noffsinger Chapter 481: Story of Yanxi Palace Er Qing 14
Chapter 481: Story of Yanxi Palace Er Qing 14
When Qianlong saw the queen, his anger dissipated a little, but he still had a cold face and did not speak.
The queen walked up to Qianlong and bowed slightly: "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you."
"Why is the Queen here?" Qianlong asked in a slightly slower tone.
"I heard that the Emperor was in the Imperial Garden..." the Queen said, looking up at Wei Yingluo who was being held by the guards, a trace of pity flashing in her eyes.
"What's wrong with the emperor? Why is he so angry?"
"Your Majesty, you don't know that Wei Yingluo is a traitor and has no respect for the inferior. She even dared to contradict me!" Qianlong pointed at Wei Yingluo and said angrily.
"Oh?" The Queen turned to look at Wei Yingluo, with a hint of inquiry in her eyes: "Yingluo, what did you do to make the Emperor so angry?"
When Wei Yingluo saw the queen coming, a glimmer of hope ignited in her heart. She knew that the queen was always kind and would definitely plead for her.
“Empress, I am innocent!” Wei Yingluo cried, “It was Erqing who instigated the discord and framed me. That’s why the Emperor misunderstood me like this!”
"Yingluo, how can you talk like that? Even if you hate me, you can't lie with your eyes open. In front of the emperor, this is a crime of deceiving the emperor..." As she spoke, her eyes turned slightly red, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Wei Yingluo felt even more disgusted when she saw her hypocritical look. She was about to open her mouth to refute, but was stopped by a look from the Queen.
The Queen's words ignited a glimmer of hope in Wei Yingluo's heart, but how could Erqing let go of this opportunity so easily?
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty. Yingluo just spoke out of anxiety at the moment. Please understand!" Er Qing said, and suddenly she fell to her knees with a plop. Tears in her eyes rolled down like beads that had broken off the string.
Qianlong hated to see women cry, let alone Erqing, who was in tears. He helped Erqing up and said softly, "My dear, please get up quickly. The ground is cold. Don't hurt yourself."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern." Er Qing stood up and snuggled in Qianlong's arms, with a barely perceptible smugness in the corner of her eyes. She knew that the emperor still loved her the most.
"Your Majesty, I also find this matter strange." The Queen looked at the scene in front of her and sighed secretly in her heart, but her face remained expressionless.
"Although Yingluo is impulsive, she is not someone who speaks nonsense. I'm afraid there is some misunderstanding here."
"Misunderstanding?" Qianlong sneered: "She is disrespectful to her superiors and has no regard for the inferiors. Could this also be a misunderstanding?"
"Your Majesty, please calm down. Although Yingluo's words were inappropriate, her crime does not deserve the death penalty. Moreover, she has always been loyal and has helped Your Majesty. Please forgive her this time for the sake of our past friendship." The Queen advised softly, like a breeze blowing across a calm lake, trying to calm the anger surging in Qianlong's heart.
Qianlong frowned, his deep eyes still burning with anger. He snorted coldly, "You don't know, Queen, this Wei Yingluo is so audacious that she committed a crime against her superiors. If I don't punish her severely, how can I establish my authority? How can I convince the people?"
"Your Majesty, Yingluo just spoke out of anxiety at the moment. Please forgive her this time for her loyalty!" The Queen said, gently pulling Qianlong's sleeve and looking at him tenderly with pleading in her eyes.
Qianlong looked at the queen and his anger subsided a little. The queen has always been virtuous and never interfered in state affairs, but today she repeatedly pleaded for a palace maid. Perhaps Wei Yingluo is not completely useless.
"Well, since the Queen has pleaded for you, I will spare your life today." Qianlong said with relief: "Come here, drag Wei Yingluo away and give her twenty lashes as a warning to others!"
"Your Majesty, please spare my life! Your Majesty..." Wei Yingluo struggled unwillingly, but the guards covered her mouth and dragged her out of the imperial garden.
The Queen felt mixed emotions as she watched Wei Yingluo being dragged away. She knew that today's incident was just a fuse and the real mastermind was Er Qing, but she had no evidence.
She turned to look at Er Qing, only to see her with her head lowered, looking extremely pitiful, but the Queen could see a hint of subtle pride and viciousness from the slightly raised corners of her mouth.
In the Imperial Garden, the air was still filled with the tension from earlier. Wei Yingluo was roughly dragged away by the guards, her skirt stained with mud, looking miserable. She turned back unwillingly, but only saw Er Qing covering her face and crying, leaning weakly in Qianlong's arms.
The queen looked at this scene, feeling even more desolate. How could she not see through Er Qing's disguise, but Qianlong was blinded by this false weakness.
This harem, after all, is nothing more than a gorgeous cage. Everyone in it struggles to survive, using all means to win a little pity from the emperor.
"The Queen seems to have some complaints about my handling of the matter?" Qianlong's voice sounded above his head, with a hint of displeasure.
The Queen came back to her senses, suppressed the emotions in her eyes, and said calmly: "I dare not, the emperor has his own reasons for doing things, but Yingluo has always been loyal, and now she has suffered such a disaster, I can't help but feel a little bit sorry."
Qianlong snorted coldly, "Loyal? If you are really loyal, how could you commit treason? The Queen is kind, I understand, but when it comes to governing a country and a family, a woman's kindness is the worst thing to do! The Queen should not interfere in today's matter anymore."
Seeing Qianlong's firm tone, the queen said no more, slowly stood up, but bent her knees and knelt straight in front of Qianlong. Qianlong was shocked and hurried to help her: "What are you doing, Queen? If you have anything to say, just stand up and say it. Why do you have to go through such a big ceremony?"
The queen avoided Qianlong's hand without leaving a trace, and said in a choked voice: "Your Majesty, I dare to ask for something."
"Please speak, Queen." Seeing how serious the Queen was, Qianlong couldn't help but restrain his expression.
"I beg Your Majesty to transfer Yingluo from the Xinzheku back to Changchun Palace so that she can continue to serve me." The Queen looked directly at Qianlong with a firm gaze.
"What?!" Qianlong frowned, with obvious displeasure in his tone.
"Empress, what do you mean? Wei Yingluo committed treason and deserves death. I spared her life, which is already a special favor. Now you want her to return to Changchun Palace to serve you. Isn't this obviously asking me to slap myself in the face?"
The queen was not in a hurry and continued to kneel straight. "Your Majesty, please calm down. I have no intention to embarrass you. It's just that although Yingluo is a little impatient, she is kind-hearted and loyal to Your Majesty. I am weak and the affairs in the palace are complicated. I really need a capable person to help me. Yingluo is smart and capable. She did a good job by my side. With her around, I can feel more at ease."
Qianlong looked at the kneeling empress in front of him, feeling mixed emotions. He knew that the empress had always been virtuous and never interfered in state affairs, but today she was so humble for a palace maid, and she must be really distressed about Wei Yingluo. However, as the emperor, his words were final, and if he easily changed his will, wouldn't it be a joke?