Chapter 464 (2/2)

Autumn had just arrived in the capital, so the weather was slightly cold. Ning Yuxuan wrapped a cloak around Ji Man, nodded at the officials, and said, “Let's talk after we go inside.”

Then, he dashed inside while steadily carrying Ji Man.

Based on his behavior, everyone a.s.sumed that something had befallen Nie-s.h.i.+, so they hurriedly followed the marquis to the western courtyard. However, after Ning Yuxuan had placed Ji Man down inside and came out, he only took a deep breath and said, “She's gotten heavier. I almost couldn't carry her all the way here.”

Everyone, “…”

Marquis, did you have to act so anxious when you were only carrying Nie-s.h.i.+ inside to rest? You made everyone else worry that Nie-s.h.i.+ was seriously ill and about to suffer miscarriage.

They went into the study and closed the doors. The discussion inside continued even after the sunset.

—

Pengxin had been settled down in the guest quarter in the southern courtyard.

—

Ji Man felt as if she slept through multiple years. When she drowsily woke up, she saw Ning Yuxuan, who had come here to feed her as usual.

He said, “Your body is getting swollen from too much sleeping.”

Ji Man turned over and got up to eat some food. Looking at the familiar things in the room, her reaction was a bit sluggish. “We already returned to the capital?”

“En.” Ning Yuxuan hugged her and said, “Sleep some more. By the time you wake up, it'll be a peaceful and prosperous time.”

Ji Man furrowed her brow. Did Ning Yuxuan have an important thing coming up? Shouldn't she be standing by his side and fighting this battle with him? But, she really felt too sleepy right now.

“Don't worry. Just leave it me,” a quiet voice said by her ear. It had a soporific effect on her. Ji Man quietly fell back to sleep.

—

The emperor had fallen gravely ill, and Xiao Sihai had supposedly died in a borderland battle. Xiao Clan finally noticed there was something wrong, and members of the clan wanted to enter the palace to see the emperor and a.s.sist the emperor with the borderland war.

Under the reasoning that Xiao Clan had been secretly mobilized their private armies, Marquis Moyu charged the clan with the crime of revolting against the emperor and sent the entire clan into the imperial prison.

The empress dowager shouted that Marquis Moyu had disloyal intentions, but her words didn't travel beyond her palace. The palace that Marquis Moyu had previously helped her get renovated had become a cage, and it was a soundproof one.

The empress wasn't allowed to return to the palace. Erxin had taken charge of the imperial harem. At first, Zhao Zhe was still able to say a few words after falling sick. However, after he had spent a prolonged time with women that looked strikingly similar to Nie Sangyu, he gradually lost his voice.

Looking at the person in front of him, that looked so similar Nie Sangyu, Zhao Zhe thought it was strange. How could there be people that looked this similar to her? There was even one woman – her name was Zhuer – who looked exactly like Nie Sangyu. It was exactly because of this reason that he favored her especially much.

(T/N: The “zhu” (竹) in Zhuer mentioned in the last paragraph is using the character for bamboo. The “zhu” (珠) for Zhu Yurun's servant girl's name, Zhuer, is the character for pearl.)