noffsinger Chapter 350 The Queen Mother
Chapter 350 The Queen Mother
As the person sent by Chen Ji to protect Luo Xiaoran, Wei An was also a little annoyed that he was not careful enough, which led to Luo Xiaoran's misfortune and having such a big pot put on his head.
"Our princess is kindhearted and graceful. She has always been well-behaved and careful in her words and deeds during her time in the palace. How could she have ordered me to kill Commander Lin? Please, Queen Mother and the Emperor, understand!"
"Luo Xiaoran hasn't married Prince Yan yet? You keep calling her 'Princess'. Isn't it too early?" The Queen Mother frowned.
Wei An lowered his eyebrows and said, "We, the people under the King of Yan, privately call Miss Luo the Princess. When His Highness found out, he was not displeased at all."
Luo Xiaoran blinked uncomfortably, her heart beating suddenly faster... What was going on?
The Queen Mother choked. It was obvious that the Prince of Yan had stayed in the northern border for too long. His subordinates were so reckless and he didn't even restrain them!
Wei An's words made the Empress Dowager and the Emperor understand even more clearly how much Chen Ji valued Luo Xiaoran.
Therefore, they were all hesitating about how to deal with Luo Xiaoran, and finally it was Emperor Tianqi who spoke:
"Lin Yuanfang's death happened suddenly. Although Xiao Xingzi testified, there is no conclusive evidence to prove that Luo Xiaoran was the murderer.
In my opinion, Luo Xiaoran should be imprisoned in Fukang Palace until the matter is clarified.
We will make a decision after everything is clear.
Mother, what do you think? "
The Queen Mother thought for a moment and then nodded slightly.
"Then let's do as the Emperor wishes!"
Luo Xiaoran was not surprised by this result. She could only say that the Queen Mother and Emperor Tianqi were really afraid of Chen Ji, so they did not dare to touch her easily.
Of course, my own arguments did have some effect, but the fundamental reason still lies with Chen Ji.
Luo Xiaoran knew clearly that even if she was a time-travelling woman, even if she had witnessed the cruelty of the end of the world, even if she had honed skills that ordinary women did not have in the end of the world, she was ultimately just a human being, a person without super powers.
If God had given her the ability to destroy millions of people at will when he sent her here, then she would not be afraid at all when facing the so-called imperial power!
But she is not just a mortal! Mortals have to accept their limitations.
Whether in modern times or ancient times, whether in a peaceful world or a doomsday crisis, two fists are no match for four hands.
After being hurt at the end of the world, she lost her trust in people and chose to wander alone.
After arriving in ancient times, she met many friends by chance. Her closed heart opened up little by little, and she no longer wandered the world lonely like a lone wolf.
Luo Xiaoran never thought that she, who traveled through time and space, was the girl of destiny or a person who could stir up trouble.
Since she traveled through time, she always felt that she was just an ordinary woman in Daliang, and in such a hierarchical dynasty, getting involved in the power struggle was the quickest way to death.
So, she chose to find a small mountain village to lie down, but a series of events pushed her into her current situation, and she could only face the challenge head-on!
This time she came to Kyoto not only for herself, but also for Chen Ji, so she had no psychological burden when she relied on Chen Ji's power.
Having said that, Luo Xiaoran knew clearly that without power, she would be likely to be suppressed by the powerful, but she had never thought about establishing any power of her own.
For one thing, becoming the king is a protracted war, which runs counter to her ideal of lying down.
Secondly, her foundation is not solid. She has no one and no money. Why bother?
Of course, if there is a chaos in the world one day and Chen Ji wants to make trouble, she will definitely help if she can!
……
After the Empress Dowager and Emperor Tianqi left, the Imperial Guards surrounded Fukang Palace and killed them.
The reason why eunuchs are not used is because people are afraid that there may be strange people among them.
The Imperial Guards were Huo Qingyun's men, and Emperor Tianqi knew the feud between the Lin and Huo families. Therefore, he felt very relieved when Huo Qingyun came to protect the suspect who murdered Lin Yuanfang.
Of course, as the commander of the Imperial Guard, Huo Qingyun could not stand guard at the gate of Fukang Palace like a bodyguard. After instructing his men to guard Fukang Palace and ensure the safety of the people in the palace, he returned to the previous dynasty.
Huo Qingyun planned to ask Emperor Tianqi to investigate the matter. He had promised King Yan that he would take good care of Luo Xiaoran.
Just when Huo Qingyun was about to leave, the guest nanny beside the Empress Dowager came with the Empress Dowager's oral instructions.
"The Empress Dowager has ordered that all the people in Fukang Palace be taken to the prison and await interrogation!"
Huo Qingyun frowned and said nothing.
The guards behind him who were guarding the locked gate of Fukang Palace looked at each other, but did not move for a while.
