Chapter 622

In reality, what Liu Tan did was smart. He wanted to use Yu Shu, but he was selling a favour to Xue Rui. Unfortunately, the Xue family and Jing Wang Fu were in the same boat. Xue Rui was selling a favour for nothing.

Xue Rui understood and calmly looked at Liu Tan. He turned his head to ask Xue Lingnan: "What does grandfather think should be done?"

Xue Lingnan replied: "The matters of the hougong, us foreign officials should not interfere. But the child in your jiumu's womb is of great importance and cannot be neglected."

He didn't finish his words. Xue Rui saw a deeper meaning in his eyes. His heart jumped and he couldn't help but think — — there were many feipin in the hougong. Above guifei, there was only one Empress. If guifei successfully gave birth, her contributions would be even more prominent. If at this time, something happened to the Empress, then the Empress, who was childless and lacking in virtue, would definitely be impeached by the Imperial Censors.

When the position of Empress was empty, among the women in the hougong, who would have the qualifications to advance?

Xue Rui lightly pursed his lips. Looking at Liu Tan's still young and inexperienced face, he guessed that he definitely hadn't thought of this layer. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to sit still long ago and wouldn't have had the thought to use him.

"Grandfather, don't worry." Faced with such a situation, Xue Rui could only agree.

Xue Lingnan looked at him with satisfaction. He turned his head to say to Liu Tan: "After the Mid-Autumn Festival, it will be wang ye's grand wedding. I only hope that it will be perfect."

Liu Tan smiled and said: "At that time, grandfather must drink a few more cups of grandson's wedding wine."

Xue Rui watched from the side as the grandfather and grandson talked about an off-topic topic. One had a pleasant expression, the other was close. It was completely a scene of children and grandchildren being happy. But he was like an outsider, watching coldly from the side.

***

Yu Shu wasn't in a deep sleep. She could hear some movement in the room. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel someone sitting in front of her. She had been lying flat and turned her body. When she opened her eyes, she saw Xue Rui sitting on a chair one chi away from her. Not far away, there was a dim gauze lamp under the window. With just a few inches of light, she could barely make out the person.

"You're awake?"

"En." Yu Shu slowly sat up. She tucked her messy hair behind her ears. She reached for the teacup on the table.

Xue Rui picked up the teapot before her and refilled half of the tea in her cup.

After quenching her thirst, Yu Shu propped her head up and looked at him. "What happened at home?"

Xue Rui replied, "The Imperial Consort is indeed pregnant."

Yu Shu sat up in an instant, her eyes wide: "Rui" Tan.

"Xue Rui nodded.

Yu Shu was happy at first and then found that he didn't seem to be smiling. She asked: "What, you are not happy?"

Xue Rui asked her in return: "Why are you so happy?"

"This is a good thing," Yu Shu stated matter-of-factly to him: "First, I am a female imperial official in Kun Ling Bureau. Whichever niangniang in the palace is favoured has an effect on me. Of the Empress and the other feipin, I favor guifei the most. Now that she has the grace of the Emperor, I am happy to see it happen. Second, I don't want to see Ning Wang gain power. Of course, it's better if the Ninth Prince gains power. "

Hearing her honest words, Xue Rui sighed: "You are really honest."

Yu Shu reached out to poke him: "It's your turn to speak. Why are you unhappy?"

Xue Rui could have used a roundabout way to tell her what Liu Tan had entrusted to him, and first made it clear that he was in a difficult position and that he had no choice. He did not want her to think that he had any intention of doing anything for her, but he did not. He told her just as plainly:

"I want you to help read fortune for guifei and ensure the safety of the child in her womb."

The people outside all thought that she could read life and death. Only he knew her background. What she was truly skilled at was determining fortune and misfortune. Xue Rui was more confident than Liu Tan. As long as she was willing to put effort into this matter, then the child in guifei's womb would be safe. Absolutely safe.

Also, this was a shortcut, a shortcut that could free him from the heavy shackles of the Xue family.

Yu Shu thought for a moment before agreeing: "Yes, I want to know guifei's birthday. Starting tomorrow, I will read for her until she safely gives birth."

