Chu Huanyi curled up at the end of the bed and hugged herself tightly with both hands. She tried her best to use the remaining warmth to keep herself warm.
She was cold, hungry, and thirsty, but she could not go anywhere. She could not eat anything, and she did not even have water to drink. She could only stay in the cold and oppressive Cold Jade Palace, where there was not even a blanket, and wait for her death.
It had been five days! Chu Huanyi had been locked up in the Cold Jade Palace for five days.
As it was the Empress Dowager's personal order, Chu Huanyi had not eaten a single drop of water or grain in the past five days. He did not even have a single piece of clothing to protect him from the cold. She was still wearing the same dress that Xuanyuan Rui had worn in the cave before he left the palace. However, this mist was as thin as a cicada's wing and as light as smoke. It was beautiful, but it couldn't provide warmth, causing the weak Chu Huanyi to suffer from the cold.
Chu Huanyi wasn't afraid of suffering, nor was she afraid of the empress dowager torturing her. What she cared about was whether Xuanyuan Rui would get into a conflict with the empress dowager again after he found out about this. He had already fallen out with the Empress Dowager because of her. She did not want him to offend the Empress Dowager because of her, because that would only deepen her sin.
Yes, sin. It was a sin for her to stay by his side. After all, she was the Crown Prince's wife, but she had violated ethics and become his uncle's concubine. Was this not a sin?
But what could she do? She couldn't leave him! Even though she knew that this was a sin, she still couldn't leave him. She still wanted to protect him, love him, and spend the remaining time with him. It was only until now, when he was not by her side, that she realized how deeply she loved Xuanyuan Rui.
She did not know when she fell in love with him. Perhaps it was the first time the two of them met by the lake, or perhaps it was in Deer Mourn Palace when he boldly and boldly expressed his love and teased her, or perhaps it was the moment when he disregarded everything and said in front of everyone that he wanted to take her far away!
In short, she was already unable to extricate herself from falling in love with him! It was because she loved him that she was willing to bear all the punishment. She was willing to bear the scolding and criticism of the world for him and block the strange gazes of the world for him, as long as he was well and safe.
Chu Huanyi stood up shakily and walked to the window step by step. He peeked at the blue sky through the closed window.
He should be back soon, right? He said that he was going to Yuezhou to observe the disaster for a few days. It had been five days. He should be back soon, right?
She wanted to see him so badly. She wanted to see him when she still had the strength. She wanted to feel his warmth and gentleness, and get close to his dominance and arrogance. But he…when was he coming back? Did he know that she was thinking about him?
Chu Huanyi was almost stunned when she heard footsteps and the sound of the palace doors opening.
She turned around in a daze, thinking that she had heard wrongly.
No, she didn't hear wrongly. Someone was really coming. Someone was opening the door.
Chu Huanyi held her breath and stared at the palace gate without blinking.
The heavy door slowly opened, and a figure walked in. It wasn't Xuanyuan Rui, whom Chu Huanyi had expected, but Xue Yaozhen, whom she had met once before.
Chu Huanyi was a little surprised." You…What are you doing here?”
Xue Yaozhen smiled and walked to Chu Huanyi.
"Disappointed, right? I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing the emperor, right?”
Chu Huanyi did not answer. In fact, she did not have the strength to answer because she was so hungry that her mind was muddled. She could not even stand up!
"Let me tell you, you will never see the emperor again. No, it should be said that the emperor will never want to see you again, so give up!”
Chu Huanyi shook his head and slowly slid to the ground. He said weakly,""No, the emperor said that he likes me and wants me to accompany him for the rest of my life and be his wife. He would never say such words.”
When Xue Yaozhen heard this, two flames of jealousy shot out from her eyes. She snorted coldly," The Emperor may like you, or he may say that he wants you to accompany him for the rest of your life, but do you know why the Emperor likes you?”
Chu Huanyi turned her head away, not wanting to guess Xuanyuan Rui's thoughts.
