Ruyi, who was feeling disappointed in her heart, immediately raised her eyes to look at the Emperor with surprise and eagerness upon hearing his words.
At this moment, she could no longer spare any thought for Hailan, who had been reprimanded by the Emperor; her heart was filled only with joy and touched emotion at being remembered by him.
The Emperor personally stood up and took Ruyi’s hand, leading her to sit down on a chair. After the two sat side by side, the Emperor sighed softly and said earnestly:
“You suffered much hardship in the Cold Palace, which is why I bestowed this finest Yikun Palace upon you after you came out. Although Hailan has been close with you for many years, people inevitably change. In the past, I had no choice but to treat you coldly to protect you, yet in the eyes of others, it appeared that Noble Consort Xian was out of favor.”
The Emperor was truly worthy of being a politician with a black heart—this subtle implication instantly made Ruyi understand why Hailan had changed.
In the past, when Ruyi was out of favor, they could huddle together for warmth. Now that she was favored, Hailan became jealous and began to grow distant from her.
The Empress and the Noble Consort had targeted her since their time at the Prince’s Manor precisely because they were jealous of her deep affection with the Emperor. She had not expected that Hailan would become like this as well.
This reasoning was logical, and Ruyi was indeed accustomed to two-faced schemes and various tactics for competing for favor in the palace. Hailan’s transformation suddenly seemed to follow a traceable pattern.
Understanding dawned in Ruyi’s heart, and a look of regret appeared on her beautiful face, though she no longer dwelt on the matter.
Looking at the Emperor with deep affection, she murmured softly:
“How did Your Majesty know how many handkerchiefs I embroidered in the Cold Palace? Could it be that Your Majesty was watching over me all along?”
Seeing her touched expression, a light flickered in the Emperor’s eyes. Looking at their joined hands, a smile touched the corners of his mouth as he said gently:
“Naturally. Ling Yanche was also ordered by me to protect you. I knew every single move you made in the Cold Palace. Whenever I gazed in the direction of the Cold Palace, my heart burned with the desire to bring you out as quickly as possible.”
Tears welled up in Ruyi’s eyes. Hearing the Emperor admit that he had been watching over her for those three years, she felt that all the suffering and exhaustion she had endured in the Cold Palace were worthwhile.
To the side, Suoxin looked deeply moved, gazing at Ruyi and the Emperor with gratification, feeling that her mistress’s bitter days were finally turning sweet, and assuming there would be no more twists and turns in the future.
Yanwan was speechless to the extreme, giving the Emperor a like in her heart for his acting performance!
If she had not known the actual truth, she truly would have been moved by the Emperor.
Ling Yanche had indeed been instructed by Li Yu, but without any monetary rewards or special appointments, who would put their heart into guarding Ruyi?
As for those handkerchiefs and items Ruyi sold, Ling Yanche had taken them out of the palace to sell directly. Otherwise, how would he have dared to embezzle the money? He had merely reported the numbers to Li Yu.
She had thought the Emperor was a rigid person who strictly adhered to rules, but she had not expected this Emperor to play so far out of bounds. These politicians truly were not simple—lies slipped from his mouth with ease.
How could the Emperor know that Yanwan actually knew the truth? After comforting Ruyi, he raised his eyes only to see Yanwan with a subtle smile in her eyes.
Seeing him look over, she even raised an eyebrow at him, her clear eyes sparkling and her pink lips slightly parted as she silently mouthed a word.
The Emperor focused his gaze and instantly felt a rush of blood to his head. His handsome face flushed red, as if he could hear his own frantic heartbeat.
This rule-breaking creature actually dared to call him a “liar!”
What was she referring to? Could it be the words he had just spoken to Ruyi?
That should not be possible; even Ruyi was unaware of the truth. All sorts of guesses flashed through the Emperor’s mind, though it was mostly the embarrassment and bashfulness of being exposed.
Unruly, simply too unruly! The Emperor shot Yanwan a sharp glare.
Mindful of Ruyi’s presence, he could not say much, but his heart was kept on edge by Yanwan, urgently wishing to know what she had meant.
With Hailan’s incident having occurred, even though the Emperor had thrown a fit on purpose, it had ultimately spoiled the mood somewhat.
He had originally prepared to leave, but because he was keeping Yanwan’s words in mind, curiosity compelled him to remain at Yikun Palace.
Ruyi had indeed suffered in the Cold Palace, and three years was enough to create a rift with the Emperor.
