Empress with no Virtue

Chapter 30

Empress with No Virtue – Chapter 30

AUGUST 25, 2015 ~ LAMLAM1990

Although Li Concubine is a little weak in the brain, but she is not entirely foolish, furthermore she has Fan Chun by her side to advice her, so she is rather cautious towards Xu Cai Ren.

Especially when this Xu Cai Ren, is someone under the empress dowager.

Xu Cai Ren did not hide her intentions, “towards you I have no ill intentions.. it is just that I want to revenge”

Li Concubine remembered the day she got punished to kneel on the cold winter day, so she believed her a little and asked “people who can help you are a plenty, why did you look for me?”

“I know that you also want to revenge”

Xu Cai Ren’s words hit the mark, Li Concubine although have not displayed any forms of dissatisfaction, but in her heart towards Ye Zhen Zhen, that hatred has not diminished at all, just that considering how Ji Wu Jiu has just only treat her better recently, and that Ye Zhen Zhen is too cunning and fierce, so she is still contemplating and did not dare to act rashly. Now, to be reminded by Xu Cai Ren, the fire in her heart started to rise again.

“Do you have any good plans?” Li Concubine asked

“Now, there is a chance to execute this plan, just that…. I want to borrow something from you”

“What is it?”

Xu Cai Ren took a look around, walked to Li Concubine’s ear and lowered her voice, and said something.

Li Concubine’s face changed, and looked at her suspiciously, “how did you know that item is with me?”

“Sis, don’t worry, I found out accidently as well”

“If so, what do you want to do?”

Xu Cai Ren then started to explain the plan to Li Concubine, and Li Concubine only nodded along.

***

Today the sky was calm, but brought along wind blowing around, it was a good weather. Ye Zhen Zhen brought a few people with her and was flying kite at Ying Hua Hall. This place was initially meant for Buddhist prayers, but not sure why, the empress dowager does not come here anymore, so this place was rather abandoned, only left a few maid servants and eunuchs tidying up the place and lighting incense. Ye Zhen Zhen was playing with the kite outside, and the people inside Ying Hua Hall that heard the noises came out to join the fun as well, looking up in the sky they saw a huge flying lion. The lion was made in detail, flying around with arrogance, making people think that it was a mystical animal made by the gods flying down to earth to play.

Ji Wu Jiu was standing not too far from them, with a wall in between them, was looking at the sky too.

Ye Zhen Zhen then kept the lion, and fly another kite, shaped of a bird man. This type of bird man was called angel in the west, with gold hair, white and plump, and on the back there is a pair of white wings, it was very pretty and cute. The bird man was naked, only with his crossed legs he was covering the important part. Although not wearing any clothing the figure was just a child, so everyone did not think too much about it, all open their eyes wide to see.

Now the body of the kite is crooked, so the balance was lost, and after a few rounds of trying also it did not fly up, Ye Zhen Zhen changed its knot a few times, and finally got it up in the sky, but the string broke.

The kite floated in the air for a while, and fell after, landed on the top of Ying Hua Hall’s main gate.

Ye Zhen Zhen turned and look at the kite, and counted the height of the gate, and decided not to take it personally. Her legs has finally healed, she can’t take the risk anymore. Then she look at the servants around her, seems like one is worse than another.

Ji Wu Jiu saw, and decided to help, but would not think that before he can move towards there, he heard Ye Zhen Zhen suddenly called towards a direction “Lieutenant Lu, come over here”

Lu Li jogged over “greetings to your majesty”

Ye Zhen Zhen smiled and waved her hands, “Go help me get the kite down”

“Yes”, the moment he said that, he has already jumped up, and people there only saw something a blur and then when they refocus, he was already standing on top of the wall.

Lu Li took the kite and jumped down, passing back the kite to Ye Zhen Zhen, Su Yue was thinking to take it, but Ye Zhen Zhen was a step faster and took the kite back, smiling like a flower “many thanks”

“I do not dare”

Ye Zhen Zhen holding the kite and looked at Lu Li, and asked “How did the injury on your neck appear?”

“Replying to your majesty, I was sparring with my colleagues, and got a little injured”

Ye Zhen Zhen frowned “Lieutenant Lu trains the martial arts to protect the emperor, such loyalty should be awarded. Wang You Cai, go to Kun Ning Palace and take the Hua Yu paste to award Lieutenant Lu”

“Thank you for your majesty” Lu Li kneeled again, she was looking down, on her face was a gentle smile. This smile, no one saw, besides someone not too far away from them.

Ji Wu Jiu was gritting his teeth, his gaze scary.

Then, a eunuch from Gan Qing Palace ran over “Your majesty, your majesty”

Feng You De made a gesture to the eunuch to ask him to be cautious, so the eunuch closed his mouth and ran over, and said “Your majesty, not good”

“what happened?” Feng You De ask

“Wang Zhao Yi had a miscarriage”

***

Wang Zhao Yi stays at Yu Hua Place, considered to be in the more quiet and hidden place of the inner palace. Ye Zhen Zhen heard Wang Zhao Yi miscarriage, and immediately rushed over. But out of the ordinary there are already many people gathered here, and seems to be waiting for her to arrive only.

Ye Zhen Zhen had a bad feeling, Because even the empress dowager is here.

The empress dowager was worried, she was afraid Ji Wu Jiu will side Ye Zhen Zhen. Furthermore, this was a serious matter, she coming over to settle the matter, is not a weird occurrence at all.