"Let me tell you. The reason why the Emperor likes you is because you look like someone. A woman he once loved deeply. Her name is Chen Ruyan.”
Chu Huanyi's heart felt as if it was being grabbed by something. The woman he loved deeply? He had once loved another woman deeply?
Xue Yaozhen could tell at a glance that Chu Huanyi was confused about this matter, so she continued,"Looks like you really don't know. Actually, it's no wonder you don't know, because the matter between the Emperor and Chen Ruyan is a taboo in the Palace. Whoever dares to mention it will have their head fall to the ground. Under such circumstances, who dared to say anything?”
"Who…who is she?" Chu Huanyi asked with difficulty. Between her and the emperor…"
Before Chu Huanyi could finish, Xue Yaozhen said,""She was the late emperor's beloved concubine. She was a national beauty and peerless beauty. The emperor fell in love with her at first sight! But you also know that it is impossible between the emperor and her. One is a son who is not related by blood, and the other is her father's beloved concubine. How can such a thing that goes against the rules of ethics have an outcome? However, the Emperor did not give up. For her, he did not hesitate to break the rules and disobey the rules. He mobilized the army to surround the palace to save his lover who was about to be executed. Unfortunately…"
"What's a pity?"
"Unfortunately, the Emperor has yet to see Chen Ruyan. Chen Ruyan has already been banished from the Palace and her whereabouts are unknown. Even the Emperor himself has been exiled to the Central Plains.”Xue Yaozhen paused and looked at Chu Huanyi meaningfully." The Empress Dowager thought that the Emperor would have changed after being exiled for a few years, but she didn't expect that he would meet a vixen like you on the first day he returned. She also didn't expect that the Emperor would give up his life for you! Chu Huanyi, you're amazing! You can actually make the emperor fall in love with you.”
Xue Yaozhen's words made Chu Huanyi's already pale face turn even paler. She looked at Xue Yaozhen quietly, unable to say a word.
So Xuanyuan Rui liked her because she looked like Chen Ruyan? No, that can't be. If I really look like Chen Ruyan, why has he never mentioned it before? Even the Crown Prince had never said that he looked like Chen Ruyan?
Xue Yaozhen saw the doubt in Chu Huanyi's heart and continued,""However, your good luck only ends today. Your obscene methods of seducing men can only be used today. Because after today, he will see you as a shameless woman and hate you to the bone!”
Chu Huanyi quickly came back to her senses." What do you want to do?”
Xue Yaozhen ran her fingers through her long hair and glanced at Chu Huanyi." You're from the Phoenix Palace of Dunhuang, and you're ranked ninth among the Nine Phoenixes of Dunhuang. Your name is Yue Tian, right?”
At the mention of the Phoenix Palace, Chu Huanyi's listless eyes became alert." Why are you asking this?”
"I heard that everyone in the Feng Palace, regardless of gender, suffers from a strange disease. For this strange disease, men would not live past thirty, and women would not live past twenty. The only way to save them was to get married. You're from the Phoenix Palace, and you're the famous Nine Phoenix of Dunhuang. You…don't tell me you're also suffering from this natural lewd disease?”
Chu Huanyi's eyes widened, and a thin layer of anger appeared on her beautiful pale face." You…"
Xue Yaozhen smiled and continued,"I also heard that before the people of the Phoenix Palace get married, they have to swear in front of the Vermillion Bird Maiden that they will love and take care of each other for the rest of their lives. Those who violate the law will suffer the pain of being burned by the heavenly fire and will never be able to reincarnate. I say, Consort Zhen Niangniang, you were originally the Crown Prince's concubine. The Crown Prince spent a great deal of effort to find the Phoenix Palace in Dunhuang and ask for this marriage. I think…you and the Crown Prince must have sworn to take care of each other and love each other for the rest of your life. If anyone breaks the oath, they are willing to suffer the punishment of heaven, right?”
