Long Feiye's attitude when he visited the prisons at the justice courts and his behavior in Medical City had completely fooled Emperor Tianhui. Add that to the fact that Long Tianmo's case had failed, and there was no way Emperor Tianhui could sit still.
As soon as he heard news of Long Fei Ye and Han Yunxi's return, he summoned them for an audience immediately.
See, Eunuch Xue came personally to invite them in. Even a sedan chair was waiting at the gates.
Gu Beiyue's question reminded Han Yunxi that it wasn't a good idea for her to enter the palace alone without Long Fei Ye.
"Zhao mama, go ask His Highness when he'll be back," Han Yunxi instructed.
Without a choice, Zhao mama shook her head. "Chu Xifeng's not here either. I don't think anyone else in the estate knows."
"Send someone to the Solitary Enclosure and Hidden Pavilion to search."
These were Long Fei Ye's two secret courtyards in Tianning's capital city. If he was in the capital, he'd spend most of his time there.
Zhao mama was from the palace and knew the severity of the situation. She quickly sent someone to search, but the retainers soon returned to report that His Highness wasn't at the Hidden Pavilion or the Solitary Enclosure. He'd left the city in the afternoon.
After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Eunuch Xue couldn't wait any longer. He kept urging, "Esteemed wangfei, we can't keep waiting like this! If His Highness isn't here, you should go to the palace first. His Majesty's waiting! "
Han Yunxi personally offered him some good tea and secretly stuffed a pouch of silver into Eunuch Xue's hands. "Eunuch Xue, His Highness will be here soon."
Eunuch Xue glanced at the pouch with disdain. It wasn't enough!
Han Yunxi added another pouch. "Eunuch Xue, you've worked hard as well. Have some tea and rest."
Eunuch Xue finally took a liking to it. He didn't avoid Gu Beiyue and Mu Qingwu's presence and accepted the money as a matter of course.
Han Yunxi thought it was settled, but Eunuch Xue stood up as soon as he put away the money. Calm and composed, he said, "If esteemed wangfei doesn't enter the palace soon, this old servant will return. When His Majesty decides to punish me, heheh, the crime of defying an edict isn't a small one!"
F * ck …
Han Yunxi sucked in a breath of cold air. It was fine that this old eunuch didn't accept the money, but he still dared to say such words after receiving the money. Was he deliberately playing with her?
Han Yunxi narrowed her eyes and stared at Eunuch Xue Coldly. Eunuch Xue had obviously come prepared as he boldly met Han Yunxi's gaze.
Gu Beiyue and Mu Qingwu could both tell that Eunuch Xue was trying to stir up trouble while the King of Qin was away.
"Esteemed wangfei, please calm your anger."
Granny Zhao also noticed this and secretly tugged at the corner of Han Yunxi's clothes, persuading her, "You have to look at the master before you hit the dog. Bear with it."
If esteemed wangfei made a move, Heaven knows what kind of charges Eunuch Xue would accuse her of. Eunuch Xue was here on behalf of Emperor Tianhui to invite her.
"If the money is fed to the dog, it can bark a few times!" Han Yunxi whispered. Of course, she could see that this was a trap.
"Eunuch Xue, then let's go first," she endured.
"Esteemed wangfei, this one was just about to enter the palace to see His Majesty. Let's go together," Mu Qingwu quickly stepped forward.
"Young General, it's already so late. Without His Majesty's decree, you won't be able to enter the palace. This old servant advises you not to wade into these muddy waters. "
Mu Qingwu was about to retort when Han Yunxi gave him a look that stopped him from saying anything more.
In this period of apprehension, it wasn't easy to wade into the muddy waters between Emperor Tianhui and His Highness Duke of Qin. Currently, Emperor Tianhui wasn't easy to provoke, but His Highness Duke of Qin was as steady as Mount Tai.
Both inside and outside of the imperial clan, court officials, and aristocratic families were all watching from the sidelines.
Mu Qingwu couldn't even protect himself, but he still dared to step forward. He could be considered a real man now.