She readily agreed. Xue Rui didn't feel relaxed and said in a deep voice: "Think carefully. Participating in this matter is not the same as you agreeing to tamper with the Book of Kun."

Yu Shu didn't understand the hidden meaning in his words. In her opinion, these two things were both to help guifei Xue. What difference could there be?

Xue Rui patiently explained to her: "Once you start to read fortune for guifei and find that someone is plotting against her, I want you to tell me the details as soon as possible. Think about it now. Who doesn't want to see guifei safely give birth?"

"Prince Ning?" The first person Yu Shu thought of was the two-faced dog Lord.

"If you can know in advance when Prince Ning will make a move, how much chance do you think you can make him go for wool and come home shorn?"

Yu Shu's eyes brightened. This was the drama where Prince Ning sent someone to harm guifei but failed. After the matter was exposed, he was stripped of his title and driven out of the capital by the emperor in a rage.

"Three years ago, there was no evidence that Prince Ning framed the Tenth Princess. As time passed, it was difficult to investigate. This time, if I can catch Prince Ning in the act, I will not let him go." Xue Rui said in a low voice and asked her:

"Think again. Who else?"

"… The Empress?"

"Yes, and the Empress," Xue Rui said slowly, "The Empress has been in charge of the six palaces for more than ten years. She has no children. There are seven laws: 'When a woman reaches fifty years of age and has no children, she can choose a concubine as the eldest. If she is not virtuous, she should be abandoned.' The Empress is forty-seven years old this year, a little older than the emperor. It seems that it is difficult for her to have a child. She is nearly fifty years old. Seeing guifei is pregnant, she is more anxious than anyone else. If she harms the dragon and the matter is exposed, she will be impeached —"

"Think again. If the Empress is deposed, which concubine is most likely to be promoted by the emperor?"

"Imperial concubine," Yu Shu swallowed her saliva. In this way, Liu Tan would directly become a prince of the first wife! Then what else is there to fight for? What is there to fight for?

"So, no matter who will harm guifei, it can shake the whole court. Now do you know whether you are involved in this matter or not? Do you know what it means? It's fine if it succeeds, but if it fails, can you bear the consequences? "

Listening to Xue Rui's explanation, Yu Shu found that she had thought too simply. If she agreed to help him calculate fortune and misfortune for guifei, then she would be completely on the "pirate ship" and it would be difficult to get off.

Historically, there were only two outcomes for those who failed in the fight for the throne: death, and a life worse than death.

This made her hesitate again. Compared to Ning Wang becoming the Crown Prince, she was more willing to see Liu Tan become the Crown Prince. Otherwise, she would not have been willing to help Xue Guifei change the Book of Great Earth and ignore the Empress and Shu Fei.

However, she did not forget that the starting point of everything she did was to escape the death trap of the person who broke the fate, to save her life. But who knew how long it would take for Liu Tan to sit on the throne after he became the Crown Prince?

It was hard to say if the Emperor would deal with her during this time. Then whether Liu Tan would become the Crown Prince, whether he would be able to become the Emperor in the future. In the end, it could not decide if she could keep her little life.

Was there a need for her to take such a risk for an unnecessary matter?

If it was someone else, they would definitely think for a few days, but for Yu Shu, who often toyed with probability, it was just the time it took to drink a sip of tea.

"Da ge, you don't have to scare me. I will do this. Come, let's clap hands and agree. Whoever regrets is a bastard."

One of her principles was — rather than waiting for death, it was better to take the initiative and attack.

Furthermore, she had confidence in Xue Rui. She could divine the mastermind who wanted to harm guifei, so Xue Rui would definitely be able to make them reveal their true colors.

Yu Shu was still sitting on the soft couch at this time. Her hair, which had just woken up, was loose and disheveled. A tuft of it stuck up on the top of her head. Her serious appearance of raising her hand and swearing was very silly, but in Xue Rui's eyes, it was extremely cute.

"Pah."

Xue Rui raised his hand and lightly patted her palm, making a crisp sound. However, he did not move away. Instead, he took the opportunity to hold her entire hand. He moved in front of her and pecked the back of her warm hand.