Chu Huanyi's body trembled as if she was in the middle of December. Her beautiful eyes were filled with shock, fear, uneasiness, and confusion." What…what are you trying to say? What are you trying to say?"
Xue Yaozhen squatted down and looked at Chu Huanyi's pale and beautiful face." Actually, it's normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines. The Emperor is the ruler of a country and is in charge of the entire South Qin Country. It's not a big deal for him to have three palaces and six courtyards, as well as three thousand concubines. However, the Emperor can't have a single concubine of the deposed Crown Prince who has a strange illness and could be punished by the heavens at any time.”
"You!"
"To be honest, you and Chen Ruyan really look alike, and both of you have the ability to make men live and die for you, regardless of the consequences. No wonder the Emperor likes you. However, while you are being nourished by the Emperor's rain and dew, have you thought about the Crown Prince?”
"Crown Prince?"
" That's right. He lost his position as Crown Prince because of you. He even lost his throne. Besides…" Xue Yaozhen paused and stared at Chu Huanyi." He swore an oath with you in front of the Vermilion Bird Maiden. Now that you've changed your mind and become your uncle's woman, what about him?" Will he have to bear the unwarranted curse and heavenly punishment because of your betrayal and your breaking of your promise?”
Chu Huanyi could not say a word. She froze on the spot and bit her lips tightly. After a long time, she squeezed out a dry sentence,"You…How do you know all this? Who told you that?"
Xue Yaozhen smiled proudly, knowing that she had bet on the right treasure! She stood up and paced back and forth in the room." I've only entered the palace not long ago, so I don't know many things in the palace. I don't even know where there is water or where there is a hole, so how would I know all this?”
How could Chu Huanyi not hear that Xue Yaozhen was secretly cursing her for being obscene and shameless? "You…"
"The reason I know all this is because the Empress Dowager told me.”
"Empress Dowager? How did the Empress Dowager know about this?"
"Believe it or not, it was really the Empress Dowager who told me. Moreover, the Empress Dowager also said that in order to make the Emperor completely give up on you, and also for the sake of the future generations of the South Qin country, she decided to be merciful and be a good person. She will send you to the deposed Crown Prince's side and let you reunite with the Crown Prince.”
Chu Huanyi could not believe what she had just heard." What did you say? The Empress Dowager wants to give me to the deposed Crown Prince?"
"That's right, the Empress Dowager said that if she killed you, then the Emperor and her mother's relationship would be severed. But if you were to be given to the deposed Crown Prince, not only would the Emperor give up on you, but he would also hate you deeply because you have let down his love for you, isn't that right?”
"No, the emperor won't believe it, he definitely won't believe it!”
"Of course he will believe it, because the Empress Dowager will tell him that you took advantage of his absence to leave the palace and depose the Crown Prince. Would the emperor not be angry and would not give up?”
"You guys are so vicious! Why are you doing this? Why?"
Xue Yaozhen snorted coldly." Why? Because I love the emperor, the empress dowager also loves the emperor. In order to get the emperor, in order to make South Qin country prosperous forever, I can only do this. Who told you to look like Chen Ruyan, and you were once the Crown Prince's concubine? And you're also the Empress Dowager's most hated Nine Phoenix of Dunhuang? Chu Huanyi, accept your fate!"
As she spoke, Xue Yaozhen clapped her hands." Men, bring Chu Huanyi onto the carriage and send him to Qiannan to meet up with the deposed Crown Prince Xuanyuan Qi!”
"Yes, sir!"
It was a rainy afternoon.
An extremely beautiful woman in her thirties alighted from the carriage and slowly walked toward the Vast Wind Mansion.
When the guard at the door saw the woman, his eyes widened." You…you are…"
The woman smiled charmingly." My name is Chen Ruyan. Please report to me."”
When the guard heard Chen Ruyan's name, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Chen Ruyan? Wasn't that…Wasn't that the former emperor's beloved concubine who was later expelled from the palace because of King Han Xuanyuan Rui, who was also the current emperor? Why was he here now?
