When Dugu Luanyue rose to her feet, her eyes were calm, not sparing a single glance at Murong Min.
On the contrary, Murong Min kept his eyes fixed on her composed face, a hint of surprise creeping into his heart. She didn't throw a tantrum.
Empress Dowager Hua said in a deep voice, "What are you staring at, Emperor? Are you reluctant to part with her?"
Murong Min knew that it was a grave mistake for the Son of Heaven to visit a brothel. Facing his mother's scolding, he didn't dare to retort. Bowing his head, he said,
"Your son doesn't have such thoughts. Your Majesty is right to scold me."
Empress Dowager Hua fingered the Buddhist beads in her hand and said in a solemn tone,
"I know exactly what kind of person my own son is.
For the sake of your imperial reputation, we have no choice but to sacrifice the queen.
Emperor, you're no longer a child. You have quite a few concubines in the harem. Why do you have to do such disgraceful things?"
Murong Min immediately knelt on the ground. "Your son knows his mistake."
After getting up, Empress Dowager Hua gave him a fleeting glance.
"I'm leaving. You'd better behave yourself. Don't make me deal with your mess when I'm this old."
Empress Dowager Hua was well aware that since the Second Prince already knew about this matter, someone must have deliberately informed him.
If she didn't take the initiative and find someone to take the blame, once the news got out, it would be detrimental to the emperor.
The news that Dugu Luanyue had been banished to the Cold Palace spread throughout the harem within just an hour. Those who had been waiting for this show gloated behind her back.
Her pale lips twitched. "Aunt Mei Jiang, accompany me to Jing'an Palace. The rest of you stay here and start packing your things."
Aunt Mei Jiang stood behind Dugu Luanyue, gritting her teeth and scolding angrily,
"The emperor has been extremely heartless this time!
Moreover, that Prince of Yuzhang is crazy. Since you came here for the marriage alliance, you've never met a decent person."
Dugu Luanyue let out a cold laugh. Her slender eyebrows were tinged with a touch of frost, and her face was extremely cold and aloof.
"He's the emperor. Naturally, he wants to protect himself, so he sacrificed me, the accompanying queen. It's not surprising for him to do such a thing.
Once I'm in the Cold Palace, many things will be out of our control. And Huo Wei is already at the end of his rope.
Aunt, if things really don't work out, let's plan to return to Southern Chu in advance and prepare for the war."
Aunt Mei Jiang wiped away her tears while packing. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Fine! We won't take this humiliation anymore. Let's fight!"
Hearing this, Yu Zan was shocked. If this was the case, wouldn't she still be the daughter of a criminal official when she returned? She didn't want that!
But now that the queen had fallen from grace, how could she gain a foothold in Northern Yan?
Su Rou stumbled in. With tears streaming down her face, she knelt in front of Dugu Luanyue.
"Your Majesty, how could this happen! That day when the emperor went to the brothel, you knelt in front of him and tried your best to stop him. Why is it your fault?"
Dugu Luanyue helped Su Rou up and looked at her calmly.
"It's okay, Su Rou. If I really can't get out of the Cold Palace for the rest of my life, the Fengling Guards I've planted in the Northern Yan Palace will find a way to take you back to our motherland."
Su Rou's eyes were red. "A temporary setback doesn't mean a permanent one. As the general once said, Your Majesty the Queen shouldn't be discouraged."
Dugu Luanyue folded her arms. Her figure was straight, and her jade-like eyes were still bright and imposing. She looked at Su Rou appreciatively.
"Su Rou, you're a promising young woman."
After saying that, Dugu Luanyue took Aunt Mei Jiang to Jing'an Palace to live. It was a dilapidated palace, looking rather shabby.
As they walked, Aunt Mei Jiang pulled out the weeds. After putting down the burden, she went to fetch water and started doing chores, cleaning the place inside and out.
Dugu Luanyue took off her phoenix crown. Her hair was simply coiled, and she only wore a pair of white jade earrings. Wearing a plain white cross-collared long dress, she walked into Jing'an Palace in a simple and elegant manner.
