newbobooks Chapter 548 Sister Ruohan is really angry with her.
Chapter 548 Sister Ruohan is really angry with her.
Chu Ruohan stood outside the Kunning Palace, watching the palace servants hurrying by and listening to the faint sound of weeping in the distance, her heart turning cold.
Would you say she delivered herself into the emperor's and empress's hands, becoming a pawn in their game?
As she was lost in thought, Su Wan's personal maid, Hua Ping, quietly approached and curtsied.
"Madam, please wait."
Chu Ruohan snapped out of her daze and looked at her.
Hua Ping lowered her eyes and spoke softly, "Madam Duchess, please don't blame Her Majesty the Empress. Her Majesty didn't want to involve you, but this matter is of great importance, and Her Majesty had no choice."
"It just so happened that you entered the palace that day, so... so I took advantage of the situation."
Chu Ruohan said calmly, "The Empress's pregnancy is now stable and the harem is peaceful, which is a great thing."
Her tone was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.
Hua Ping sighed inwardly, knowing that the Duchess probably harbored some resentment, but she didn't say anything more. She could only bow again and watch Chu Ruohan leave.
Outside the palace gates, Gu Junze was already waiting by the carriage. When he saw Chu Ruohan come out, he went to greet her and took her arm.
"Is everything settled?"
Chu Ruohan nodded and got into the carriage.
The carriage moved slowly, and the atmosphere inside was somewhat oppressive.
Chu Ruohan leaned back on the cushion, rubbed her temples, and finally couldn't help but speak.
"For no reason, I was used as a pawn. It was clearly a scheme by the couple, but they dragged me into it, and I can't even complain."
Her tone was tinged with frustration, "That Consort Hui was also stupid. Did she really think that with just a bit of beauty, she could hold a place in a man's heart for a long time?"
"Being so sweet-talked by the Emperor that he almost forgot his own name and surname is why he ended up like this."
Gu Junze listened quietly, handed her a glass of warm water, and waited until she calmed down before saying in a deep voice, "Do you really think that Her Majesty the Empress's child is only a little over a month old?"
Chu Ruohan was taken aback, and her hand holding the teacup stopped.
She suddenly looked up at Gu Junze, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
The imperial physician said that it had been more than a month since Consort Hui lost her child, and the Empress was found to be pregnant again only half a month later. The timing seemed to make sense.
But Chu Ruohan thought back to Su Wan's slip of the tongue that day, saying "country girls don't understand pharmacology," and realized that she had clearly been prepared for this.
Gu Junze looked at her with deep eyes: "Consort Hui lost her child, and the Empress became pregnant shortly afterward. The timing is too coincidental."
"If it really only came about back then, why make such a big fuss, with talk of poisoning and framing?"
Chu Ruohan gasped, a horrifying thought surfacing in her mind, leaving her speechless.
"That's just..." she began instinctively, then abruptly shut her mouth.
She was already pregnant before the Emperor and Empress's wedding!
In order to clear obstacles in the palace for the future eldest son, and to silence public opinion and prevent people from criticizing the empress for losing her virginity before marriage, this grand scheme was devised.
Drawing everyone's attention to Consort Hui's conspiracy, she then conveniently "discovered" her pregnancy...
If a prince is born legitimately, even if the month is off, they can simply claim that Consort Hui plotted against him, causing the prince to be born prematurely.
“Su Wan…” Chu Ruohan murmured, “She is no longer the naive herb-gathering girl she once was.”
This deep palace truly can carve rough jade into the sharpest weapon.
Gu Junze grasped her hand, his voice low, "It would be best if you went to the palace less often in the future. We don't need to get involved in their schemes."
Chu Ruohan nodded, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
Only then did she truly realize just how deep and terrifying the mind of this young emperor could be.
The seemingly gentle empress was no less ruthless.
From then on, Chu Ruohan rarely entered the palace.
Even for the New Year's Eve palace banquet at the end of the year, she claimed to be sick and asked for leave.
Su Wan's smile faded slightly, and a wave of sadness washed over her.
Sister Ruohan is really angry with her.
She knew she shouldn't take advantage of someone who treated her sincerely.
But she was six months pregnant and trapped within the palace walls. What could she do but use someone else's strength against her?
She looked at the snowflakes falling outside the window and sighed softly.
A thick layer of white snow covered the courtyard of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, creating a pristine and serene scene.
Xuan-ge'er has grown quite a bit taller and is now helping Gu Junze roll a big snowball with great enthusiasm.
Chu Ruohan stood to the side, holding little Qingchen, who was wrapped up like a rice dumpling in her arms.
"Daddy, grow bigger! Be taller than me!"
"Okay, I'll do as you say." Gu Junze agreed with a smile, his hands still moving.
Little Qingchen had just learned to walk and couldn't stay in her mother's arms any longer, so she twisted her body and insisted on getting down. Chu Ruohan had no choice but to carefully place her on the soft snow.
The little guy, dressed in a thick cotton-padded coat, wobbled like a roly-poly toy, shuffling towards his father and brother with uneven steps. After a couple of steps, he plopped down in the snow, not crying, but just giggling.
Gu Junze turned around, picked her up, patted the snow off her body, and kissed his daughter's chubby cheek.
Looking at the scene before her, Chu Ruohan wore a gentle smile. This was the life she had always wanted!
Under the covered walkway not far away, Song Ruyan, wrapped in a thick fox fur coat, was gazing longingly at the lively scene in the courtyard.
Her belly is now very large, making it difficult for her to move around. Dr. Qian is staying by her side every step of the way.
"I want to go too," she said, and started to walk into the yard.
Dr. Qian, who was standing next to her, grabbed her arm, his brows furrowed.
"Nonsense! It's freezing outside, and you're already carrying a heavy load. Be careful not to slip and fall."
Song Ruyan looked at the toddler taking his first steps in the yard and pouted unconvinced.
"Pay attention to my ass!" she snorted. "Little Qingchen is just a toddler, how could he be stronger than me? You're making a big fuss over nothing."
Dr. Qian was both angry and helpless. He held her arm and earnestly advised, "My dear wife, how can they be the same?"
“She falls down, dusts herself off, and gets up. If you fall, it could be a matter of life and death for both of you! Listen to me, we'll just watch from the porch.”
Hearing the noise, Chu Ruohan couldn't help but shake her head and walked towards her.
"Ruyan, don't make things difficult for Dr. Qian. He's doing this for your own good."
"Look at me, I'm getting so fat I'm practically a ball. If I don't move around more, I'm afraid I won't even be able to walk anymore," Song Ruyan complained with a pained expression, holding Chu Ruohan's hand.
Gu Junze then walked over, carrying little Qingchen. The little guy stretched out his chubby little hand and babbled in Song Ruyan's direction, calling out, "Auntie, Auntie..."
Upon seeing Xiao Qingchen, Song Ruyan immediately forgot all her worries and smiled broadly: "Oh, my good Qingchen, let Auntie hold you."
"Don't," Chu Ruohan said with a smile, stopping her. "Be careful not to strain your back again."