Seeing this, Madam Ke frowned and said:
"How dare you! Commander Huo, are you going to disobey the Empress Dowager's order?"
Huo Qingyun spoke in a calm voice, in a businesslike manner.
"We are under the order of the Emperor to guard Luo Xiaoran and her group. The Empress Dowager has ordered that they be sent to the Heavenly Prison. Does the Emperor know about this?"
As soon as Emperor Tianqi left, the Empress Dowager's men arrived. It was a perfect miss, and he was obviously unaware of it!
Huo Qingyun certainly knew that Emperor Tianqi did not know about this, and he asked this question on purpose.
If Nanny Ke relies on the power of the Empress Dowager and ignores the Emperor's orders, it will trigger conflicts between Emperor Tianqi and the Empress Dowager.
But he was the commander of the Imperial Guard, and the person he needed to be loyal to was Emperor Tianqi, so he would not let Nanny Ke take people away.
If Nanny Ke is afraid of the emperor, she will not be able to take Luo Xiaoran away for the time being, and will have to go to the emperor to ask for permission.
The Emperor cared about Luo Xiaoran, and even if he finally compromised with the Empress Dowager, he would never let Luo Xiaoran suffer in the Sky Prison.
Nanny Ke obviously didn't expect Huo Qingyun's attitude to be so tough. If the eunuchs from the harem were guarding Fukang Palace, then why would she bother?
The harem - the Empress Dowager has always been the one in charge!
But the emperor ordered the imperial guards to guard here, and the commander of the imperial guards is from the Huo family, and the Huo family and the Lin family are not on good terms!
"Commander Huo enforces the law strictly. I admire him."
After saying this with a forced smile, Madam Ke returned to Changning Palace to report the matter to the Empress Dowager.
……
In Changning Palace, the Empress Dowager was leaning against the head of the bed, and a man was kneeling beside the bed, waiting for her to drink medicine.
"Grandmother, good medicine tastes bitter, please use it quickly!"
Chen Lingyi held the medicine bowl in her left hand, her bright red nails forming a sharp contrast with the azure blue porcelain bowl. In her right hand, she held a spoon filled with thick black medicine and respectfully handed it to the Empress Dowager's mouth.
The Empress Dowager was already 72 years old. Her hair was completely gray and the skin on her face was loose, which formed a sharp contrast with the smooth and white hands of Chen Lingyi in front of her.
It is not difficult to tell from the Empress Dowager's aging face that she was not very beautiful when she was young. She always thought that it was because of her ordinary appearance that she was not loved by Emperor Taizong.
Therefore, she hated the beautiful women in the harem, no matter whether they were enchanting and charming or dignified and elegant, she disliked them all!
Unfortunately, Chen Lingyi was a dazzling beauty, and thus ran into the Empress Dowager's minefield.
Chen Lingyi is really unlucky. The Empress Dowager doesn't like beautiful women, and the Empress Dowager doesn't like people of humble origins. She has both!
So, no matter how hard she tried, the two most expensive women in the palace didn't like her at all!
As for the third most honorable queen, Chen Lingyi had never caught the queen's eye.
The queen positioned herself as a spectator trapped in the palace. The competition for favor in the harem was a drama she loved to watch. She was high above everyone else and never bothered to get involved in the affairs of the harem.
The Empress Dowager's plump round face was very majestic. Her eyes were indifferent and her tone was also indifferent:
"I've been taking these medicines every day, but they don't seem to have any effect. Put them aside for now. When I want to drink them, I'll ask them to make another bowl."
"Yes."
Chen Lingyi put down the medicine bowl obediently, and a palace servant took it away.
"I have only been ill for a few months, but the Queen Mother has become even more outrageous. Now a man from another family has secretly entered the harem and died in it. She even wants to hide it from me. How foolish!"
Chen Lingyi was still kneeling, "Qingyi also stumbled upon this incident by accident. After thinking about it, I still feel that I should tell the Royal Grandmother about this matter. My mother hid it from the Royal Grandmother because she must be afraid that you would be worried during your illness and wanted you to recover well!"
"Well! Fortunately, you are filial.
By the way, Qingyi, aren't you afraid that the Queen Mother will be unhappy if she knows that you told me about this?"
The Empress Dowager was in a rare mood and wanted to tease Chen Lingyi.
Chen Lingyi said without blinking, "My mother kept it a secret from the Empress Dowager because she was filial, and Qingyi told the Empress Dowager because she was filial.
Qingyi and the Queen Mother are both trying to be filial to the Queen Mother, and the Queen Mother will not blame Qingyi."
The Empress Dowager was very pleased to hear what Chen Lingyi said. It was rare that she had a slightly changed impression of Chen Lingyi, so she asked her to stand up quickly and even gave her a seat.
Chen Lingyi's heart moved slightly. After sitting down, she chatted with the Empress Dowager for a while, and then waited for the guest nanny who had returned empty-handed.