She stood in Jing'an Palace, whose courtyard was overgrown with weeds. Looking at the setting sun about to sink behind the palace eaves, her jade-like eyes became distant. There was no great anger or melancholy.
She was just thinking that as a princess for the marriage alliance, her status was different. If Murong Min just threw her into the Cold Palace like this, did it mean that the marriage alliance agreement between Northern Yan and Southern Chu was null and void?
If so, she should arrange the fake death medicine as soon as possible and return to Southern Chu to prepare for the war against Northern Yan.
The light of the setting sun grew weaker and weaker, and the courtyard gradually became quiet and dim. She bent down and started pulling out the weeds on the ground. The weeds were almost as tall as her knees.
After pulling the weeds for a while, when she stood up, her vision went black due to lack of blood, and she fell.
However, she didn't fall to the ground but into someone's arms.
Huo Wei was wearing the clothes of a guard near the Cold Palace. He slowly held Dugu Luanyue and stood up straight.
There was a glint in his black eyes. Staring intently at the beauty in front of him, who had removed her hairpins and jade rings, he found that her features were still delicate and beautiful.
Her cherry-like lips were not painted with rouge, making her fair complexion look a bit pale. But her eyes were bright and shining, more dazzling than the dim light around. Her beauty was still eye-catching.
When Dugu Luanyue saw that it was him, she angrily pushed him away. "What, can't wait to kill me?"
Huo Wei took a half-step back and took out several packets of medicine from his bosom. These were the medicine he failed to deliver that day. He said in a cold voice,
"Take this. It'll make you die faster."
Dugu Luanyue turned around and walked into the dusty room. Huo Wei grabbed her. "Don't you know there's a lot of dust in there?"
Dugu Luanyue looked at him with hatred in her eyes. "It's none of your business. Stay away from me!"
The thing that Huo Wei castrated Sheng Yunqi made it impossible for her to talk to him calmly. She was full of hatred for him now.
Huo Wei said, "I didn't castrate your little male favorite. The thing in the brocade box belongs to a male dog in the palace."
Dugu Luanyue's attitude towards him changed drastically. It seemed that Sheng Yunqi was right. She hated him.
So Sheng Yunqi was still important to her. Thinking of this, Huo Wei felt a sharp pain in his heart.
Dugu Luanyue shook off his arm and turned her back to him.
"We're already enemies. Why do you come to explain these things to me? Do you think I'll believe you?
Huo Wei, I've fallen from grace now. You don't need to come to me anymore. I have no use value for you. If it's not necessary, we'll never see each other again in this life."
Huo Wei walked over and forcefully stuffed the medicine into her hand. Dugu Luanyue wanted to throw it away, but then she heard his cold voice.
"If you dare to throw it away, I'll immediately send someone to capture your little male favorite."
Dugu Luanyue lowered her arm. "Huo Wei, go away. I don't want to see you."
She stepped into the room. Just then, Aunt Mei Jiang walked out. There was so much work to do that she was out of breath. "What's wrong, Your Majesty?"
Huo Wei stuffed the medicine in Dugu Luanyue's hand into Aunt Mei Jiang's hand. "Old maid, go and boil the medicine for the queen."
Hearing the words "old maid", Aunt Mei Jiang felt angry again, but she still took the medicine and held it in her hand, not willing to throw it away.
After all, the medicine prescribed by Military Advisor Shen last time did have a good effect.
If there was no imperial doctor around the queen, she might as well take it. Suppressing her dissatisfaction, she said,
"Your Highness and Her Majesty, please go into the room and talk. The inner room has been cleaned up."
Huo Wei pulled Dugu Luanyue in and slammed the door shut.
He picked Dugu Luanyue up and sat her on the round table. His big hand pressed on her shoulder, and Dugu Luanyue couldn't move at all.
His handsome and cold face loomed in front of Dugu Luanyue. His thick black sword-like eyebrows twitched slightly. There was a touch of seriousness and stubbornness in his evil charm.
"Alright, I'll prove it to you myself whether I cut off that thing of his or not."
Dugu Luanyue asked, "How will you prove it?"