In the main hall, Feng Qian and Nalan Mingzhu frowned in deep thought.
"Since the emperor in Lanyuan Palace might be a fake, then he couldn't possibly have amnesia. He's faking it. Besides, his face being disfigured was intentional. What exactly is this person trying to do?"
Feng Qian asked the question that had been on her mind.
Nalan Mingzhu looked at Hailing, who frowned and slowly said, "He must be hiding a secret. What could it be?"
Inside the main hall, all was silent; the three of them fell silent together.
In the afternoon, Xiao Luzi avoided the people in Lanyuan Palace and quietly came to Liuyue Palace. He was very careful, wondering why the Empress wanted to see him and why she had instructed him not to let anyone else know.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress."
"Get up," Hai Ling said, waking up from her afternoon nap. She was in good spirits. Ever since she learned that the emperor in Lanyuan Palace was not Ye, her mood had improved considerably, and her mental state was gradually recovering.
Xiao Luzi stood up. Inside the main hall, there was no one else, not even Feng Qian and Nalan Mingzhu. Only Hai Ling and Shi Mei were there.
"Xiao Luzi, you are the Emperor's close attendant. I have summoned you here to ask you about the events of the night the Emperor returned to the palace. Have you heard why the Emperor was injured?"
Hailin asked Xiaoluzi with concern what he had heard that night.
She now wants to know what exactly happened outside Dengzhou. The emperor was injured, so someone must have sent him back to the palace. What exactly happened at that time? As the emperor's close eunuch, Xiao Luzi must have been present at the time, so she really wants to find out.
Xiao Luzi raised an eyebrow in surprise, then replied respectfully.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor was seriously injured. It was General Lin, who was guarding Dengzhou City, who sent troops to bring the Emperor to the capital overnight. The soldiers who sent the messenger said that the Emperor was fighting with the Green Ant Tribe. Just when it seemed that the Emperor was about to win, a fireball suddenly flew out from somewhere and hit the Emperor directly. The Emperor was engulfed in flames. The horse was frightened and ran wildly with the Emperor on its back. The Green Ant Tribe members chased after them relentlessly. The border soldiers were alarmed and rushed after them to try to rescue the Emperor. Later, the Emperor was found ten miles away. His face was completely disfigured and he had many injuries. General Lin and the others did not dare to be careless and sent the Emperor to the capital overnight."
After Xiao Luzi finished speaking, he remained kneeling. Hai Ling raised her eyebrows, thinking about the situation at the time. It was most likely that Ye was switched after the horses were startled. Could it be that the people in the palace were still members of the Green Ant Clan? Did they appear here to destroy Bei Lu?
And what exactly happened at night?
Hai Ling thought about everything, a hint of anxiety in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face, and calmly asked, "Then what about General Ji?"
"I heard that General Ji has also disappeared. He was the one who was closely following the Emperor at the time. The Emperor was found, but General Ji disappeared."
"My father has disappeared?"
Hai Ling had never heard of such a thing before, and her expression changed. She suddenly stood up, and Shi Mei and Shi Lan, who were beside her, quickly helped her up, saying, "Your Highness, don't worry, everything will be alright."
"I wonder if there's any news about Father now?"
"This servant does not know."
Xiao Luzi answered honestly. Hai Ling sobered up a bit after hearing him speak. She didn't know what was going on in Dengzhou, but she had something to do right now. She couldn't just be anxious. Instead, she had to calm down, expose the true face of the fake emperor in the palace, and then go to Dengzhou. In that way, the truth would come out.
"Xiao Luzi, as the Emperor's close attendant, have you noticed anything since the Emperor returned to the palace?"
Hailin's eyes were very cold as she stared at Xiaoluzi. Xiaoluzi shook his head, not understanding what she was asking.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor generally does not allow me to serve him closely; most of the time, it is Consort Rou who serves him."
"Well then, from now on, you shall carefully observe the Emperor's every move and report any news to me."
After Hai Ling finished speaking, Xiao Lu Zi's face changed. He looked at Hai Ling in panic, wondering what the Empress wanted to do.
"Your Majesty the Empress"
Shi Mei's face was icy cold as she fiercely commanded, "Didn't you hear what Her Majesty said? Her Majesty is only concerned about the Emperor's safety. If you don't do as she says, don't blame us for being impolite."
Xiao Luzi turned pale with fright upon seeing this, and quickly nodded in acknowledgment: "This servant understands. If anything happens, I will definitely report it to Her Majesty the Empress."
"Well, don't worry too much. I'm only concerned about the Emperor. These things have nothing to do with you. You may leave."
Hai Ling spoke in a gentle tone, and Xiao Luzi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He no longer had any objections to the Empress wanting to know about the Emperor's situation. It was quite normal for the Empress to want to know about the Emperor's actions since he was not seeing her.
Xiao Luzi left, and Shi Mei and Shi Lan looked at Hai Ling with concern: "Your Highness, if Xiao Luzi reveals that you asked him to keep an eye on the Emperor, won't that cause trouble?"
"No, at most they'll think I'm just jealous, they won't think of anything else."
If she hadn't seen the person from Lanyuan Palace with her own eyes, she probably wouldn't have dared to even think about it.
"Now I can rest assured."
Shi Mei responded, "As long as Your Highness is alright, that's good. But where exactly is the Master now?"
A brief silence fell over the palace. In Lanyuan Palace, the Emperor was recuperating, with Consort Rou attending to him. The Empress remained in Liuyue Palace. Regarding the Emperor's marriage to a new concubine, the Empress neither made a fuss nor stirred any controversy. When this news spread, the people of Bianliang sighed softly for a while. It seemed that women, once they'd won someone over, would say anything. Remember how much of a commotion the Empress had caused, becoming a role model for many women? But what about now? She said nothing, simply accepting it without a second thought. So, when women say they'll only marry one man, it's all a lie.
In recent days, many men in Bianliang City have been talking about this. When the emperor promised to marry only one wife, every family made quite a fuss. Now, the situation has reversed, and every family has been scolded by the men.
Look, look! The Empress is such a beautiful and powerful person. She still acknowledged the Emperor taking concubines. So, women should stay at home and behave themselves. It's perfectly normal for men to take concubines.
Xi Liang, inside the Cangwang Mansion, heard these words and got into several arguments with people in anger. She didn't know the situation in the palace and had no way to enter. Fortunately, Hai Ling sent someone to tell her that they were alright, which made her feel a little relieved. However, hearing the rumors circulating inside and outside the capital, she was still very worried.
That damned Ye Lingfeng is utterly detestable.
If she sees Hailing again, she will definitely urge her to leave the palace and wander the world, and she will accompany her.
Outside the palace, it was bustling with activity, but inside, Hailing was peacefully recuperating, like a still string, hidden and unmoved.
On this day, a guest arrived at Liuyue Palace. It was still Miss Xiyuan from the West Mansion. As soon as she arrived, she burst into tears and grabbed Hailing's hand, asking her to help her.
"Sister Ji, you must help me, otherwise I won't be able to live!"
The little girl, Xiyuan, had red, swollen eyes and looked like a little rabbit, sobbing intermittently.
Hailing held her hand and asked her with concern what had happened. Xiyuan was not easily saddened; she couldn't keep things to herself and would usually get over them quickly. In this situation, it was clear that she had been wronged. This little girl had always liked her, and if anything happened, she wouldn't mind standing up for her.
After hearing Hai Ling's words, west Yuan finally stopped crying and looked at Hai Ling.