Nanny Ke reported her experience in front of Fukang Palace to the Empress Dowager truthfully. The originally harmonious atmosphere in Changning Palace froze in an instant.
"Huo Qingyun is the commander of the emperor's imperial guards, so his actions are not considered as disobedience to me.
Then you should go to the front court and ask the emperor if I can decide to send all the people in Fukang Palace to the Heavenly Prison!"
The guest nanny who had just returned to Changning Palace left again. The Empress Dowager noticed that Chen Lingyi's complexion had become a little worse.
Sure enough, she said:
"Grandmother, the emperor is still young, and it was Huo Qingyun who took the initiative to reply to Madam Ke. The emperor has always been respectful to you."
When the Empress Dowager heard that this was what Chen Lingyi was worried about, she was stunned for a few moments, and couldn't help but smile on her old face.
As expected, he grew up being very cautious. Even though he is now given the supreme power, he is still weak-willed.
"Qingyi, I am your royal grandmother. You have my blood in your bodies!"
……
Qianqing Palace.
After coming out of Changning Palace, Nanny Ke immediately went to see Emperor Tianqi and brought the Empress Dowager's oral order.
Emperor Tianqi did not expect that the Empress Dowager knew about this so quickly. He asked:
"The Empress Dowager is recovering from an illness. Is there anyone coming to bother her today?"
Madam Ke reported truthfully, "Princess Qingyi came to serve the Grand Empress Dowager with medicine. When I came back from Fukang Palace, the Grand Empress Dowager seemed to have a smile on her face."
Emperor Tianqi's temples twitched. After hesitating for a moment, he said to Madam Ke:
"Since the Empress Dowager wants to conduct a thorough investigation of the people in Fukang Palace, I will not go against her wishes.
It’s just that Luo Xiaoran has a special status, so I will send the Imperial Guards to the prison to protect her. I hope the Empress Dowager will not worry too much.”
"I will report this to the Empress Dowager right away."
After Nanny Ke left, Emperor Tianqi called Huo Qingyun and asked him to select a few smart and steady people to go to the Heavenly Prison to protect Luo Xiaoran.
Huo Qingyun then learned that the Queen Mother wanted to lock up all the people in Fukang Palace in the Heavenly Prison. He pursed his lips almost imperceptibly and said:
"Your Majesty, I have found out that a piece of Wei An's clothing is indeed missing from the laundry department. It is very likely that the real murderer of Commander Lin stole Wei An's clothing and then framed Luo Xiaoran and Wei An, the master and servant."
Emperor Tianqi's eyes were calm. He knew very well that Luo Xiaoran was wronged. She had no reason to kill Lin Yuanfang!
But now it was the Empress Dowager who wanted to put Luo Xiaoran in prison, not him. Even if Prince Yan held a grudge in the future, he would blame the Empress Dowager and it would have nothing to do with him!
"I understand. Please continue to investigate. If you can find out the real murderer soon, Luo Xiaoran can be released from the prison soon."
"……Yes!"
……
Therefore, Luo Xiaoran, who originally thought that she would only be confined to her home, now happily receives the "Tears Behind Bars Package".
After listening to Huo Qingyun's explanation of the whole story, Luo Xiaoran was a little confused...what did the Empress Dowager mean.
Lin Yuanfang is the nephew of the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager didn't even say to put her in jail. The Grand Empress Dowager and Lin Yuanfang are one generation more distant in blood relationship than the Empress Dowager and Lin Yuanfang. What kind of thing is she doing?
"The Emperor has ordered the Imperial Guards to follow him. You don't have to worry about your safety, let alone being tortured."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you, Lord Huo!"
Luo Xiaoran waved her hands, indicating that she was still bearing the "bad news".
"His Royal Highness Prince Yan said that if I need any help, I can come to you, Lord Huo?"
Huo Qingyun didn't expect that King Yan had openly told Luo Xiaoran about his secret alliance with him. He really liked Luo Xiaoran!
His throat suddenly became a little dry. Looking at Luo Xiaoran's expectant eyes, Huo Qingyun said solemnly: "Of course!"
Even if he was not the King of Yan, he would be willing to do it, Huo Qingyun thought.
"Huo Shui will also be sent to the Heavenly Prison. If you have any requests, you can talk to her."
Luo Xiaoran has always had a good memory. She immediately remembered that Huo Shui was the girl who searched her when she was blocked at the gate of Kyoto and unable to leave after she killed Lin Shan.
Judging from the fact that Huo Qingyun always takes her with him when he goes out to do business, Huo Shui can be considered as one of Huo Qingyun's more capable subordinates. Unexpectedly, Huo Qingyun is willing to send her to protect himself. This is really thoughtful of him!
"I will remember this favor from Lord Huo!"