C22

After a dozen or so rounds, there was still no clear victor between Yuchi Chen and Yuchi Yan. Only then did the two of them stop fighting with an angry shout, and the people on the other ship immediately knelt down and kowtowed. "We greet the Empress Dowager!"

Yun Ruo Lu turned her head and saw another boat coming towards them, but the boat was bigger and more dignified, while the empress dowager was standing on the boat, looking at everything on their side.

Soon enough, a wooden plank was placed on their boat, connecting it with the Empress Dowager's boat. A young eunuch ran over from the plank and reported, "Princes, the Empress Dowager wishes to see you!"

Yuchi Chen looked at Yun Ruo Lu and signaled her to walk to the front. Although Yun Ruo Lu knew it wasn't appropriate, Yuchi Chen and Yuchi Yan stood rooted to the spot, unable to move. Helpless, she could only leave.

Yuchi Chen followed behind Yun Ruo Lu, with Yuchi Yan at the back. Although it was a simple sequence, the astute empress dowager was still able to see through it.

When the three of them arrived at the empress dowager's boat, a strange atmosphere spread among the crowd. Yun Ruo Lu could even smell the smell of gunpowder.

She hadn't expected to alarm the empress dowager, who looked to be in her fifties as spirited and graceful as ever. She was completely unlike the old and kind empress dowager she had imagined.

The empress dowager sat back on her soft chair to carefully examine the three of them before leisurely lifting a cup of tea and taking a sip. "Speak, just what kind of matter could cause all of you to act so shamelessly?"

Hearing the empress dowager's question, Yuchi Yann laughed as she walked over to the empress dowager's side, massaging her shoulders as she explained, "Empress Dowager, you misunderstand. Fifth Bro and I were just playing around and competing. It's not as you might imagine."

In front of the Empress Dowager, Yuchi Yan was like a bright and obedient boy, while Yuchi Chen was like a rogue, naughty and undisciplined person.

Yuchi Chen didn't seem to want to explain, but the empress dowager's gaze fell upon the bowing head of Yun Ruo Lu. "You're the fifth prince's secondary concubine, aren't you? If This Dowager remembers correctly, you should be called Yun Ruo Ran, the daughter of Prime Minister Yun. "

"Yes sir!" Yun Ruo Lu looked at the empress dowager in astonishment and replied simply.

Yun Ruo Lu was greatly surprised by the empress dowager's understanding of her. The ancients all valued the main wife. In the Prime Minister's Estate, she was the second young miss who had been abandoned. In the Prince's Mansion, she was just an unfavoured side concubine. How could the esteemed Empress Dowager remember someone like her, who had no name or status?

"Not bad, you have more charisma and courage than I had expected."

Seeing that Yun Ruo Lu didn't seem to understand, the empress dowager continued to say, "Other than the emperor, there's probably no one else in the palace who can speak to This Dowager like this."

Yun Ruo Lang didn't say anything, because she didn't know if the empress dowager was praising her for her guts or mocking her for being rude. Perhaps it was because of Liu Yanhan, but in her heart, she was more or less prejudiced against the empress dowager.

"Empress Dowager, if there's nothing else, this son will take his leave first!"

Perhaps it was because she did not want to continue speaking in such a roundabout manner, Yuchi Chen stood up and said. Without waiting for the empress dowager's permission, he had already dragged Yun Ruo back to the ship and quickly left.

This time, Yun Ruo Lu was so cooperative that she didn't resist. As she watched the two leave, the empress dowager sighed in her heart. "Looks like Yan'Er is right. This Yun Ruo Man really does threaten the position of first wife."

Yun Ruo Lu had been pulled onto Yuchi Yan's boat. Now, only she and Yuchi Chen were on it. The atmosphere was so cold and desolate that it could only be described as desolate.

If Yuchi Chen scolded her a few times, she would feel more at ease. What he was most afraid of was that Yuchi Chen would not say anything, but he would never be able to guess what he was thinking.

Yun Ruo stood one meter away from Yuchi Chen. She wanted to explain that she had met the Seventh Marquis because she had gotten lost, but she couldn't say it out loud.

Yuchi Chen stood silently at the bow of the boat, paddling until they were almost at the shore. He turned his back to Yun Ruo Lu and asked, "You like my seventh brother?"

Hearing Yuchi Chen's question, Yun Ruo Lu was baffled. Suddenly, she recalled the conversation between them when they were fighting and made a rough guess.

He was worried that she would betray him, but it was a pity that she wasn't truly Yunruo, that she would one day leave his side. To her, this was freedom, but to the tyrannical and domineering Yuchi Chen, it was betrayal.

Therefore, different people had different definitions of betrayal. Even if Yuchi Chen felt this way, she still had a clear conscience.

"Are you overly suspicious or too jealous? Could it be that you brought me into the palace today in order to wait in the hall for you to go off and have fun? "

Yun Ruo's two questions caused Yuchi Chen's heart to tremble. Suspicion? Jealousy? He just didn't want his things to be taken away by others, even if it was something he didn't like or even want.

"Do you know why I brought you to the palace today?"

