Noble Consort Kang sighed with sorrow, "Every time I see you, I think of the Big Sister Liu who lived in Luan Feng Palace back then. At that time, everyone served the emperor together, but .."
When Xue Ronghua saw the glistening teardrops in her eyes, she couldn't help but be a little puzzled. To think that their relationship was so good even while serving the same man, she didn't seem like that cold Empress Chen at all.
Chu Zongge's heart stirred as he consoled, "When mother was here, he would often tell me about the Empress's good fortune.
"But what makes people happy is," Noble Consort Kang smiled with tears in her eyes, "She also left behind a child, you really look exactly like Sister Liu."
Xue Ronghua looked at Chu Zongge. Look, it was exactly because you looked like your mother that made the emperor worry the moment she saw you.
Chu Zongge laughed, "It's just that Royal Father doesn't seem to really like you."
"Your mother's personality is aloof and proud, the Emperor naturally prefers docile and obedient women," the Noble Consort Kang sighed. "However, the Emperor was very good to your mother and gave her the position of Madam."
Chu Zongge secretly rolled his eyes at Xue Ronghua. Let me say, my mother isn't favored.
Xue Ronghua was a little unreconciled, "The Mrs. Heyi is not being pampered, but we can still live in a palace with the phoenix as our name."
"Your beauty is already dead, would I still lie to you?" Noble Consort Kang bit her lips, "But rest assured Prince Duan, I will definitely love you like I did my own child."
He was brought up by himself, the Noble Consort Kang had never shown him that he loved his own child. Although these words were fake, it was still a form of courtesy, "Thank you, Empress Noble Consort."
"That waist of yours," Noble Consort Kang's eyes became sluggish, "Is that the Luan Feng pendant you're carrying?!"
Chu Zongge was startled for a moment, then nodded and replied: "It's the Luan Feng pendant, a reward from Royal Father."
"Quick, take it off," the Noble Consort Kang ordered anxiously, "That jade pendant is poisonous!"
Xue Liuhua waited for a while in the side hall before Prince Jin finally returned.
"Where did you go?"
The Prince Jin took a sip of tea calmly, "I just went out to take a walk, wait a little longer."
Xue Liuhua asked doubtfully: "This is not a Weiyang Palace, what are you waiting here for?"
How did this woman know about the Noble Consort's residence? The Prince Jin sighed with a headache, "I .. mother is receiving guests, let's wait a bit. " He turned to look at her. "You're not in a hurry."
Xue Liuhua immediately shook her head, "No, since the Noble Consort is entertaining guests, there's no harm in waiting."
"That's good," Prince Jin's lips slowly formed a smile, "Are you thirsty? Drink some tea first."
Xue Liuhua was afraid that she would dirty her lips and said: "I don't need to drink tea, it's just that the side hall's fragrance is giving me a headache."
Prince Jin raised the lid of the censer to take a look, then laughed: "This is the most common incense used in the palace, don't you think it smells bad?"
"It smells really good," Xue Liuhua said as she gently stroked her forehead, "But the flower's fragrance is just too strong."
"There are a lot of concubines in the palace. They often like to arouse some of these flavorful spices in their own palaces, so that their bodies will be covered in their own fragrance."
Xue Liuhua laughed: "The empress are mostly from famous sects, the Yu Xiu [1]. Since we were young, we use spices to arouse our clothes, do we need to use these?"
"There are three thousand beauties, and there is only one emperor. We have to put our hearts into it."
Xue Liuhua's heart skipped a beat as she looked at Prince Jin lovingly. "After you marry me, will you still marry me?"
She was a natural born beauty. Adding to the fact that she was intentionally dressed up today, she looked even more beautiful than before. Prince Jin could not help but notice her infatuation, "If I were to become the monarch, then naturally I would have to take a group of wives."
"However," he teased a strand of black hair vaguely with his fingertip, "you can rest assured that the harem will have three thousand beauties in it."
Xue Liuhua smiled widely and suddenly became excited, "Yuan Ma, you treat me so well."
Prince Jin was startled, this was a name that only and mother had ever called before, but since things had already come to this point, there was no need to worry. The position of wangfei by my side will only be given to the only woman I truly love. No matter how many concubines I have, it will all be for naught. "
Xue Liuhua happily embraced his neck, just as she was about to say a few more words of love, her head felt heavier and heavier, and waves after waves of sleepiness assaulted his senses.
Prince Jin looked at her increasingly hazy eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. He pulled the exhausted her into his embrace, "However, the only woman I love the most isn't you."
Chu Zongge removed the Luan Feng pendant from his waist and looked at Xue Ronghua. Both of their eyes were filled with unconcealable shock.
Noble Consort Kang received the jade pendant with trembling hands, her fingers gently caressed the broken parts on it: "Don't wear it next time, this Luan Feng pendant was poisoned."
Xue Ronghua's face was pale white. "This was given to me by the Emperor."
"I know," the Noble Consort Kang said faintly. "It was the Empress Chen that asked the emperor to reward you."
Chu Zongge heard and nodded, "Empress Chen told me."
"Empress Chen?" Noble Consort Kang raised her eyebrows slightly, "She is really direct."
"But," Xue Ronghua asked curiously, "why is this jade pendant poisoned?"
Noble Consort Kang let out a heavy sigh, "This is what Empress Chen is used to doing," she said as she looked at Chu Zongge with an incomparably deep gaze. "This was how she killed your mother back then."
Xue Ronghua was so surprised that her mouth was wide opened. Empress Chen actually poisoned his to death.
Chu Zongge looked at Noble Consort Kang in shock, "My mother .."
"At that time, your mother did not die of illness, but rather was poisoned by the Empress Chen, and died due to the poison."
"But," Xue Ronghua asked, "how could the imperial doctors not see through it when they examined the corpse?"
"Empress Chen's mother is from the Chiron, and is extremely good at poisons, so how would an ordinary imperial physician be able to tell? However, I thought it was because she had been suffering from a serious illness for a long time and Mrs. Heyi was unable to hold on."