Yet the Emperor’s words today had completely shattered that lingering trace of resentment in Ruyi’s heart. It turned out Hongli had been remembering her all along, but as the ruler of a nation, his feelings were simply more restrained.
Had the Emperor not revealed the things he had done for her in private, she would never have known his thoughtfulness toward her.
Thinking of the Emperor’s silent care, Ruyi felt both touched and full of tender affection, becoming ever more considerate toward him.
Li Yu led the young eunuchs in escorting Hailan back to Yanxi Palace. Resentful that Hailan had bullied Yanwan, he paid no heed to her pregnancy and forcibly sent her back.
Making such a fanfare along the way, the news quickly spread throughout the entire harem.
Furthermore, the Emperor had left no face for Hailan whatsoever, having her sent back to Yanxi Palace without even allowing her to change her clothes.
It was evident that he truly did not hold much affection for this pregnant Noble Lady Hai.
Hailan was filled with regret. She did not care in the slightest about the Emperor’s reprimand; her concern was whether her Sister would be angry with her.
Recalling the Emperor’s provocative words, Hailan felt absolute hatred toward both the Emperor and Yanwan.
She had long reminded her Sister to send that maid away. Why had the Emperor flown into such a rage? It was likely because he felt distressed for that servant girl!
Her Sister was truly nourishing a snake in her bosom; sooner or later, this palace maid would become a second A’ruo.
……
Just as the Emperor and Ruyi finished their evening meal, Li Yu returned to report back.
Taking advantage of the moment when Yanwan went to the small kitchen, Li Yu followed her there first. Like a little tail, he did not say a word, merely following behind Yanwan in silence.
Since he remained silent, Yanwan pretended not to notice, busying herself with retrieving pastries from the kitchen and arranging them on a plate.
Leaning against the doorway and looking at her busy silhouette, a hint of helplessness flashed through Li Yu’s eyes. He raised his hand, rubbed his face, and asked dryly:
“When Noble Lady Hai knocked over the soup earlier, were you hurt?”
Before Yanwan came to Yikun Palace, their relationship had been neither close nor distant, and he had never been so cautious.
Now that wild desires had arisen in his heart, he felt that every single move of this lovely maiden seemed to hold deep meaning, making him speak with extreme care instead.
Holding the pastries, Yanwan turned her head in surprise and let out a soft exclamation, as if she had only just noticed him.
“Oh, it’s Chief Li! When did you arrive? Why didn’t you say a word?”
If he had not known that he lacked the ability to turn invisible, he truly would have taken her words at face value.
A smile appeared on Li Yu’s handsome face, and he simply played along with her:
“Did I startle you? Is Miss Yanwan hurt? Jinzhong was sent on another errand by the Emperor today. If he knew you were injured, he would surely be distressed.”
Hmph, pretending to be proper! Yanwan rolled her eyes at him, her small mouth chattering as she complained of her grievances:
“I was almost scared to death by that Noble Lady Hai. That bowl of soup was deliberately meant to scald me! Fortunately, the Emperor pulled me aside. That Noble Lady Hai took a dislike to me last time, and I didn’t expect her to frame me right in front of the Emperor this time!”
Li Yu took a step forward. Setting aside all hesitation, he placed the porcelain plate in her hands onto a low cabinet to the side, then took her delicate, fair hand to inspect it.
Seeing that she was uninjured, he finally let out a sigh of relief. Hearing her say that the Emperor had pulled her aside, a flash of worry passed through Li Yu’s eyes. He lowered his gaze to look at her charming little face and instructed softly:
“You do not need to worry about Noble Lady Hai. However, you must be careful in front of the Emperor. Having served the Emperor for all these years, even I sometimes cannot fathom his thoughts. Noble Consort Xian was indeed favored at the Prince’s Manor, but the Emperor may not necessarily allow Yikun Palace to produce another Noble Lady Shen.”
Yanwan raised her eyes to see Li Yu’s handsome face filled with genuine concern. She had not expected him to say such a thing, so she probed tentatively:
“Do you think the Emperor has taken a fancy to me? What should I do then? I know that Noble Lady Shen is often mocked by the entire harem. If I have to live a life like that, I would rather remain a servant girl!”
As soon as her words fell, Li Yu raised his hand and lightly tapped her smooth forehead, deliberately scaring her:
“Is that not so? This Noble Lady Shen has not even slept with the Emperor to this day. The Emperor’s favor toward her is all just a show for others; the more favored she appears to be, the more she is targeted by everyone in the harem.”