Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace: Fawning

Chapter 146: Apology in Cining Palace ①

Pushing open the gate of Changchun Palace, the courtyard was clean, without even a fallen leaf.

I guess someone cleans it regularly.

Ever since Langya passed away, Hongli had ordered the palace maids to clean Changchun Palace every day. Even Su Lian would sneak back to Changchun Palace at night to miss her former master.

"My lady, look at that..." Ji Tao pointed to the main hall of Changchun Palace. The dim candlelight inside made people feel very uncomfortable. She swallowed her saliva in fear and shivered, "My lady, could it be that Empress Xiaoxian has come back to take my life? This place is too scary. Let's go back."

Lan Qi let go of Ji Tao's hand, turned around, and said meaningfully: "Ji Tao, go wait for me outside first."

Seeing Lan Qi was going to go into the house alone, Ji Tao was no longer afraid and said firmly: "No, I can't leave you alone. No matter what monsters are in there, let me scout the way for you first."

After saying that, Ji Tao wanted to rush in, but was stopped by Lan Qi.

Lan Qi covered her mouth and laughed secretly. She didn't expect Ji Tao to have such a cute side. She flicked Ji Tao's forehead and said with a smile: "Silly girl, there are not so many monsters and demons in this world. They are all caused by the devil in your heart. The emperor is here, so I will be fine."

Ji Tao exclaimed and quickly covered her mouth.

She had heard from the other sisters that Hongli often visited Changchun Palace to chat with Empress Xiaoxian. But how could a living person talk to a dead person? Ji Tao never understood, and even thought they were talking nonsense. Furthermore, when she was with Ji Tao, she had never seen Hongli love Empress Xiaoxian much. Her impression was that he always favored his concubines over his wife.

But since Lan Qi said it clearly, even though Ji Tao didn't know what Lan Qi was going to do, she would always listen to her.

Ji Tao pondered for a moment and finally left Changchun Palace.

With a creak, Lan Qi pushed open the palace door.

"Langya, is that you?" Hongli's passionate voice rang out from inside the room.

Although the lights in the room were dim, Lan Qi could still see Hongli's bloodshot eyes with tears in them. At this moment, he seemed to be just a poor husband who had lost his first wife and wanted to seek comfort.

Turning around and seeing that it wasn't Langya, Hongli's eyes flashed with disappointment. He immediately turned his head to the side and secretly wiped away the tears from the corner of his eyes. Lan Qi turned around, closed the door, and slowly walked up to Hongli, greeting him: "Your Majesty, I greet you."

Whether in the past life or this life, it was the first time that Lan Qi saw Hongli cry.

Hongli slowly rolled up the portrait of Langya in his hand, then gently placed it back on the table, wondering, "Why is Concubine Cheng here?"

Hongli reached out and helped Lanqi up.

Lan Qi walked to the portrait of Empress Xiaoxian hanging on the wall. The painting was so lifelike. No wonder Hongli always liked to come to Changchun Palace to see Empress Xiaoxian.

Lan Qi: "When I just returned from Yongshou Palace, I happened to run into Eunuch Jinbao, who was extremely anxious. After asking him, I learned that the Empress Dowager had gone to the Yangxin Palace, and then the Emperor disappeared. I think since the Emperor didn't bring Jinzhong and Jinbao, or even the guards, he must not want them to disturb you. After thinking it over, I think the probability of the Emperor coming to Changchun Palace is relatively high."

Hongli stood there looking at Lan Qi's back, his lips tightly pursed and his fists clenched, as if trying hard to suppress the urge to get angry. He wanted to say something, but ultimately chose to remain silent.

His humble origins were something Hongli had always been reluctant to recall or mention. As a child, the late emperor gave him to Zeng Huan as a son, but Zeng Huan, who already had a daughter, treated him with kindness only out of exploitation. Because Zeng Huan had no sons, while Yixiu had the third prince, Hongshi, without Hongli, Zeng Huan would have been no match for Yixiu. Later, he fell in love with Qingying, but Zeng Huan sacrificed his happiness for her own future, forcing Langya and Gao Xiyue, whom he didn't love, onto him.

The previous emperor died suddenly, and Hongli naturally became the emperor. However, Zeng Huan refused to give up power. Not only did she try to stuff all kinds of beauties around him, she also extended her hand to the previous dynasty. How could the suspicious Hongli tolerate this?

Hongli watched Hengchu grow up. He envied her because, despite Zeng Huan's departure from the palace, she found Consort Jing as her adoptive mother, and she was adored by everyone. To make his future easier, Hongli approached Hengchu. Later, when Zeng Huan returned to the palace, he was appointed to be Zeng Huan's adopted son by the late emperor, but he remained jealous of Hengchu because he could sense that the way Zeng Huan looked at him and Hengchu was different. Later, Hongli worked harder and harder, using a scheme to sow discord between them to cause Hongshi to lose his yellow belt forever, and he himself became the eldest son. Life was getting better and better, and Hongli gradually forgot his identity. But suddenly, one day, an envoy from the Khorchin tribe arrived, saying that their leader wished to marry a Qing princess.

At that time, the only eligible concubine in the palace was Hengchui. Although Zeng Huan was extremely reluctant, she had to make a suffocating decision.

Hengchu understood and did not want to embarrass his royal father and mother, so he took the initiative to propose a marriage.

After Hengchui married far away, Zeng Huan transferred all her love to Hengti.

Hongli remembered that Lan Qi was also a relative of Zeng Huan. He had just heard the Queen Mother say those heartless words, and Lan Qi came to his house, so he had to be on guard.

Hongli suppressed the soft light in his eyes. When he looked at Lan Qi, his eyes were cold and without any warmth. He said in a cold voice, "You are quite smart."

Lan Qi turned around and saw only the usual coldness and indifference in the man's eyes, as if the warmth and tenderness he had shown the moment he entered the room were all an illusion. She knew that Hongli's suspicion had come back.

But it doesn’t matter. No matter how suspicious Hongli is of Lan Qi, he will never kill her.

It was Hongli's chilling look that reminded Lanqi of Yihuan. She loved him passionately, but in the end, it was just a mirage. Because of Hongli's suspicion, he almost killed Yihuan and her son.

Lan Qi: "I know Your Majesty is worried about the Dzungar issue, and I also understand that my identity as Nianhulu will surely make Your Majesty suspicious. But please believe me, Your Majesty, I have never forgotten what I said that day in the Old Summer Palace."

Hongli remained silent. He didn't know whether he should trust Lan Qi this time. After all, he had let down a woman who loved him deeply because of his distrust.

He slowly sat down, his eyes losing their former brilliance, becoming hollow and profound, like the loneliest stars in the deep sky, silently telling an unknown sad story. Finally, he smiled and asked vaguely, "If it were you, what would you do?"

Lan Qi smiled slightly, her voice low and pleasant, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I didn't know. But I want to ask on behalf of the Empress Dowager or Princess Duanshu: Are you really planning to give up on this sister?"

"Of course not..." Hongli blurted out subconsciously.

He was not without feelings for Hengchu.

But compared with the Qing Dynasty, this family affection was nothing in his eyes.