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Chapter 48: In His Palm
Inside Qianxin Palace.
Wang Degui received the news from Cining Palace and immediately walked quickly into the inner chamber.
From the last experience, he knew that the Emperor wouldn’t care about the Empress Dowager’s harassment of Jieyu Ning.
However, it was one thing for the Emperor to think that way, but as a subordinate, he had to report it in time.
“Your Majesty, today the concubines went to Cining Palace to pay their respects, and the Empress Dowager asked Jieyu Ning to stay and kowtow to pray for blessings…” Wang Degui tentatively reported.
Helian Qi, who was reviewing memorials, frowned and looked at Wang Degui, “What kowtowing? What praying for blessings?”
“The abbot of the Buddha Pagoda said…” Wang Degui repeated the Empress Dowager’s words, “It’s raining heavily outside, Jieyu Ning is kneeling and kowtowing…”
It was like a bolt from the blue.
Helian Qi suddenly understood something.
He had been blinded by one leaf, and he had forgotten this.
Helian Qi abruptly stood up from the dragon throne and immediately walked out.
“Your Majesty, it’s raining heavily outside…” Wang Degui quickly followed.
When Consort Zhuang’s sedan chair arrived at Qianxin Palace, she saw the Emperor’s sedan chair leaving in the distance…
“Lady, aren’t you here to see the Emperor? Why don’t you go up and pay your respects?” the maid asked in confusion.
Consort Zhuang looked at the Emperor’s departing figure and silently bit her lip, “He already knows, there’s no need for me to come again…”
The Emperor always ignored the Empress Dowager’s punishment of the concubines…
She wasn’t sure if Helian Qi would go and save Ning Wanyin, so she came to plead for Ning Wanyin…
She couldn’t speak up for Ning Wanyin in front of the Empress Dowager.
Now, the only one who could help Ning Wanyin was Helian Qi.
But seeing Helian Qi’s hurried departing figure, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss.
The Emperor really liked her.
“Let’s go back to Linlang Palace.” Consort Zhuang said dejectedly, lowering her eyes.
…
The rain was pouring down.
Xue Jinyan, riding in the phoenix sedan chair specially sent by the Empress Dowager to pick her up, arrived at Cining Palace. Xue Jinyan stepped down from the sedan chair, the maids quickly held up oil-paper umbrellas to prevent the raindrops from wetting her clothes.
Xue Jinyan immediately saw Ning Wanyin kneeling in front of the gate.
She was facing the direction of the Buddha Pagoda, bowing and kowtowing.
“Didn’t they say that each sound should hit the ground? Why can’t I hear any sound?” Xue Jinyan walked directly in front of Ning Wanyin, looking down at her with a sneer.
How dare this lowly woman slap her?
Xue Jinyan had always been proud of her noble status, she never imagined that she would suffer such humiliation!
“The sound of the rain is too loud, so you can’t hear the sound of the kowtowing.” Liu Zhen answered diligently.
Xue Jinyan looked surprised, “Then doesn’t that mean she’s slacking off, and you didn’t notice? How can you be so careless about praying for Dayan’s national fortune!”
“You’re right, Master. It was just a moment of carelessness on our part…” Liu Zhen understood, he said to the two eunuchs on either side, “It seems Jieyu Ning doesn’t know how to kowtow, you two should go and teach her properly.”
The two eunuchs understood, they immediately stepped forward and pressed Ning Wanyin’s shoulders from both sides, pressing her head down and slamming it hard against the ground.
Lianrui desperately tried to stop them, “Let go! Let go…”
Xue Jinyan watched this scene, and she finally felt a sense of satisfaction.
But the next moment…
“Stop!” A cold male voice came.
Everyone turned their heads and saw the yellow sedan chair, they quickly knelt down and bowed, “Greetings to Your Majesty, Your Majesty is safe and sound.”
Helian Qi saw the woman kneeling in the rain, her hair was disheveled, her forehead…
Her forehead was bruised, and blood had just started to flow, mixing with the rain and running down.
She looked at him, a glimmer of anticipation in her eyes, then lowered her gaze, not calling out to him.
Helian Qi felt a pang in his heart. He walked straight to Ning Wanyin, extending his hand towards her, “Get up.”