Ye Zhen Zhen’s leg just only pass through the door, she already heard the empress dowager shouted “you evil woman, still don’t kneel immediately?”

“Mother, you sure are in a hurry, my other leg is still outside the door” Ye Zhen Zhen smiled. She walked in and greeted everyone there, and stood still “not sure, who made you angry mother?”

“You still dare to ask? I ask you, why did you harm Wang Zhao Yi? Everyday I pray in hopes that the emperor will get a son or two, but for years the flower only budded but never bore fruit. It was not easy for Wang Zhao Yi to finally get pregnant, but you got jealous and anxious, and dared to harm her life!”

Ye Zhen Zhen understood what happened from what she said. Her job as the empress is surely eventful, everyday someone wants her to take blame for something. She walked one round and her gaze pass through Ji Wu Jiu, seeing that he is not saying anything, but seems to be in a bad mood. Looks like he quite care for this child. She thought.

Ye Zhen Zhen laughed coldly “These words, I do not dare take the blame, Mother, everyday you are praying, but it doesn’t seem that Guan Yin Goddess wants to bless the emperor, the could only be either one of these reasons, either the goddess is not effective, or your heart was not sincere, this has nothing to do with me, you say that I harmed Wang Zhao Yi, do you have any evidence?”

“Of course there is evidence, me and the emperor will not blame the innocent, doctor!”

“Here”, a young doctor walked forward “replying to the emperor, empress dowager, empress, Wang Zhao Yi loss a lot of blood, and got scared, that is why the baby could not be safes. The injury is at the shoulder and got hit by a gun, the bullet got into the skin, will need to operate to get it out”

Ye Zhen Zhen closed her eyes.

“You heard?” Empress dowager was angry and hit the table. “In the entire inner palace, only you play with gun power, if not you who else could it be?!”

Actually not only Ye Zhen Zhen has gun, those higher rank guards will also have. Lu Li has one, and also a few of the men under him also have. If following this condition, there are at least two suspicious guard, one is Captain Xiao who was in charge of the security here, and another would be Lu Li, who is allowed to go anywhere in the inner palace.

Ji Wu Jiu looked at Ye Zhen Zhen expecting her to come out with this point.

But she did not, she only bite her lips and asked, “were there any witness?”

Witness was also available. Wang Zhao Yi’s maid servant came and told what happened. Today, when Wang Zhao Yi was returning from greeting Xian Concubine at 15.20, and when she just reached Yu Hua Place’s door step her shoulder got shot, she screamed and fainted on the spot. What happened after, everyone knows.

“Are you sure it was 15.20?” Ye Zhen Zhen asked

“Replying to your majesty, even if not accurate it should not be too far”

“Such coincidence, at 15.20 I was playing kite, where will I have the time to come to Yu Hua Place”

Li Concubine said, “This type of thing, of course the empress would not do personally”

“If so” Ye Zhen Zhen turned and look at the kneeling maid on the floor “anyone of you saw clearly who the eunuch was?”

“Replying to your majesty, we all got shocked, and when we are back to our senses we also only cared about our lady, and did not see”

Looks like it would be hard for Ye Zhen Zhen to be cleared of the accusation.

But actually only for everyone here, except for herself and Ji Wu Jiu, who knew of something else: Although she has gun, but she does not have the bullets. Ever since she quietly completed the design for the multiple shot gun, Ji Wu Jiu although happy, but still ordered her to stop playing with such dangerous weapons. If she really wants to play, she can play with the gun but the gun powder and bullets, she don’t even have to be bothered about using them. He also purposely ordered a few people to make sure she does not obtain the bullets no matter what.

So actually she does not have the ability to be the culprit. But this evidence is too special, and only Ji Wu Jiu can testify. If Ji Wu Jiu is not willing to say, then everything else does not matter.

From Ji Wu Jiu’s reaction ever since she entered the room, most probably he will pretend to not know. Ye Zhen Zhen holding to a slight chance looked at him and ask, “Your majesty, do you have anything you want to say?”

“This sentence I also want to ask you, you don’t have anything else you want to say?”

Looks like he really wants to be an observer only. Ye Zhen Zhen scoffed and said “I currently do not have anything to say”

“that means you admit the crime?” the empress dowager was abit anxious.

“Something that I have not done, I would not admit forever. But because the criminal is well prepared, and want to frame me, and I cant find the loop hole in such short notice, and I ask for a few days, I will thoroughly investigate this case”

“If so, I will give you 3 days, after 3 days I want an explanation for the death of the emperor’s child”

“5 days”

“5 day then”

Ye Zhen Zhen returned to Kun Ning Palace in deep thoughts, thinking about the case all along, and who would most probably be the criminal. Ji Wu Jiu goes the same direction as her, so the both of them were walking together, but did not converse a single word. Ye Zhen Zhen wanted to bid farewell with him in front of Kun Ning Palace, but didn’t know he will follow her into Kun Ning Palace, and ordered everyone else out.

“Congratulations to the emperor, looking at me fighting alone is it very fun?” Ye Zhen Zhen said.

Ji Wu Jiu though did not answer what was asked, looking straight into her eyes he asked “you like your cousin brother, correct or not?”

Note: I personally feel that the whole time, he was actually not worried about his child, but more to how Ye Zhen Zhen will react and if she will say out her cousin’s name for the gun instead. He is still angry/jealous from the kite scene.