But it would be useless even if he went. The person in the palace was none other than Tianning's highest ruler.
If he couldn't even protect himself, he'd only end up worse off if he went.
"Imperial Physician Gu, Young General, I won't entertain you today. We'll continue another day," Han Yunxi's face was magnanimous and elegant.
Mu Qingwu didn't speak, but he followed Han Yunxi and Eunuch Xue the entire way. Gu Beiyue didn't express his stance, but he followed closely behind Han Yunxi as well.
But by the time they reached the gates, they saw Long Fei Ye standing by the carriage with his hands clasped behind his back. His posture was tall and handsome, his aura steady and vigorous.
In an instant, everyone stopped in their tracks. Han Yunxi's lips quirked up as she knew she was safe.
She had no idea that the Duke of Qin's estate had sent people to guard her after Aunt Ru left that night. If anything happened, Long Fei Ye would know.
Eunuch Xue was caught off guard and stood rooted to the spot.
After all, the emperor had already made inquiries before coming here. His Highness Duke of Qin wasn't in the city at all.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Long Fei Ye extended a hand towards Han Yunxi. "Still not coming over?"
He seemed to ask her this question often.
"Han Yunxi, still not coming over?"
"Han Yunxi, still not leaving?"
Even though his tone was cold and impatient, Han Yunxi especially liked the sound of it. She eagerly walked over, overjoyed to no end.
Of course, she didn't forget to add some laxatives when she passed by Eunuch Xue.
Eunuch Xue kept his head bowed, too afraid to even fart.
Leaving aside the fact that Emperor Tianhui was taking advantage of His Highness Duke of Qin's absence to make things difficult for Han Yunxi, even if Emperor Tianhui had told him to do so, he couldn't do it!
Long Fei Ye led Han Yunxi to the carriage and was about to climb in himself when he turned back. "Eunuch Xue, when did Imperial Brother give you such special privileges that you don't have to pay your respects to your lordship?"
Indeed, Eunuch Xue had forgotten. He quickly fell to one knee. "This old servant greets Your Highness Duke of Qin. May Your Highness be blessed!"
But Long Feiye didn't even spare him a glance. Without a word, he climbed into the carriage and left.
Mu Qingwu and Gu Beiyue stared fixedly at the carriage. They were both helpless and unwilling, but also relieved that Long Fei Ye had taken Han Yunxi away.
It wasn't until the carriage had vanished into the night that they withdrew their gazes. The two of them exchanged glances and smiled at each other, feeling like they understood each other.
As for Eunuch Xue, Long Fei Ye hadn't allowed him to rise. Heaven knows how long he'd be kneeling in front of the Duke of Qin's gates.
When beating a dog, one had to look at its master first. Long Fei Ye wasn't just helping Han Yunxi vent her anger, but beating a dog for the world to see.
When Long Fei Ye and Han Yunxi arrived at the palace, they were told that Emperor Tianhui was holding a banquet with the empress dowager.
When the two of them arrived at the Palace of Heaven and Earth, they discovered that Crown Prince Long Tianmo and Qinwang Rong were both present as well.
What was this rhythm? What was going on?
"Ye 'er, is your mufei well?" the empress dowager was still polite to Long Fei Ye.
Long Fei Ye nodded but didn't answer.
"I heard that she often goes to Marquis Pingbei's estate to see Murong Wanru?" the empress dowager asked next.
"I'm not clear."
Long Fei Ye could always make the empress dowager feel awkward with a few words. She couldn't ask any more questions, so she took Han Yunxi's hand and patted it lightly. "Yunxi, you saved the crown prince's life again this time. Today, not only will the emperor reward you, but I'll reward you well too!"
So she was telling her to go to the palace to receive her reward? Han Yunxi felt like she was overthinking things.
She put on a false smile and said, "Chenqie will be satisfied if I don't have to bear the blame and go to jail. I really don't dare accept the reward."
With Long Fei Ye sitting by her side, she didn't hold back with her words.
