kingnovel Chapter 661: What is the difference between being banished to the cold palace
Chapter 661: What is the difference between being banished to the cold palace
Shen Xinran curled up into a ball and sobbed softly.
At Nian Susu's signal, Zhihua covered Shen Xinran with the blanket and then returned to Nian Susu's side.
The ministers' boats gathered around, and thinking back to what had just happened, they still felt that it was too dangerous, and each of them had a lingering fear on their faces.
Nian Susu used his sleeve to wipe the water stains on Qin Junyu's face.
He gave her a reassuring look, "Don't worry, I'm fine."
Nian Susu was still worried.
The moment Qin Junyu's eyes moved away from her, his pupils shrank, his gaze became cold, and a creepy chill emanated from his whole body.
"Shen Baolin, right?" He sneered, "Great! You dare to murder me in public!"
The ministers were terrified as this was a serious crime.
Shen Xinran just wanted to attract the emperor's attention. Anyone with eyes could see it, but why did they both fall into the water? Was it also part of Shen Xinran's plan?
In any case, Shen Xinran should not have any bad intentions, but the emperor put the hat of "murder" on her head, and not only Shen Xinran, but the entire Shen family will be implicated.
Shen Qiyuan was so frightened that his face turned pale. He knelt down holding the edge of the boat, "Your Majesty, please understand! Shen Baolin definitely did not mean it! She was just a powerless woman, how dare she murder you in front of so many people!" Shen Qiyuan cried and wailed with emotion, and those who heard him frowned and those who listened were skeptical.
Shen Xinran also knew that she must not be slandered. She knelt on the ground wrapped in a blanket and begged for mercy, crying and saying, "I slipped and subconsciously grabbed the emperor's arm, so I caused you to fall into the water. It was definitely not intentional! Please understand, Your Majesty!"
Qin Junyu knew what she was thinking, but he didn't want to let her off easily. He asked with a stern face, "You didn't mean to? Then why did you lead me to the side of the boat? You couldn't stand steadily when I was next to you. Do you believe that you didn't mean to do that?"
Who can believe it?
The emperor doesn't believe it, so anyone who believes it is against him.
Nian Susu sighed, saying that it was okay to compete for favor, but it was wrong to harm others and yourself.
Shen Xinran shot herself in the foot this time.
"Your Majesty, I really didn't mean it..." Shen Xinran looked at him aggrievedly.
Qin Junyu put his hands behind his back, raised his chin slightly and didn't hear anything.
"Your Majesty, Shen Baolin only wants to win your favor, how could he harm you? There must be a misunderstanding!" Shen Qiyuan broke out in a cold sweat. He wanted to explain himself but didn't know where to start, so he could only repeat what he had just said.
Shen Xinran's crying was annoying.
In the end, Qin Junyu did not severely punish the Shen family, but only classified the incident as an accident and punished Shen Xinran with house arrest for a month. Shen Qiyuan was also deducted half a year's salary for failing to educate his daughter. Although he felt sorry for the money, it was better than losing his whole family's heads. Shen Qiyuan was grateful and bowed his head to express his gratitude.
Shen Xinran was heartbroken. What was the difference between being confined to the cold palace and being banished to the imperial harem? She hadn't even served the emperor in bed yet, and today the emperor hated her. After a month, would she still have a place in the harem?
Not only did he lose the rice, he also failed to gain the chicken. Shen Xinran was so confused that she fainted.
The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet turned into such an embarrassing mess. Everyone was filled with resentment, but they dared not speak out.
Qin Junyu was no longer in the mood to celebrate the festival. He left in a boat with a gloomy face, and Nian Susu naturally followed him.
The ministers in Qianli Lake looked at each other in bewilderment. The emperor was gone, so what festival were they celebrating? No one was in the mood to enjoy the moon and drink, so the dinner ended.
The road leading to Xizhimen was lit up on both sides, leading directly to the outside of the palace.
The ministers walked out with their families. There were many people on the road, but the atmosphere was very depressing. Occasionally, voices could be heard, but it was difficult to hear clearly because they all spoke in low voices.
……
The concubines returned to the palace one by one. There was a section of road that they had to take from the Imperial Garden to the harem, and they walked together as a group. The topic all revolved around the accident that had just happened.
"It's so annoying! I haven't even danced the dance I prepared for so long, and the emperor just left like that!"
"Me too. I practiced a piece of music for three months but didn't even have a chance to perform."
"We can't help it. Shen Baolin was the second to appear, and something like that happened. We should be thankful that the emperor is fine, otherwise no one would be in the mood to talk about this now."
This sentence made everyone silent.
Everyone has complaints, but as long as nothing goes wrong, it is the best outcome.
Some of them quickened their pace and the compact team gradually dispersed, with the distance between them widening a lot.
Although the road was illuminated by lights, the deep palace walls and the cool breeze made people feel cold. It was still scary to walk alone, so everyone stayed closer to their maids.
Qiu Minjing and Yang Zhitao walked at the back. They lived in Lingxi Palace together and had company on the way back, so they were not afraid of falling behind.
But there was a person in front of them who was walking by herself, without even bringing a palace maid with her. Seeing the person in front of her walking farther and farther away until he disappeared into the darkness, she was not in a hurry at all, and her steps remained at the same pace.
Yang Zhitao narrowed her eyes and identified, "Sister Qiu, that seems to be Ma Changzai."
Ma Chunxi was on the same boat as them, and was the last one to land among all the concubines' boats, so her speed was not much faster than theirs.
Xiyan Palace where Ma Chunxi lived was in opposite directions from Lingxi Palace, and they would separate after walking another hundred steps.
"Sister, do we want to see Ma Changzai off?" Yang Zhitao asked in a low voice.
Now that everyone has left, Ma Chunxi lives alone, and when she reaches a fork in the road, she will have to walk alone at night. Yang Zhitao thought about it from her perspective. If she were in this situation, she would definitely hope that someone would give her a ride.
Qiu Minjing was thinking the same thing. The two exchanged glances, quickened their pace, and caught up with Ma Chunxi.
"Ma Changzai, let us take you back. It's not safe for you to go alone." Qiu Minjing had a friendly smile on her face.
Ma Chunxi glanced at the two of them as if they were fools, and thought: If we really encounter criminals, who knows who will be unsafe.
Isn't it the most dangerous for these two weaklings to wander around at night? They can't even guarantee their own safety, and they are actually worried about others.
Stupid.
However, she did not speak her mind and coldly rejected their kindness.
Yang Zhitao insisted on persuading her: "Ma Chang, don't worry. I live with Sister Qiu and two palace maids. After I send you to the palace, we will go back together. Nothing will happen."
Ma Chunxi was embarrassed and rolled his eyes in disdain, "Who is worried about you?"
Qiu Minjing was thin-skinned. She was already embarrassed by being treated so coldly, and now she was treated so cruelly that she really couldn't say anything.
Yang Zhitao smiled and said, "But we are worried about you. If you don't want us to send you back, then we can just follow you, right?"
"You..." Ma Chunxi was about to say something, but he saw the other party twist his mouth and mutter loudly: "The emperor didn't say that only Ma Changzai can walk this road."