Zui Gu🔞 ( mtl)

62

　　 Yan Zhaozhao specially asked someone to carry the ceremonial procession back to Fengyi Palace, so that everyone in the palace would know that she had returned openly and that she was still the Empress of the Central Palace, so as to avoid any rumors about her in the future.

　　After Biluo got the news, she was waiting outside the gate of Fengyi Palace early. When she saw that Yan Zhaozhao really returned safely, she felt her eyes warm and hurried forward to help her own queen get off the ceremonial procession. "My queen, you have suffered." When she touched Yan Zhaozhao's arm, which was even thinner than before, her heart was slightly bitter.

　　Yan Zhaozhao said nothing, but raised her hand and patted Biluo's back of the hand to comfort her, and then the master and servant entered the Fengyi Palace together.

　　Yan Zhaozhao sat in the main seat in the hall. She gave Biluo a subtle look, and Biluo understood instantly, and dismissed the palace maids serving in the hall. Then Biluo looked around and saw that no one was nearby, so she closed the door of the hall.

　　"My queen, you are finally back. I was so worried!" She leaned on Yan Zhaozhao's knees, pinching her legs with both hands, and the pain in her eyes could not be hidden.

　　"Don't worry, I am safe and sound. I am just afraid that someone in the palace is unhappy." Yan Zhaozhao told Biluo about the assassination in the forest that day. When she heard that there was a fierce tiger in the forest, her body trembled for a moment. It was obvious that she was also frightened by this dangerous moment.

　　"This person's mind is so vicious that he actually used such a chain of plots to kill the queen. Fortunately, the regent saved her that day..." Biluo seemed to remember something, and her voice became lighter when she mentioned Xie Ciyan, "Fortunately, the regent saved her, otherwise the queen..."

　　"Okay, now that I'm back, I won't let those people harm me again." She suddenly remembered the emperor and Yan Zhimang's close appearance as if they were alone, and she became suspicious, "What happened in the palace after I disappeared?"

　　Biluo almost didn't think about it, and she told everything after Yan Zhaozhao disappeared that day.

　　After the hunting that day, the emperor and Yan Zhimang returned to the starting point first. The emperor ordered people to roast the hunted sheep and wanted to enjoy it with his ministers. But the court officials and noble ladies came back one after another, but the queen and the regent were not there. Gradually, those court officials couldn't sit still, worried that the queen and the regent were in danger, and asked the emperor to send the imperial guards to look for them. But the emperor was not panicked at all, and asked the court officials to be patient and wait.

　　But as the sun approached dusk, there was still no sign of the queen and the regent, and the court officials could no longer sit still. There was even a rumor that the queen and the regent had a private affair and eloped under the pretext of hunting. The emperor then sent the imperial guards into the forest to look for them, but they could not find any trace of the two, but found traces of a fierce tiger.

　　The imperial guards went to report to the emperor, but he did not show the slightest worry. Instead, he heard that there was a fierce tiger lurking nearby, so he quickly ordered people to prepare to return to the palace to prevent the fierce tiger from hurting people. From beginning to end, he did not ask a single question about the queen and the regent, and he did not even care about their life or death.

　　After returning to the palace, the emperor often did not attend court, as if he was free and casual without the regent to advise and control him. He levied taxes on a large scale and wanted to build a temporary palace outside the palace. A group of ministers tried to stop the emperor, but the emperor refused to listen and ordered several scholars to be beaten to death. For a time, the court officials were in danger, but the move to build a

　　temporary palace was absolutely not allowed. Seeing the court officials' obstruction, the emperor simply stopped going to court and stayed in Guanju Palace every day to indulge in lust. The court officials knew that the emperor was putting pressure on them. As long as they did not agree to build a temporary palace, the emperor would not go to court. At that time, the poor people would still suffer. At this time, all the court officials hoped that the regent would come back as soon as possible, and they all believed that only he could stop the emperor's absurd behavior. However, they

　　never expected that the emperor would order at this time that the person who governs the harem must be there. If there is no news from the queen within a month, she will be buried in the concubine's tomb. Although the emperor said he would wait for a month, he was secretly preparing for the appointment of a new queen. Even the Ministry of Internal Affairs was rushing to make the queen's auspicious clothes, waiting for the time to come, and then he would issue an order to appoint Yan Zhiman as the queen.

　　Now, Yan Zhaozhao's return to the palace can be said to have completely interrupted the emperor's plan to appoint a new queen. Her situation in the palace will probably be even more difficult in the future.

　　"You just said that the emperor often stays in Guanju Palace?"

　　When Biluo mentioned this, her face became even uglier, "Not just often, the emperor stays in Guanju Palace every day, and now he only favors Chunpin." She couldn't stand Yan Zhiman's pretending to be weak, and couldn't help muttering, "I don't know what kind of magic potion she gave the emperor to make the emperor change his temperament so drastically."

　　Biluo's words made Yan Zhaozhao fall into deep thought. She was right. What exactly made the emperor, who had always been romantic and licentious, change his temperament so drastically. The emperor's debauchery was not developed after he ascended the throne and was blinded by beauty, but he was like this when he was a prince. It was just that the late emperor was still alive at that time, so he did not dare to do it too obviously and displease the late emperor. It is undoubtedly a fantasy for Yan Zhaozhao to believe that such a romantic man would give up other ulterior motives for a woman.

　　Thinking of the fact that the emperor preferred Yan Zhiman as the new queen after her disappearance, she became even more suspicious of Yan Zhiman. In terms of motivation, the only one who could benefit greatly from her death was Yan Zhiman, but that day, she clearly followed the emperor to ride a horse to the forest of male relatives, so how could she have time to set up all those interlocking things?

　　She always felt that there must be something extremely important missing, but she has no clue now.

　　And now, the queen mother's suspicion of her has not completely dissipated. It will not be achieved overnight to completely dispel the queen mother's suspicion and gain her trust. Yan Zhaozhao seemed to be able to sense Xie Ci Yan's sense of helplessness. Has he been walking step by step with difficulty until now?

　　Her heart was a little bitter, and she couldn't help but think of the man in black again.

　　They... haven't seen each other for nearly a month.

　　Since they parted at the inn that day, Xie Ci Yan and she went their separate ways. She and Huo Sui took a carriage back to the palace, but he had to visit an old friend first before setting off for the palace. Now, Huo Sui was also kept in the palace by the emperor, under the pretext of reminiscing about the past with a good friend he hadn't seen for a long time, but everyone knew that the emperor and Huo Sui no longer had the sincere friendship they had in their youth. Now there was only testing and precautions between the monarch and his subjects, and there was no sincerity at all.

　　Biluo knew that her queen was rescued by the Regent, but she did not return to the palace with him. She couldn't help but wonder, "Queen, will the Regent... come back to the palace?"

　　Yan Zhaozhao rubbed her aching neck, her eyebrows showing a trace of fatigue, but her eyes still lit up when she heard Xie Ciyan, "Of course."

　　Xie Ciyan... will probably be back soon.

　　She missed him...

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