“You, you’re not dead?” At long last, she finally realized that the person before her was not a ghost. Wang Xue Ru, whose complexion was deathly white, incessantly stroked her heart.
Luo Qing Luan looked very confused. “Father’s Concubine, what are you saying? I’m just fine, why would I die?”
Just realizing that she’d spoken wrongly, Wang Xue Ru’s heart jumped wildly, while she promptly glossed it over. “Oh, no, no, Father’s Concubine was just baffled about how you’ve returned so quickly? Didn’t the empress summon you into the palace, why are you home at this time?”
She was feeling quite delighted, but Luo Qing Luan only breathed out a little bit, that’s all. She replied, “Can it be that Father’s Concubine don’t want me to be home?”
“……” Pressed until she didn’t know what she should say, Wang Xue Ru smiled with difficulty. “How can that be. Qing Luan, you’ve merely left for a few days and your father already mentioned you quite a few times in my presence. I also didn’t know whether the Empress truly like you and whether she’d want you to be the Crown Prince Consort.”
“Mn, parents are in command, and it’s up to the matchmaker to bring it up. As long as Father’s willing, then as a daughter, I won’t complain.”
After offering a few words, she really didn’t want to see Wang Xue Ru’s face anymore. Luo Qing Luan left Graceful Orchid Courtyard.
Once she saw her walk away from the door, the smile on Wang Xue Ru’s face instantly disappeared.
“Unexpectedly not dead……not dead!” One finger at a time, she clenched her hand, gnashing her teeth with hate.
She clearly hired Dark Blood League’s assassin, yet they surprisingly didn’t get rid of this loathsome girl? Could it be that she really went to the Imperial Palace? Otherwise, how could she have avoided the attack from those assassins? Consider her lucky to have avoided death this time, but next time, she absolutely wouldn’t let her off.
Wang Xue Ru slapped the table and shouted, “Where’s Ziyu, where did she go?”
A servant quickly came in. “Side Madam, Sister Ziyu fainted.”
“What? Useless thing!” She even wanted Ziyu to find someone to monitor Luo Qing Luan. The outcome……after giving it some thought, Wang Xue Ru simply said, “You go find the butler and have him come here. I have something to instruct him.”
This time, she had to properly think of a plan. However, it seemed that she’d better first prevent Luo Qing Luan from marrying the Crown Prince, otherwise, if that girl’s luck was good and she never left the house, maybe there wouldn’t be a chance to find her alone to attack her. What’s to be done if she directly got married to the Crown Prince.
If that happened, that girl would have even more of a chance to investigate matters from the past, and she would be the one to be out of luck.
……
In the night.
Luo Qing Luan finally had time to carefully think things over. Matters which happened during the past few days were already enough to determine that Wang Xue Ru sent assassins to attack her and Wet Nurse. The goal was to prevent her from investigating matters from the past. From this, one could conclude that Wang Xue Ru was absolutely responsible for her mother’s death. Even if she didn’t harm her mother, because of Wet Nurse’s death, Luo Qing Luan still wouldn’t let Wang Xue Ru go.
No need to investigate further. She already set her sights on Wang Xue Ru!
She certainly will make Wang Xue Ru pay the proper price!
It’s just that Wang Xue Ru was the General Mansion’s side madam after all. If she died rashly, Luo Cheng would investigate for sure. When that happened, not only would everything be a complete mess, maybe it would even implicate innocent people. Therefore, allowing her to die straightforwardly would be letting her off too lightly. The best revenge would be for her to live wishing that she’d died.
At present, she needed to first deal with another matter, the one having to do with the empress.
Previously, Nalan Ye used the empress to conceal her whereabouts for the last few days. She needed to properly take care of this matter first to avoid Wang Xue Ru discovering any loopholes. Moreover, if she could exploit this little relationship, perhaps it’s prove to be advantages for her. But at the same time, she needed to settle things on Nangong Qing’s side properly. She certainly didn’t want to truly be married to the crown prince.
She had to quickly make the empress conceive. Otherwise, once the latter talked to the emperor and he issued an imperial edict, then the matter would be out of her hands.
Thinking to this point, Luo Qing Luan decided to make a trip to the imperial palace tomorrow.
Even though Luo Cheng felt it was strange for Luo Qing Luan to immediately visit the palace again when she barely returned from the place, he still absolutely supported her in this matter. “That’s good. Qing Luan, you should properly accompany Her Highness for a chat, but don’t disappoint the affection that she has for you.”
Right at the moment when Luo Qing Luan entered the Imperial Palace, Nalan Ye was discussing politics with the Emperor of Western Chu.
“My dear subject Ye, do you mean that the country of Nanyue recently caused a series of disturbances at the border, but we actually shouldn’t be afraid of this?” The Emperor asked, his eyebrows still somewhat unable to relax.
Although a few years ago, that huge victory defeated Nanyue and directly changed the two country’s position of power, the country of Nanyue was still a skinny camel that was bigger than a horse after all. Even though they’d already declined nowadays, as before, they still shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Nalan Ye answered, “Your Majesty, please be at ease. Our Western Chu is filled with talented officers and our soldiers are great in number. If Nanyue really dares to invade our territory on a large scale, then we can take advantage of this opportunity to directly strike Nanyue off the history books. As for the rest of the countries, they will still have nothing to say. How’s that not killing two birds with one stone?”
“Mm hm. With you here, We will be at ease. Ha haha……” The Emperor was finally a bit relieved.
“Your Majesty, I still have another matter which I’d like to ask Your Majesty to be the judge of.”
The Emperor was somewhat curious. Nalan Ye had actually never taken the initiative to make any request of him. Even during that year when he defeated Nanyue, he also didn’t request any reward in the slightest. Why was it that this time……he suddenly had a desire. The emperor smiled. “My dear subject Ye, go ahead and speak directly.”
Nalan Ye cupped his hands and responded. “Your Majesty, I have found someone after my own heart and would like to ask Your Majesty to bestow a marriage upon me.”