Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace: Fawning

Chapter 54: 惢心喜梅

After惢心 got into trouble, Ruyi had no one reliable around her, so she promoted Lingzhi and Shuizhi, who were by her side, to become senior palace maids.

Ling Zhi served the pre-rain Longjing tea and then retreated.

Hongli took a sip of the tea, then nodded with satisfaction and said, "Good tea, really good tea."

Ruyi smiled while holding her handkerchief. "If Your Majesty likes it, I will ask Shuizhi to prepare some for Li Yu and have him make it for you."

Seeing that Hongli liked it, Ruyi was also happy.

Ruyi has few friends in the harem, and all she seeks is Hongli's true love. When she was Princess Qingying, she relied on her family background to be willful and act with impunity. But after Hongli became emperor, she found that everything had changed. With the death of her aunt, the harem has become increasingly populated with women, and even she has to be cautious in her words to Hongli.

Although she was aloof and arrogant, as long as Hongli was willing to lower himself to coax her, she would immediately calm down. Perhaps love can make people humble. No wonder Hongli was called "the guilty son-in-law of the Qing Dynasty" by later generations. If Hongli knew that he was being ridiculed like this by his own descendants, I wonder if he would be so angry that he would jump out of his coffin and deny it.

Ruyi leaned on his chest and said coquettishly, "Your Majesty remembers me. I am very happy."

Hongli hugged her, resting his chin gently on Ruyi's forehead. "As long as you are happy, is惢心 feeling better?"

Mentioning惢心, Ruyi felt a little sad. After all, she had been with her for more than ten years. Even cats and dogs would have feelings for them, let alone people. She sighed and said, "It's still the same. She refuses to take medicine or talk, and just stares blankly."

Hongli's eyes showed regret. "It's a pity.惢心 was a loyal servant and shouldn't have ended up like this. How can Jiang Yubin describe her pain?"

"Jiang Yubin said that being able to save her life is already very good. As for her legs and right hand, they are completely useless. She may be paralyzed in bed for the rest of her life." Ruyi suddenly pushed Hongli away, knelt down, and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask for your mercy."

"Suoxin is in such a state that she cannot stay in the palace to serve me. Rather than letting her stay in the palace like this, it is better to grant her a marriage and let her go."

Hongli thought for a moment and asked, "Do you have a suitable candidate?"

Ruyi knew about Jiang Yubin's feelings for惢心, and believed that even if惢心, whom he married, was a disabled person, he would do his best to love her. However, she could not tell Hongli about their relationship. Li Yu was promoted by her and Hai Lan, and Jiang Yubin became familiar to the emperor because of惢心. As time went by, his medical skills were discovered by the emperor. Hongli thought he was a useful talent, so he asked Jiang Yubin to check his pulse.

It can be said that without惢心, there would be no Jiang Yubin today.

However, Ruyi was afraid of Hongli's misunderstanding that she was deliberately using惢心 to keep Jiang Yubin in his power. So, her only option was to test Hongli's attitude and see if he was willing to give in. Hongli was naturally unaware of her thoughts.

"Jiang Yubin of the Imperial Hospital once asked me to marry her, but she suffered so much for me during her three years in the cold palace. I wanted to keep her for a few years to make amends, but I didn't expect that Jia... Zhenshu would harm her and turn her into this state. If I had known this would happen, I would have agreed to Jiang Yubin's request when I was released from the cold palace."

"Jiang Yebin?" Hongli smiled, seeming somewhat dissatisfied. "Jiang Yebin's medical skills are indeed superb, but the future of an imperial physician is bleak. 惢心 is loyal to you. How can you bear to hand her over to someone who has no hope?"

Ruyi smiled and said, "While future prospects are important, sincerity is even more valuable. Jiang Yubin likes惢心, and I've even asked her for her opinion, and she hasn't denied it. How can we not be in love? Your Majesty, are you trying to break them up?"