The woman called Chen Ruyan saw that the guard was like a fool, not moving at all. She smiled lightly and walked towards the Great Wind Mansion where the deposed Crown Prince Xuanyuan Qi was imprisoned.
Chen Ruyan seemed to be very familiar with Haofeng Mansion. She walked around the place and came to a house with lush flowers and trees. She bowed slightly to the eunuch Li Gaoguo who was standing at the door." Eunuch Li, peace be upon you!"”
Li Gao did not seem surprised to see Chen Ruyan." Empress Chen, are you here to see His Highness?"”
"Eunuch Li, please report that I have something important to tell Your Highness.”
Li Gao shook his head and pointed inside. The Empress also knew that the Crown Prince hated being disturbed when he was busy, so she asked the Empress to wait.”
Chen Ruyan leaned in to listen and heard the sound of a woman crying and pleading.
"Your Highness, please, don't do this. Let me go, please let me go!”
"Let you go? Asking you to serve this prince is because I think highly of you. It's because your ancestors are virtuous. Others can't even think of it!”
"No, Crown Prince, I beg you, let me go, let me go!”
The furious Xuanyuan Qi slapped the woman." I told you to take off your clothes. Why are you talking so much nonsense?" If you don't take it off, I'll do it myself. Don't blame me for not reminding you!”
Chen Ruyan frowned and pushed the door open without thinking." What are you doing?" You've already been exiled to this godforsaken place, and you still do shameful things all day long?”
Xuanyuan Qi, who was immersed in the pleasure of his beauty, did not care about Chen Ruyan's mocking words.
After a long time, Xuanyuan Qi pushed the courtesan off the bed in satisfaction." You can get lost now. Go and get your reward from Li Gao!"”
The courtesan sobbed and hugged her clothes as she retreated in shame.
Chen Ruyan's frown deepened." You have the nerve to do such a shameful thing in front of outsiders?" Wasn't he afraid that it would spread to the capital and cause trouble for him?”
Xuanyuan Qi sat up lazily naked." Shady? How could such a thing be shameful? If everyone had the same thoughts as you, all the men and women in the world would have died long ago!”
Chen Ruyan's eyes narrowed, and a hint of anger could be seen. However, after a while, a faint smile appeared on her face."It seems that I was worried for nothing. You seem to be very good at killing time and finding fun for yourself."”
Xuanyuan Qi smiled and grabbed the clothes on the ground to put them on."Tell me! Why did you come all the way here to find me? You can't be here to see me being intimate with a woman, right?”
"Of course not. The reason why I'm here is to bring someone to see you.”
Xuanyuan Qi raised his eyebrows." Alone? What kind of person? You should know that apart from women, I'm not interested in anything else.”
"You will definitely be interested in this person.”
As she spoke, Chen Ruyan clapped her hands and four servant girls carried a soft bed into the room.
Xuanyuan Qi's eyes widened when he saw the person on the soft bed. He walked forward in disbelief." Chu…Chu Huanyi? W-what was going on? Wasn't she in the capital? Why was he here? How did you meet her?"
It turned out that the person on the soft bed was Chu Huanyi, who had been placed under house arrest by Empress Dowager Xiaoren and Xue Yaozhen, and then sent to Qiannan overnight.
Chu Huanyi's hair was disheveled and his clothes were in a sorry state. He was so skinny that he was only skin and bones. His face was so pale that it was scary. It was as if he would die at any moment.
Xuanyuan Qi glared at the dying Chu Huanyi." What happened to her? How did it become like this?"
"She was locked up in the Cold Jade Palace and didn't eat or drink for a few days. Naturally, she became like this.”
"You didn't eat or drink anything?" Xuanyuan Qi shook his head." I don't believe it! Eighth Brother doted on her so much. How could he not let her eat or drink?”
"Of course not, but it's hard to say about his mother.”
"You mean…Concubine Ling?"
