Yuxiu Palace in the Northern Yan Imperial Palace
Wei Zhiruo paced back and forth anxiously in the bedroom.
"That bitch has been staying with His Majesty in the hot - spring palace for so long. If this goes on, the imperial heir will be born!"
Cuiyan frowned and rolled her eyes.
"Your Ladyship, the noble ministers have already gone to the hot - spring palace to admonish His Majesty. His Majesty will change his mind and return to the palace."
Wei Zhiruo said angrily, "The affairs of the court are none of my business. All I want is for Dugu Luanyue to disappear from Northern Yan.
She was the late emperor's second empress. Where does she get the nerve to continue to monopolize the new emperor? The whole court is pointing fingers at this second empress."
It was also Wei Zhiruo who spread the news that Dugu Luanyue didn't follow the late emperor in death.
She just wanted the court officials to put pressure on Huo Wei and force the person back from the hot - spring palace.
Xiuxiu went out of the palace and brought back the news from the Wei family's spies in Southern Chu to Yuxiu Palace.
"Your Ladyship, a great event has happened in Southern Chu."
Wei Zhiruo turned around. "Whether Southern Chu lives or dies has nothing to do with me."
Xiuxiu said, "The emperor of Southern Chu has passed away."
Cuiyan asked on one side, "Is this news only known to our Wei family's spies or the whole court?"
Xiuxiu replied, "Only the Wei family's spies know. Our Wei family's secret agents are the fastest. It may take another ten days or so for this news to reach the imperial capital of Northern Yan."
Wei Zhiruo frowned and after a while, the corners of her lips curled up. "I've got a plan."
She gave an order to completely block the news of the death of the Southern Chu emperor in Northern Yan.
The court officials didn't know, and Huo Wei in the hot - spring palace would surely not know either.
Wei Zhiruo ordered someone to copy the secret letter again, change the time on it to an earlier date, and also modify the signature. Then she sent this thing to a side - room in the palace.
About seven or eight days later, Aunt Meijiang banged her head desperately against the wall in the room until her head was bleeding.
"Let me out! Let me out! I want to see Her Majesty the Empress!"
Threatening with her life, she finally caught the attention of the guards. The guards reported the news to Huo Wei's men.
Three days later, Aunt Meijiang set off from the palace and headed straight for the hot - spring palace.
Standing behind the palace gate, Wei Zhiruo said with a smile,
"The hot - spring palace is indeed well - guarded, but it's different in the imperial palace. His Majesty hasn't put his mind on the palace. Finally, we still have some opportunities."
The gentle breeze blew up the blue hem of her skirt. Standing in the wind, Wei Zhiruo smiled wickedly and happily.
...
In the hot - spring palace, the imperial physician was packing up his medicine box and said,
"Your Majesty the Empress, you'd better not take hot - spring baths recently. You're pregnant, and hot springs promote blood circulation, which may cause a miscarriage."
Dugu Luanyue sat on the stool with a frown and said nothing. This was really a headache. She was pregnant so soon.
There were still more than half a year before the baby was born, and she couldn't wait that long.
Huo Wei's eyes were full of joy. After the imperial physician left, he said gently, "I finally have my own family."
This was the hot - spring palace, a place where no one could disturb them.
A few days ago, he had driven all the court officials away, so Dugu Luanyue didn't hear a single dirty word.
He began to eagerly look forward to the arrival of the new life. He was going to be a father.
He would protect his child well as he grew up and would never let his child suffer like he did in his childhood.
Dugu Luanyue lowered her eyes, feeling restless. It would be even more impossible to tell Huo Wei that she wanted to leave at this time.
She saw Huo Wei's hand placed on her lower abdomen, and her eyebrows were deeply knitted.
Aunt Meijiang arrived at the hot - spring palace more than half a month after Dugu Luanyue learned that she was pregnant.
She was sitting on the swing in the courtyard, calculating the months of the baby. It was probably about two months.
She didn't know how to tell Huo Wei. Even if she did, it would probably be in vain.
Originally, she thought that after living a peaceful life with Huo Wei for a while, smoothing the wounds in his heart, and waiting for him to understand his responsibilities, he would let her go.
But with this baby coming, he would surely never let her go.
As soon as Aunt Meijiang saw Dugu Luanyue, she knelt down and said with tear - filled eyes, "Your Majesty the Empress, something terrible has happened! Southern Chu is in trouble!"
Dugu Luanyue was stunned. She quickly got off the swing and helped Aunt Meijiang up. "Auntie, slow down. What on earth has happened?"
Aunt Meijiang took out a secret letter from her bosom. There was the private seal of the Zichen Palace on it. "Your Majesty's father has long passed away. Southern Chu is leaderless and no one has succeeded to the throne. The court is in great chaos.
His Majesty doesn't care about the life or death of Southern Chu. He just imprisons Your Majesty here. Has he ever cared about Your Majesty's heart that is always concerned about your motherland?"
Dugu Luanyue's breathing became heavy. She quickly opened the secret letter and read it.
Judging from the time, her father had passed away for a month. From the signature, this news was indeed sent from the Zichen Palace.
She slumped onto the stone bench. "Father, you've been gone for so long..."
Aunt Meijiang said, "Your Majesty, we must find a way to go back. We can't wait any longer! Your Majesty's mother is alone in Southern Chu. It's really hard for her to hold on."
Dugu Luanyue's lips gradually turned pale. "Who gave you this news?"
Aunt Meijiang replied, "Someone hid it in a food box and passed it in. Maybe it was someone sent by Southern Chu to find us."
Dugu Luanyue pressed her palm on her forehead and couldn't calm down for a long time.
She hadn't even seen her father for the last time.
At this time, Huo Wei walked over from the corridor. Before he could speak, Dugu Luanyue got up and threw the secret letter at him.
"Huo Wei, my father has been dead for a month. You've blocked all the news. Are you going to hide this from me for the rest of my life?"
She couldn't control her excitement. Dugu Luanyue had a deep affection for her parents since childhood. Such a parting between life and death was really hard for her to accept.
Huo Wei bent down to pick up the thing and looked at the secret letter. There was indeed the private seal of the Zichen Palace on it.
Huo Wei looked at Meng Tan and said coldly, "When did this news come? Why didn't I know anything about it?"
Just as Meng Tan was about to speak, Dugu Luanyue couldn't calm down anymore.
"I'm going back to Southern Chu. I'm leaving today!" Without waiting for Huo Wei's answer, she lifted her feet and entered the bedroom to start packing her luggage.
Huo Wei also followed in. "I really didn't know!"
Dugu Luanyue's eyes were blood - red. She shouted,
"You just returned to the imperial palace not long ago. This thing has been in the Zichen Palace for more than a month. How could you not know?
Huo Wei, in order to imprison me and keep me in Northern Yan, you never consider my feelings at all!
Aren't you being too selfish? In order to keep me quietly by your side, you can even hide the news of my father's death for a month!"
Huo Wei said angrily, "I've said I didn't do it!"
He grabbed Dugu Luanyue's arm.
"You're carrying my child. Are you just going to leave like this? This is the blood of the royal family. Can you just take it away as you like?"
Dugu Luanyue shook off his hand, full of anger and hatred. "Then abort the child. I'll leave alone!"
Huo Wei's black pupils shrank suddenly, and his heart seemed to stop at this moment.
The hand that had been holding her arm slipped down at this moment.