"I understand. There's no rush for this matter. Let's wait until惢心 feels better." Hongli deliberately changed the subject. He helped Ruyi up and took her hand as they sat down. "Ruyi, Langya has been dead for over half a year. Jingse has become the princess of Khorchin. Some time ago, she went to Khorchin with her husband to visit relatives. Now she is two months pregnant. It is inconvenient for her to travel far and she won't be back for a year or two. You are the only one closest to me. I have considered this for a while. I originally wanted to wait until Langya's mourning period was over before making you queen, but I was afraid that something unexpected would happen during this period. So I want to advance the schedule of making you queen to the second day of July this year. What do you think?"

The second day of July? Wasn't that the day she married into the Qiandi Palace and became a concubine? Ruyi's nose was sore and she was so moved that she completely forgot about the arranged marriage between惢心 and Jiang Yebin.

She took Hongli's arm, very happy, and said with a smile: "Okay, everything is up to the emperor."

The two were being intimate when suddenly a familiar voice came from outside the door.

"Winter is almost over, and the plum blossoms in Yimei Garden are almost withered. I finally found two intact ones to give to you..."

It turned out to be Ling Yunche.

"Cough cough--" Because the emperor was there, Li Yu didn't dare to make a sound and could only use coughing to remind Ling Yunche.

Ling Yunche looked up and saw Li Yu and Jinzhong standing outside the hall, one on each side. Seeing Jinzhong's treacherous look, Ling Yunche's face darkened instantly and he asked Jinzhong, "Why are you here?"

Jinzhong raised his chin and ignored Ling Yunche.

"Lord Ling, don't be irrational." Li Yu reminded softly.

But Ling Yunche was like a fool, not understanding Li Yu's meaning at all. He walked up to Li Yu with the red plum in his hand, hooked his shoulder, and said with a smile, "You came to see Miss惢心?"

Li Yu was a little desperate. Did Ling Yunche want to kill him?

"Emperor...Emperor..."

Hongli came out of the palace holding Ruyi's hand. Ling Yunche suppressed his smile and immediately knelt down, "Your humble servant greets His Majesty and the Imperial Concubine."

He had heard about Ling Yunche and惢心 before. He was a little skeptical at the time and thought that Ling Yunche would never fall in love with the disabled惢心, but after seeing her today, he believed it.

Hongli withdrew his hand and stared at the red plum in Ling Yunche's hand in astonishment. "Ling Yunche, you are so bold! You didn't wait in front of the emperor, but ran to the Yimei Garden to pick plums. You even dared to shout loudly in the Yikun Palace. It seems that the twenty strokes of the cane last time were not enough."

Ling Yunche's breath caught in his throat, and he clenched the red plum blossom in his hand. He said fearlessly, "Your Majesty, I have heard about Miss惢心's loyalty to her master, and I admire her. I also heard from the palace ladies that she has been losing her appetite recently and has had thoughts of suicide. The Imperial Concubine has been kind to me, and Miss惢心 is her maid. I couldn't bear it, so I went to the Yimei Garden to pick plum blossoms and give them to Miss惢心, hoping that she would be happier."

Yikun Palace suddenly fell silent, devoid of any sound save for the sound of his own breathing. It was as if even the slightest movement had been deliberately silenced. Ling Yunche shivered uncontrollably, his trouser legs soaked by the light snow on the ground, and a bone-chilling chill crept up his back through his knees.

Hongli stood with his hands behind his back and spoke indifferently, startling everyone present. "Does Suo Xin also like plum blossoms?"

For a moment, I didn't understand the meaning of Hongli's words.

The sudden scene caught Ruyi off guard. It was like a small stone that appeared out of nowhere and hit Ruyi's heart with a "pa pa". It didn't hurt, but it scared her suddenly.

Ruyi explained, "Your Majesty, Guard Ling has indeed been coming to Yikun Palace to see惢心 quite often recently..."

Before he finished speaking, Hongli placed his hand on Ruyi's shoulder and said with a smile, "I understand everything."