RPAGF Chapter 161 Return safely
Chapter 161 Return safely
There were not many people in the newly occupied right courtyard. Except for the first day when Zhao Ji was crowned as a concubine, many maids and eunuchs came to help clean up. Since then, there were only five or six familiar faces coming and going in the courtyard. Because there were no extra eyes, Hua Rong was particularly impolite when she spoke. She pushed Die'er to the wall and grabbed Die'er's shoulders as if threatening her.
Die'er was young and timid. After being caught by Huarong, she was so scared that she couldn't even raise her head and her body kept shaking.
"Die'er," Hua Rong probably realized that Die'er had been subdued by her, and stopped making things difficult for her. She whispered, "There is still a lot of time ahead. As long as you are obedient, you can follow Concubine Zhao and ascend step by step. You should be thankful that Concubine An burned your mouth with hot oil, because in this palace... the dumb live the longest."
After saying this, Hua Rong turned around and was about to leave.
But suddenly, he heard a burst of hurried footsteps behind him. Turning back, he saw that it was another palace maid named "Nuanhong" who was serving in the right courtyard.
Nuanhong is about the same age as Die'er, but she is quite clever in being lazy. She is always clumsy when doing things, either kicking over buckets or breaking dishes. If she were assigned to a strict queen like Concubine An, she would definitely be punished every now and then, but fortunately she was assigned to the right courtyard to live with Zhaoji, and has not been scolded so far.
At this moment Nuanhong ran over hurriedly and almost tripped on the steps.
Hua Rong helped her up and asked, "What's wrong? You ran like a lost soul."
When Nuanhong saw Huarong, she bowed with great respect, as if she had seen her aunt in charge, and panted, "Mother... Mother... Mother... Mother... Mother..."
"Speak slower." Hua Rong couldn't help but frowning when she saw that she seemed to be dying with every word she spoke.
"Mother, Mother she..." Nuanhong kept stroking her chest with her hands to calm herself down. After finally regaining her normal breathing, she shouted in her naturally loud voice, "Mother she... Mother she will be back soon."
"What?" Hua Rong was stunned, and her intuitive reaction was that she had heard it wrong.
Although Die'er couldn't speak, she subconsciously took a step forward and grabbed Nuanhong's sleeve, asking with her eyes if it was true.
Nuanhong impatiently brushed Die'er's hand away, rushed to Huarong and said, "Sister, the eunuch from the Ministry of Internal Affairs just came to tell us that the queen will be back soon, so we should prepare well."
"Did the Queen Mother order it to be released?" Hua Rong asked solemnly.
"Yes, yes." Nuanhong nodded hurriedly and said, "It was the Queen Mother who ordered it to be released."
"Why did the Queen Mother release Zhao Ji? Did she say that she would plead guilty, demote her, or put her under house arrest?" Hua Rong asked again.
As the saying goes, you can escape the death penalty but you can’t escape the punishment of living punishment. There must be some other punishment, right?
Nuanhong thought for a while, then shook her head and said, "No...it seems like there is nothing..."
This is so strange... Hua Rong couldn't help but frowned slightly, and suddenly thought of Yun Zhen, and hurriedly looked up and asked, "Where is the Imperial Master?"
Yun Zhen was imprisoned in the dungeon with Zhao Ji. Now that Zhao Ji has been released, what will happen to Yun Zhen? It is impossible that he has also been released, right?
Nuanhong said, "The Imperial Master is probably still in prison."
Hua Rong whispered to herself, "It seems that the Queen Mother did not let go of Concubine Baogui, but only let go of Concubine Zhao..."
But why? What did the Queen Mother fear about Zhao Ji? Or what was she planning?
Hua Rong was just thinking about it when she saw Die'er turn around and run towards the door, probably wanting to go and welcome Concubine Zhao back.
"Die'er, why are you running? Go and prepare hot water for the queen to bathe." Nuanhong stamped her feet anxiously. Boiling water and fetching water were the most tiring and difficult jobs. If Die'er ran away, it would be her turn.
Without waiting for Nuanhong to chase Die'er back, Huarong ordered, "Die'er, go and welcome Concubine Zhao. You go and prepare some hot water."
"Ah? I...I'll go?" Nuanhong looked very reluctant.
Huarong glared at her.
So Nuanhong obediently responded "Yes..." and walked towards the boiler.
***
When Huarong arrived outside the right courtyard gate, Die'er had already been standing there, looking forward to it.
Hua Rong stood behind her calmly, lowering her head to think about the reason why the Queen Mother released Concubine Zhao.
She had already heard from the Imperial Household Department about the uproar that Concubine Zhao had caused at the execution ground.
At that time, the Queen Mother was so angry with Zhao Ji that she wanted to kill her with her own sword to vent her hatred, but why did she suddenly decide to spare Zhao Ji and Yun Zhen's lives and only lock them up in the dungeon? What's even more strange is that Zhao Ji was released before she had been locked up for two hours, as if nothing had happened.
Huarong and Die'er waited for about a quarter of an hour, and finally saw a small group of people appear in their sight.
From a distance, those people were wearing guard uniforms, most of them were the guards who escorted Concubine Zhao back from the dungeon.
Die'er rushed forward anxiously, while Huarong just stood there waiting.
Ji Anni, who was sent back to the right courtyard by ten guards, had a face as pale as frost. After she forced out a faint smile to Die'er who came forward to support her, she showed no expression at all.
Die'er helped Ji Anni to the right side of the courtyard gate, and Ji Anni's eyes met Huarong's.
Hua Rong slightly bent her knees and saluted, saying, "Your Highness, please return to the palace." After that, she walked forward, supported Ji Anni's other arm, and said softly, "Your Highness is tired, go back to your room and have a good rest."
Ji Anni didn't say anything, but just followed her into the yard silently.
The guards finished their mission and left. The right courtyard suddenly became quiet again. Only the footsteps of Ji Anni, Hua Rong, and Die Er could be heard on the corridor. Other than that, there was dead silence.
After returning from the execution ground, Ji Anni was directly locked up in the dungeon. She didn't wash her face or change her clothes. She smelled of blood all over her body. Not only that, her face was frighteningly pale, like a living, walking zombie.
The three of them walked a short distance in silence, and suddenly Huarong raised her chin to Die'er and said, "Die'er, go prepare some clean clothes for the queen."
There was a hint of an attempt to get Die'er away in these words.
Die'er refused to leave and held Zhaoji's hand tightly, staring at Huarong with great determination.
Hua Rong glared at her with disgust, as if scolding her with her eyes for forgetting what she had just said to her so quickly.
At this time, Ji Anni's slow voice broke the tense atmosphere: "Die'er, go prepare your clothes."
Die'er opened her eyes wide in disbelief and refused to let go of Ji Anni's hand.
Finally, Ji Anni had to brush Dier's hand away and repeated, "Dieer, go ahead. Don't worry about me, I'm fine."
Since Ji Anni has said this much, even if Die'er is unwilling, she has to obey the order and leave.
Ji Anni and Hua Rong stood there, in the empty corridor with no one coming in or out, and watched Die'er leave quietly.
Until Die'er's back was completely out of sight, Ji Anni still didn't look away. She just stared blankly ahead and asked softly, "Hua Rong, answer me a question honestly... You are the calmest and most accurate person I know... I want you to tell me clearly now, what will happen to Yun Zhen...?"