Chen Ruyan seemed to be deliberately keeping Xuanyuan Qi in suspense. She found a chair and sat down." Don't worry, get me a glass of water first. I'm very thirsty after walking so far, and my legs are sore.”
Xuanyuan Qi glared at Chen Ruyan and waved his hand to summon Li Gao." Get some water for Consort Shen and get two servant girls to massage your legs!"”
Chen Ruyan nodded, and a charming smile appeared on her peach blossom like face." As expected of the Crown Prince. Even your skills in serving others are better than others. No wonder the always difficult Feng Palace made an exception and agreed to let Chu Huanyi marry you."”
"Cut the crap. Tell me, why was Chu Huanyi suddenly sent here? Why did it become like this? What happened in the capital?"
Chen Ruyan patted Xuanyuan Qi's tensed face." Don't worry, didn't I already say it?" Listen, you should really thank Xuanyuan Rui's mother, Empress Dowager Xiaoren, for this.”
"Empress Dowager Xiao Ren? She became the Empress Dowager?"
"Isn't that so? You also know that Consort Ling has always watched her son very closely and never allowed him to do this or that. However, your eighth brother was eccentric and rebellious. He had a bad temper. The more others forbade him, the more he would do it. The more others feared, the more he loved it. As a result, Consort Ling was constantly in a state of anxiety. She was afraid that one day Xuanyuan Rui would go overboard and do something as shameful as her.”
At the mention of Xuanyuan Rui, Xuanyuan Qi snorted coldly."Unfortunately, her painstaking efforts were in vain. Not only did her precious son steal other people's women, but he also raped other people's wives and daughters. He didn't even let his own mother and sister-in-law off.”
These words had a double meaning. They were scolding Xuanyuan Rui, Chu Huanyi, and Chen Ruyan, but what kind of person was Chen Ruyan?
She was smiling and did not look angry at all. She even nodded and said,"That's right. When Xuanyuan Rui made Chu Huanyi his concubine, he touched Concubine Ling's heart. Later on, Xuanyuan Rui insisted on making her the empress, which made Concubine Ling feel like she was sitting on pins and needles, afraid that the scandal from back then would repeat itself. Therefore, while Xuanyuan Rui was not in the palace, he imprisoned Chu Huanyi in the Cold Palace and planned to starve her to death so that Chu Huanyi, the Daji of the South Qin Country, would not bring disaster to the country and endanger the country.”
"Impossible! Consort Ling was such a powerful character. Even after such a scandal, she was still able to live in the Great Harmony Palace for twenty years. In the end, she even hoped to become the empress dowager, the position above ten thousand people. How could she do such a thing?”
Chen Ruyan couldn't help but laugh." My good Crown Prince, you are indeed a smart person." You're right, Ling Fei wouldn't do such a thing. Even if she did, she would quickly realize her mistake. Therefore, she changed her mind and sent someone to send Chu Huanyi here overnight. Your highness, do you know why Consort Ling did this?”
Xuanyuan Qi snorted coldly." How could I not know? She wanted to kill two birds with one stone and completely destroy Chu Huanyi and me, didn't she?”
"That's right. Firstly, she could get rid of Chu Huanyi, the demoness who had poisoned her son and almost killed him. She could also take revenge for being abandoned by the master of the Phoenix Palace. As for the second…if Xuanyuan Rui knew that his beloved woman had gone to her love rival, then it was easy to imagine what he would do in his anger. At that time, you, the deposed Crown Prince, will really have no chance to make a comeback.”
Xuanyuan Qi lowered his head and looked at the unconscious Chu Huanyi."Is that so? She is my wife. What's wrong with a wife returning to her husband? Xuanyuan Rui is the one who deserves to be cut into pieces and despised by the people because he stole my wife and sullied her innocence, right?”
"On the surface, it looks like that, but in reality?”
Xuanyuan Qi turned around and glared at her without saying a word.
