Chapter 51: Fate is subtle and reserved, not at all like his change…

“Reporting to the Empress, this slave is certain.”

But there wasn’t a sound from anywhere in the hall. If someone was meeting in secret, it indeed seemed a bit far-fetched. Especially since there were hardly any servants patrolling this area.

The Empress lowered her eyes, her mind turning several times, and scolded: “You fool, this Lanxu Hall is pitch black, how could it look like anyone is here?”

“Empress, please calm your anger first.” Wei Yunruo hastily interjected, “What this slave said may not necessarily be false. Look around.”

“This servant just feels it’s suspicious. The entire back palace has arranged tight security, especially today being the Dragon Boat Festival. At noon when this servant was attending to Her Majesty, I even heard the imperial guards report that they had strengthened patrols around the court discussion hall.”

“But now you’ve seen it yourself.” Wei Yunruo’s brows were solemn, but the corners of her lips curved slightly upwards, “In this servant’s view, someone must be plotting something in secret here. Where there’s smoke there’s fire, right?”

Her voice was neither high nor low, directly bringing to light what the Empress had intended to suppress. She also took the opportunity to flaunt her exclusive favor, stabbing the Empress softly yet firmly, making the Empress’s eyes grow increasingly cold.

This vixen came along with truly no good intentions.

She raised her voice, “Wei Yunruo speaks reasonably, we mustn’t miss anything. Come, search for me!”

The eunuchs following behind received the order, and the previously pitch-black Lanxu Hall was suddenly lit up brightly, creating quite a spectacle.

Wei Yunruo smiled faintly, “If we want to catch people red-handed, this servant suggests we might as well search the surroundings of Lanxu Hall as well.”

Lanxu Hall was originally the palace’s book repository, so it wasn’t difficult for the eunuchs to search. Now that Wei Yunruo had spoken, the eunuchs who had just come out of Lanxu Hall picked up their lanterns again and began carefully searching through the well-trimmed bushes and trees outside.

“Reporting to the Empress and Wei Yunruo, there is no one else in Lanxu Hall or its surroundings.” The one kneeling in front to report was Wu, the eunuch at the Empress’s side.

The Empress trusted him the most, and upon hearing the report, she nodded slightly, “Someone, drag this lying dog of a slave away and beat him to death as a warning to others!”

“Empress, spare me! Empress, spare me, this slave really didn’t lie!” The young eunuch kneeling on the ground hurriedly begged for mercy, “This matter, Qi—”

The name that almost slipped out was quickly covered by Wu’s hand. The Empress’s gaze swept over, and that eunuch immediately lost strength in his legs, not daring to speak further.

He cried out in confusion, but Wei Yunruo’s sharp ears caught it, “Wait.”

“What else does Wei Yunruo want?” The Empress was a bit impatient, “The inside and outside of this hall have already been searched thoroughly as you wished. Usually, your arrogance due to favor is one thing, but today is the Dragon Boat Festival, with all civil and military officials in the court discussion hall. Why make such a fuss over something nonexistent?”

“Empress, please calm your anger.” Wei Yunruo knelt innocently on the ground, “This servant is only thinking of the Empress’s interests. After all, not far from Lanxu Hall is Yusong Pavilion. This servant is just afraid that maybe…”

“Moreover, even if this servant doesn’t understand proper conduct usually, I know that today’s heaven worship ceremony cannot tolerate any mistakes. But this is after all Her Majesty’s back palace. If there really is something suspicious, and the Empress is deceived by these careless slaves, if something really happens, Her Majesty might blame the Empress for lax management.”

The Empress raised an eyebrow and looked at Wu. The latter immediately understood and led a group of people grandly towards Yusong Pavilion.

The Empress’s eyes were without mirth as she hooked the corner of her lips and pretended to help up the still kneeling Wei Yunruo, “I certainly understand your good intentions, but governing requires both kindness and authority. It’s not just about slaves gaining the master’s favor to last long.”

Her sarcasm was clear as she sat in the sedan chair and smiled, “Wu Feng has been able to stay by my side for so long, he must have some outstanding qualities. Even if he alone is not careful, with so many eunuchs following, I’m sure they won’t deliberately miss anything.”

“However, there’s no need for Wei Yunruo to worry too much about these things. You just need to serve Her Majesty well and quickly bear children for Her Majesty.”

“Yes.” Wei Yunruo secretly gritted her teeth and, with the help of a eunuch, also sat on the sedan chair behind.

Not far away.

Wu Feng looked at Qi Yun, who was panicking and about to jump out of the window, with a stunned expression.

He never imagined that with all the commotion from searching Lanxu Hall, this young master still hadn’t taken the opportunity to escape.

Qi Yun was even more miserable with no way to explain. Seeing the two sedan chairs approaching, the young man used both hands and feet, mustering all his strength to jump out the window and run towards the darkness.

“Someone!” Wei Yunruo seemed to have anticipated that Wu Feng wouldn’t dare to catch anyone. She changed her previous fragile demeanor and loudly commanded the group of stunned eunuchs, “Hurry and catch this chief culprit who has defiled the palace!”

She hurriedly got off the sedan chair and bowed to the Empress, apologetically saying, “I hope the Empress will forgive me. I just saw this rule-breaker trying to escape and in the heat of the moment, I overstepped and gave orders.”

“However—” Wei Yunruo blinked exaggeratedly, pointing at the young man being pressed forward by the eunuchs, “Isn’t this Young Master Qi? How did you end up in Yusong Pavilion? Could it be that the male companion that slave mentioned earlier…”

She paused timely, and the Empress’s face darkened further.

“Who is that?” Wei Yunruo, not wanting the show to end, suddenly shifted her attention to the woman being supported out by the eunuchs.

“Looking at her clothes, she seems to be a compiler from the Hanlin Academy. Strange, why would someone from the Hanlin Academy come to the back palace for no reason?”

Her series of questions hit every key point.

Qi Yun’s face turned pale as he knelt on the ground, biting his lip in silence. The Empress was even more enraged – how had the perfectly good Duchess of the Stern Prince turned into a mere compiler from the Hanlin Academy? But if she didn’t arrange the marriage for her, tonight’s Qi Yun would only become a laughingstock!

Wu Feng, having been in the palace for many years, led the eunuchs to investigate and quickly knelt before the Empress to report, “Empress, this slave just inspected Yusong Pavilion. The door seems to have been locked from the outside.”

“Yun’er, what exactly is going on?”