“This concubine is praying for blessings for Dayan…” Ning Wanyin said softly.
Helian Qi frowned and directly picked her up from the ground, carrying her towards the imperial sedan chair. He instructed Wang Degui, “Go to Lingsxue Pavilion, send the female physician over.”
Then, he casually glanced at the group of people kneeling on the ground, “Those who disrespect Jieyu Ning, execute them with a hundred lashes.”
“National affairs are important, both in war and in rituals. Praying for blessings is indeed crucial. But Mother seems to have chosen the wrong person. Old Lady Ning is praying for her, in the end, the one praying is still Mother. Then, someone related to Mother should be chosen in the palace, this blessing is rightfully Xue’s.
“I’ll leave this matter to you.” Helian Qi finished, staring at Xue Jinyan.
He turned and got into the imperial sedan chair.
Xue Jinyan’s face turned pale.
Several eunuchs cried out, “Your Majesty, spare us…”
…
In Lingsxue Pavilion.
Helian Qi carried Ning Wanyin into the bedroom.
The female physician, Sun, rushed over and applied medicine to Ning Wanyin. She reported, “Your Majesty, Jieyu’s forehead is a superficial injury, it’s not serious. The wound is shallow and won’t leave a scar, but be careful not to get it wet.”
“Very good, you can go now.” Helian Qi nodded, then instructed Lianrui, “Serve your mistress with changing clothes, don’t get her forehead wet.”
Lianrui accepted the order.
But Ning Wanyin knelt down respectfully and bowed, “Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. This concubine is fine, Your Majesty’s health is paramount, please go back and change clothes first.”
Ning Wanyin was soaking wet, and after the Emperor carried her, he was also half-soaked.
“Are you trying to chase me away?” Helian Qi clearly heard the estrangement in her tone.
“This concubine wouldn’t dare. This concubine doesn’t know what she did wrong, but she must have displeased Your Majesty, that’s why Your Majesty is unwilling to come to Lingsxue Pavilion. Today, I am grateful for Your Majesty’s mercy, saving this concubine once, I am already overwhelmed with gratitude, how dare I continue to be an eyesore in front of Your Majesty.” Ning Wanyin’s eyes were red, tears falling one after another.
She said she wouldn’t dare.
That meant she was blaming him.
Helian Qi didn’t feel angry, but a sense of pity arose.
She hadn’t done anything wrong, in fact, she had done very well.
It was just that he didn’t trust her.
But Empress Dowager Xue had reminded him.
Ning Wanyin’s life was always in his hands.
This pawn, how to use it, where to place it, he had the final say.
He didn’t even need to do anything, as long as he ignored Ning Wanyin, the Xue family could kill her.
In such a situation, Ning Wanyin could only rely on the Emperor.
Anyone who wasn’t stupid would know what they could and couldn’t do.
Holding the power of life and death over her, Helian Qi naturally felt a little more at ease.
At least until Ning Wanyin did something that made him suspicious, he could use her for now.
“It’s just that I’ve been busy with state affairs, I haven’t seen you for a few days, and you have such a misunderstanding about me.” Helian Qi looked at Ning Wanyin and said in a deep voice, “If I disliked you, how could I go to Cining Palace to pick you up?”
Ning Wanyin acted like she was sulking, she lowered her head and wouldn’t look at him, “Perhaps Your Majesty is kind-hearted for a moment, pitying this concubine. After all, this concubine is not as favored by Your Majesty as others, that’s why Your Majesty hasn’t come to see this concubine for a long time.”
She couldn’t mention the Emperor’s suspicion of her, not a single word.
She couldn’t even clarify or defend herself.
But she also needed an excuse for the Emperor’s coldness, for example, the Emperor had a new love.
“I have indeed been busy with state affairs, I neglected you.” Helian Qi couldn’t explain, he perfunctorily brushed it off and said, “You’re soaking wet, be careful of catching a cold, I’ll go bathe with you.”
Ning Wanyin took the opportunity and lowered her head, her cheeks flushed slightly as she looked up at him shyly, her eyes revealing three parts of lingering grievance, two parts of innocence, and the rest was joy.
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