Chen Ruyan did not seem to mind and continued,""Others might not understand the purpose of you coming to the Feng Palace to propose marriage, but I know it very well. Others might think that you married Chu Huanyi for her beauty and for the legendary and mysterious power of the Phoenix Palace, but they were all wrong. The reason why you married her was to lure Xuanyuan Rui into the trap. Otherwise, why would you marry her and leave her hanging? Why would you lie to the public about consummating the marriage when you were eighteen?”
Xuanyuan Qi's face darkened." Chen Ruyan, what are you trying to say?"”
A sweet smile appeared on Chen Ruyan's face. She pointed at Chu Huanyi and said,""Although you don't love her, you want her, right?”
"You want her? I admit that I once wanted her, but ever since she betrayed me, how could I want her again? Now, I just want to take revenge and put all the humiliation I've suffered on her and Eighth Brother.”
"I'm the same as you. I want revenge. I want revenge for him betraying me and abandoning me back then!”
"But you love him. Otherwise, why would you rather be banished to the cold palace by the old man and even be expelled from the palace in the end than give him up?”
Pain and resentment appeared on Chen Ruyan's beautiful face." But he doesn't love me. He loves Chu Huanyi. Otherwise, why would I…"
"By the way, why did you suddenly come to Qian Prefecture? Weren't you exiled to the Central Plains by the old man? How did you meet Chu Huanyi?"
"You're wrong! It was not the late Emperor who exiled me to the Central Plains, but I was willing to do so. I heard that he would be exiled to the Central Plains, so I thought that maybe I could see him in the Central Plains. So I left the palace first to wait for him. I didn't expect that he would come, but not to see me, but to see the four Qilin Emperors. He made me wait for him in the Central Plains like a fool. Later, I heard that the Emperor had summoned him back to the capital, so I quietly returned to the capital and found an opportunity to sneak into the palace, hoping to see him.”A hint of jealousy appeared on Chen Ruyan's face.
"I did see him. I saw him go crazy for Chu Huanyi, that vixen. He almost lost his life because of her. I can't accept this, I really can't accept this! I gave so much, guarded him, and waited for him, but in the end, this was the result. So I want revenge. I want to take back everything I've suffered from him bit by bit.”
She lowered her head and looked at Chu Huanyi."It's not difficult to find out about this girl because Xuanyuan Rui wanted to make her his consort. It shook the entire South Qin country. Later, because of her, he fell out with Consort Ling, and it became a scandal that everyone knew. So it was an open secret that she was abused by Consort Ling and sent to you by Consort Ling. Think about it, since Consort Ling hated her so much, why would she send someone to protect her? Therefore, I only need to send people to intercept them halfway and it will be easy to catch this Daji of the South Qin Kingdom.”
A cold smile appeared on Xuanyuan Qi's face." What do you want to do now?”
"Looking at the time, Xuanyuan Rui should be here soon. I have already set up an ambush. As long as he arrives, I can invite him into the trap and capture him in one fell swoop.”
"What happens after we catch him? Kill him?"
Chen Ruyan shook her head." I won't kill him. After all, he was the man I once loved. How could I bear to kill him? I want him to kneel at my feet and beg for mercy!”
"Is that so? Eighth Brother is such a proud person. He would rather die than beg for mercy from you!”
"But what if it's for this girl?”Chen Ruyan pointed at Chu Huanyi again.
"Her?"
"He is arrogant and condescending, but he has this girl in his heart. Otherwise, why would he rush here overnight when he heard that she was sent to Qiannan?”
"You mean…"
"We can use this girl to force him to submit, or even force him to abdicate. What do you think?”
Xuanyuan Qi's eyes lit up, and a sinister smile appeared on his lifeless face.
Chen Ruyan leaned closer to Xuanyuan Qi and whispered her plan. Xuanyuan Qi nodded his head repeatedly as his eyes flashed with a frightening ferocity. However, he did not notice that Chu Huanyi, who was supposed to be unconscious, had clenched her small fists.#
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