"Emperor, look, this girl's blaming you. You almost wronged a good person and harmed Tianmo's life!" the empress dowager pretended to reprimand.
"It doesn't matter if chenqie is wronged. The crown prince's life is more important. As long as the crown prince is well and sound, what's a bit of grievance for chenqie?"
Han Yunxi spoke so generously, but everyone present was smart enough to understand her meaning.
Emperor Tianhui was using the crown prince's life as a bargaining chip to wrongly accuse her! And now she was sowing discord!
Hatred flitted past Emperor Tianhui's eyes. If there was a medicine for regret in this world, then the one thing he regretted the most was being softhearted and trusting Long Feiye so easily that he didn't torture Han Yunxi to death in the prisons.
The crown prince was already a chess piece that he'd discarded, but Han Yunxi had not only saved him, but also sowed discord.
She was purposely making trouble for him!
Still, Emperor Tianhui had underestimated the situation. This was no longer trouble, but hatred.
Long Tianmo looked calm, but his hands had long clenched into fists beneath the table. He hated this father of his bitterly!
If not for this incident, he would still be working hard to share his father's burdens and become a qualified heir to the throne.
But now he understood that the best way to keep his position as crown prince was to ascend the throne as soon as possible. He couldn't just sit and wait for death and be toyed with in his father's hands.
The struggle for the throne wasn't just a battle between brothers, but father and son as well!
"Crown prince, what do you think?" Emperor Tianhui asked.
Long Tianmo was smart enough to avoid the question. He stood up and raised his cup. "I've made Imperial Father worry these past few years. Erchen will punish myself with three cups of wine."
Only then did Emperor Tianhui nod his head in satisfaction. "Sit down. You should know why Zhen cultivated you for so many years."
Originally, she'd wanted to make trouble for Han Yunxi, but Han Yunxi had instigated discord instead. The last thing the empress dowager wanted to see was the emperor and crown prince turn against each other.
The emperor was her son, while the other was her grandson who would directly affect the rise and fall of her maternal family. What she wanted most was for the crown prince to smoothly ascend the throne.
"Someone come, bring out the item I've prepared," the empress dowager changed the topic just in time.
A servant girl presented a dark green jade bracelet with a lustrous emerald luster. Even an ignorant person would know that it was top-grade jade.
"This was left to me by the empress dowager. It's been with me for many years. Yunxi, today I'll give it to you, "the empress dowager said as she personally put it on for Han Yunxi.
Han Yunxi subconsciously withdrew her hand, overwhelmed by the favor. Was this really the rhythm of bestowing a gift? That couldn't be, right?
In the end, the empress dowager pulled her hand back. "You girl, are you disdaining it?"
"No, no, it's too precious. Chenqie really …"
The empress dowager wouldn't allow Han Yunxi to refuse, but insisted on placing the bracelet on her wrist.
Han Yunxi glanced at Long Fei Ye. Seeing that he didn't speak, she silently accepted the bracelet.
At this moment, Emperor Tianhui's reward arrived as well. It was none other than an imperial edict.
Seeing this, Han Yunxi immediately looked towards Long Fei Ye, who was already knitting his brows.
An imperial edict was something that couldn't be disobeyed even with sufficient reasons. Back then, Long Fei Ye had disobeyed the edict and refused to marry Duanmu Yao. He'd paid a hefty price for doing so.
This imperial edict made Han Yunxi the Right Courtyard Head of the Imperial Physician Courtyard, while the former Head of the Imperial Physician Courtyard, Gu Beiyue, the Left Courtyard Head. Both would enjoy the salary of a third-rank official.
After the eunuch finished reading, Han Yunxi gave a start. She was too surprised. It was already difficult to be a daughter-in-law of the imperial family, much less an official of the imperial family.
Emperor Tianhui's move was truly ruthless!
But there was something even more ruthless to come …
To the Reader: Reporting, Momo needs to save up drafts so she can fix bugs. So starting today, she'll update twice on September 1st. Starting tomorrow, she'll update at noon.
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