In the sleeping chamber of the Fengluan Palace, Murong Min was already sitting on the couch waiting for her.
After taking a bath and cleansing herself, Dugu Luanyue appeared before Murong Min. She endured it, silently walking towards the couch.
After the time it took to drink two cups of tea, Murong Min left the Fengluan Palace with a scowl on his face. As he walked away, the fluttering of his robes seemed to carry a trace of anger.
Dugu Luanyue quietly sat beside the couch, running her fingers through her long hair, a faint smile playing on her lips. She had really overlooked the powder that Huo Wei had given her.
She remembered seeing Father Yingxi drink it to refresh himself and then forgetting this crucial step. But then she wondered if Huo Wei's health had improved.
Nanny Meijiang rushed in in a hurry. "Your Majesty, why did the Emperor leave in such a rage? Did you succeed in attending him at night or not?"
Dugu Luanyue's brows relaxed. "It didn't succeed. It won't succeed this time, and I'm sure it won't succeed in the future either, not with any of the concubines in the harem."
That powder was odorless and tasteless. Since it was put in the wine, besides making one extremely energetic, it would also render a man impotent.
As long as this powder was continuously administered, Murong Min would never be able to perform. She laughed. "Huo Wei has helped me out again this time."
Nanny Meijiang muttered beside her. "Your Highness, the Prince doesn't simply want to help you. He clearly has his own motives."
Dugu Luanyue slightly raised the corners of her eyes. "I know what's on his mind." After a pause, she continued. "How's Yuzan?"
Nanny Meijiang replied. "She's swallowed the medicine. I've sent a eunuch to take her back to the maids' quarters. It seems that girl got pregnant not long after Your Majesty left the palace.
It's obvious that this slut had planned it all from the beginning. She was just waiting for Your Majesty to leave so she could seduce the Emperor!
We were in Danyang City for over three months, and now we've been back for more than half a month. Her baby is quite big, so we had to use strong medicine. She'll have to suffer a bit.
It's just her scheme. An ordinary woman would know she's pregnant in the first month. She waited so long because she thought it would be difficult to get rid of the baby and wanted to give birth to it.
But she didn't understand the logic behind the South Chu and North Yan. She used her brain in the wrong way.
I think Yuzan is no longer suitable to stay in the Fengluan Palace. She knows too many of our secrets. I'm afraid that if we let things drag on, she might inform on us. What should we do?"
Dugu Luanyue naturally agreed with Nanny Meijiang's words. She said calmly,
"The Emperor, Murong Min, didn't want Yuzan to keep the baby.
This is the Emperor's usual style. He always wants to be seen as a kind and benevolent emperor, and he pushes all the cruel and ruthless things onto others.
But it doesn't matter. This is all Yuzan's own doing. She sowed the seeds, so she should bear the consequences.
I think we can only transfer Yuzan to the Cold Palace. We can't kill her."
Nanny Meijiang looked at her in confusion. "Why?
Your Majesty, you mustn't be soft - hearted. Yuzan has never been on our side. This time she got pregnant and wanted Your Majesty to attend the Emperor herself. How wicked she is!"
Dugu Luanyue smiled and patted her arm. "Auntie, when have I ever been soft - hearted?
Murong Min knows about this. Yuzan is a maid he favored. Although she has no official title, she has attended the Emperor many times openly.
It means she caught Murong Min's eye.
If I were to kill her right away, I would surely get a reputation for being jealous and cruel in Murong Min's eyes.
Moreover, if the court officials find out that I've killed a maid with the Emperor's heir, there will surely be a pile of memorials impeaching me.
I've been at the center of the storm recently. I'm really afraid that Empress Dowager Hua will set another trap for me. So we'd better keep a low profile during this period.
The most important thing for us now is to do our best to support the Third Prince to become the Crown Prince."
After hearing this, Nanny Meijiang realized that Dugu Luanyue's thinking was more comprehensive. She nodded.
"Alright. I'll wait for Yuzan to rest for a few days and then transfer her to the Cold Palace. I'll send someone to watch over her."
Dugu Luanyue knew that if she wanted to maximize her value by Murong Min's side, she had to gain his trust. For this, she might have to go through some hardships.
The rumors about the Jinyang Orphan were spreading more and more fiercely inside and outside the palace. Murong Min sent people to suppress them, but it seemed impossible to stop the public from talking.
The court officials asked the Emperor to investigate the case and quell the rumors. After hearing this, the Emperor became even more furious.
In the Yuzhang Prince's Mansion, Shen Guilan was reclining on a wide chair, cracking melon seeds.
"I think this is an opportunity. Why don't we just follow the trap set by the Empress Dugu and turn these rumors into reality? After all, we have the evidence of the framed massacre from that year, right?"
Huo Wei was kneeling on the ground. Their master, He Zhizhou, was sitting on the main seat.
He Zhizhou was an old subordinate of Huo Wei's biological father. He used to be a military advisor. He didn't look very old, only about five or six years older than Murong Min.
Most of Murong Min's hair was still black, but Master He Zhizhou's hair was already gray. His thin face showed a lot of vicissitudes.
He was wearing a dark blue cloth robe with a bamboo hairpin in his bun. He looked as simple as Shen Guilan.
He Zhizhou looked at him calmly, but there was an air of authority in his expression.
"Huo Wei, your current behavior is completely different from the you in my memory, the you after my teachings.
I asked your senior brother, and he covered for you. From that remark just now about following the trap set by the Empress, I can tell that he was trying to rescue you.
It's not hard to guess that you must have done something extremely rebellious, which is why he covered for you like this.
Tell me. You've never lied to me since you were a child."
Huo Wei was kneeling on the ground on both knees. The coldness and hardness of the floor seeped through the gaps in his kneecaps and spread to his whole legs. The pain was so intense that his old injuries from years ago were about to flare up.
Huo Wei had known since childhood that his master was strict, but his master had been kind to him and had been helping him seek revenge whole - heartedly. He respected him.
No matter how ruthless his nature was, he had to restrain himself in front of He Zhizhou. He half - lowered his eyes, and after a long, long silence, he said, "I can't lie to Master, so I choose not to say."
He Zhizhou slapped the table with a loud bang. The teacups on the table shook several times.
Shen Guilan knew his master's temper. When he was angry, he would start hitting people. Huo Wei had often been beaten black and blue when he was a child. He quickly stood up.
"Master, it's actually not a big deal. We've just changed our previous strategy. We not only want to win but also want to ensure stability. We can't just focus on revenge and ignore our future lives."
He Zhizhou glared at him. "How dare you! Kneel down too! I sent you two down the mountain to seek revenge. What have you done?
During the plague in Danyang City, it was such a good opportunity, but you just let it go. Are you stupid or did you do it on purpose?"
Huo Wei looked straight at him with his eyes. "Master, it was my idea.
The lives of the people in Danyang City are also lives. Since I'm in a high position, I have the responsibility to protect the safety of the people. I can't choose to let an entire city of people be buried for the sake of the revenge plan."
Looking into Huo Wei's deep, black, and unwavering eyes as he spoke those words about protecting the city and the safety of the people, He Zhizhou seemed to see the shadow of someone from the past.
He said coldly, "Do you really think you're Xie Jinyang? Xie Jinyang is dead. He was killed by Murong Min.
And you, as the only bloodline of Xie Jinyang, the only purpose and effort in your life should be revenge. Revenge! Do you understand?"