Suddenly, Yuchi Chen asked the question that Yun Ruo Lu had always wanted to know about. She did not know how to read the minds, so no matter how smart she was, it was impossible for her to predict everything.

"Why?" Yun Ruo Lu blurted out.

"Because Ben Wang knew that Seventh Brother would enter the palace to pay his respects to the empress dowager today. Yan'er heard from the empress dowager yesterday that the empress dowager had asked Seventh Prince to come sail the boat." Therefore, This King wants to see if there's any adultery between the two of you! "

Hearing Yuchi Chen's explanation, Yun Ruo Lu laughed coldly: "Hmph, what happened in the end? You didn't disappoint the prince, did you? "

Yun Ruo Lu's stubbornness aroused Yuchi Chen's fury. With a flash, he appeared in front of her and mercilessly slapped her across the face.

It had all happened too quickly. Yun Ruo Lu had not expected that Yuchi Chen would actually hit her. That powerful palm strike had caused her to lose her balance and she fell straight onto the deck. Her hair was in disarray and blood was flowing out from the corner of her mouth.

"Don't challenge This King's patience, otherwise This King will make you wish you were dead!"

Icy cold words came from above her head. Yun Ruo Lu's heart fell to the bottom of the valley. She would never forgive this heartless and heartless person. The pain and humiliation today, she would forever remember them in her heart.

"Do you think that I do not know what you have done!?" This King knows every single move of yours! "

The anger in Yuchi Chen's eyes had yet to be extinguished. He had clearly seen the scene yesterday where Yun Ruo Lu and Yuchi Yan were in Plum Garden. Ever since he had married her, he had never been able to get that smile on his face!

"Are you watching me? Hehe … I never thought that a lowly concubine could actually receive so much attention from the Prince! "

Since he hated her so much, why not let him hate her to the end?

"Do you believe that This King will kill you right now!?"

Yuchi Chen was infuriated by Yun Ruo's words, so much so that he almost lost his mind. She felt nothing but indifference and hatred for what he had shown.

Yun Ruo Lu knew that he wouldn't really kill her, because she knew that Yuchi Chen's hatred for her could reach beyond the point of death. He would only torture her slowly.

"Grief, greater than the heart!"

"Are you really not afraid?" If you die, the entire Yun Family will disappear as well. "

After saying this, Yuchi Chen's tone was no longer excited. On the contrary, it was calm and threatening, as if he was very pleased with himself for finding out her weakness.

Yun Ruo Lu did not want to argue with Yuchi Chen anymore because it was meaningless for her to argue with Yuchi Chen.

"What a great grief is greater than death in the heart! This king can only tell you, grief is greater than the death of the heart, but we will part forever! "

Yuchi Chen's entire body emitted a dark, demonic aura, as if he was the god that could control the fates of men. His words were the commands of a god that no one could defy, let alone evade.

Yun Ruo Lu was not intimidated by Yuchi Chen's words. What happened between her and Yuchi Yan was merely a conjecture made by Yuchi Chen. Even if they were separated forever, she wouldn't feel fear or pain.

On the way back from the palace, Yun Ruo did not speak another word to Yuchi Chen. The distance between them had widened, and there was neither concern nor trust between them.

When Yun Ruo Lu returned to the Plum Garden alone, it was already close to sunset. When she arrived at the entrance of the Plum Garden, she saw Jinsi sitting on the stone steps, looking very regretful.

When Jinsi saw the peaceful cloud, he immediately flew to Yunruo's side like a lively little bird, chattering non-stop.

"Empress, you're finally back. Why did I sleep until noon and not wake me up when the Empress left?

Jinsi pouted and complained, as if she was extremely regretful that she didn't manage to go to the palace.

"We were set up by someone. Jin'er, did you meet anyone when you went to boil some water for me last night?"

The moment Yun Ruo Lu came back, she started to investigate. She wanted to know why she and Jin'er were drugged at the same time. Who was it that didn't want them to enter the palace?

Jin Se tried her best to think back. She also found it strange that she had slept for such a long time.

"Empress, I remember …" Last night, the maid Bi'er who was by the princess' side came over. She went to the water house to fetch water for the princess as well, and even helped me take a hot bath along the way. "

"Bi'er …" You've only met her alone? "

Today, when Yuchi Chen had brought her into the palace, she had already set up a trap for the people that Yun Ruo was suspicious of. Liu Yanhan also knew very well that. Logically speaking, Liu Yanhan should have hoped that she would fall into a trap, but how could she have fallen into a trap? With regards to this, Yun Ruo Lu could only be baffled.

"No, it should have been very late by then. Except for Bi'er, no one had come into contact with me."

She also thought that Bi'er was a member of the royal concubine and would definitely help the princess harm her own concubine.

Was it really Liu Yanhan? Definitely not! This matter was definitely not as simple as they had imagined. Perhaps, a bigger scheme was waiting for them behind the scenes.

"Jinsi, how is the language I taught you?"

Hearing Yun Ruo Lu's sudden change in topic, Jinsi could not react for a while, and replied hesitantly, "Then … "That, is much better than before."