C104 (1/2)

The Aroma Calming Incense had almost burned out. The sky above the four corners of the palace walls was clear and blue, like an inverted lake. Xue Liuhua shut her eyes tightly, tossed and turned on the bed, but could not fall asleep no matter what.

It had been ten days since the Emperor visited her, and his heart was entirely with Princess Poyang. He did not know how many generations it had been, but it was fortunate for Empress Chen to be able to sit steadily for more than twenty years, having a son to become the crown prince of the Eastern Palace, and a daughter to be doted upon by the emperor as well. All the wishes of the imperial concubines were focused on her alone, making her the master of the imperial palace who looked down upon the world.

When the palace maid outside heard the commotion of people getting out of bed, she hurriedly came in with a bowl of birth control medicine.

Xue Liuhua looked at the steaming hot soup and couldn't help but frown. ”Why is another bowl of medicine brought over?

The palace maid hastened to say, ”Empress, this is a medicine specially concocted by the imperial doctors. Every day, after taking a nap, you have to drink a bowl of it.”

Xue Liuhua impatiently took the soup and drank it all in one go, using a handkerchief to wipe the corner of her lips and asked: ”Where is the Emperor?”

”To reply esteemed Empress, the emperor is taking a stroll in the imperial garden.”

Xue Liuhua raised her brows: ”He's taking a walk by herself?”

”There's also the Princess Poyang.”

They were indeed together with the princess. Xue Liuhua's eyes dimmed, his heart was filled with limitless disappointment and frustration. He even said that his mother was precious, and the one the Emperor doted on the most was the Grand Princess. She looked at her bulging belly and sighed. If only she had a pair of dragon and phoenix births, that would help her become the empress dowager while also giving her a share of the Grand Princess's pampered love.

”Empress,” When the palace maid saw how absent-minded she looked, she immediately whispered into her ear, ”Ru Yan received some punishment and admitted to everything.”

Xue Liuhua slowly raised her head, and a sinister smile appeared on her lips, ”Alright, drag her here, I want to hear this slut personally explain everything.”

The palace maid hesitated. ”The Empress is currently pregnant with the birth of a dragon, so we can't dirty your eyes.”

Xue Liuhua stood up, ”I am not afraid of anything dirty, just bring her up here.”

After a long while, Ru Yan, who was riddled with scars, was dragged along by a few guards onto her body. Her originally delicate and pretty face was covered in bloodstains and deep green and purple colored wounds. There wasn't a single piece of good meat on it.

Xue Liuhua smiled as she took out a hairpin from her sleeve. It was the Red Plum Agate Hairpin that had been gifted to Ru Yan that day, ”The Emperor said that he wanted me to give you some rewards.

Ru Yan laughed coldly, her eyes bloodshot as she said, ”Give me a red date and you can immediately slap me. As expected, it is something you can do.”

”You seem to understand me quite well,” Xue Liuhua blinked. ”What did you admit?”

”I have told you everything that you wish to know,” Ru Yan said as she stared at her sinisterly. ”No wonder the Empress Chen wanted me to keep an eye on you, you are a disaster of the imperial harem.”

”In the eyes of the Empress Chen, everyone is a scourge,” Xue Liuhua squinted his eyes dangerously. ”She made you watch me closely, did she let you harm my child?”

Ru Yan bit her lips and said, ”... ”No.”

”Didn't you say that she admitted to everything?” Xue Liuhua glanced at the palace maid beside him coldly, ”Looks like there's something that is being kept in your mouth.”

The palace maid's body trembled, she rushed forward and slapped Ru Yan four times.

”Alright,” Xue Liuhua laughed leisurely, ”Now can you tell me if Empress Chen allowed you to harm my child?”

Blood trickled out from the corner of Ru Yan's mouth as she panted in pain and said hatefully, ”The empress didn't let me do it. She wanted to borrow the wangfei's hand to get rid of the dragon embryo.”

”Oh?” Xue Liuhua was surprised, ”So Empress Chen wants to borrow a knife to kill someone.”

Ru Yan coughed a few times in pain. ”The Queen only asked me to monitor you, and report to the Changchun Palace everyday. There was nothing else.”

Xue Liuhua raised her eyebrows: ”I see that you have no other tricks to play.”

”Empress,” Ru Yan gritted her teeth, hoping to make Consort Hua let her go, ”Empress, it is this servant's fault, this servant should not have listened to the Empress's orders to keep an eye on you. I hope that the Empress, on account of the fact that this servant has served the Empress for so long, can forgive this servant.”

”Your mouth is quite tough, and you aren't the slightest bit sloppy when it comes to begging,” Xue Liuhua laughed contemptuously, ”Do you know what the mistake you shouldn't have done the most is?”

Ru Yan was startled, her eyes almost bursting with tears.

”The reason you helped Empress Chen was simply because she had promised you that if you came to my side as my spy, she would make the emperor accept you as his concubine, right?” Xue Liuhua unhurriedly combed her hair into a bun, ”You are also naive, if you don't help me, could it be that she will leave your evidence in front of her, for fear that you will be hacked into pieces before even seeing the face of the emperor?”

Ru Yan's sour tears flowed down her face into her wounds, making her heart clench tightly. ”This servant is stupid, insensible, and thinks that I can really fly up to the branch. I hope that Empress can forgive this servant and keep this servant's lowly life.”

”Not only did you hide the truth from the master, you also secretly date an outsider. You even covet the grace of the saint, have the guts to steal the heavens. You even want me to spare you?” Xue Liuhua looked at her dusky eyes, smiled, and said, ”However, I am carrying a dragon embryo, so it's better for me not to see a bloody disaster.”