nycdaug Chapter 431 (0001 words added)
Chapter 431 (0001 words added)
Upon arriving at the palace, the new concubine led Xue Ruanruan to a side hall, telling her to rest. But as soon as Xue Ruanruan sat down, a maid brought her a cup of tea. Xue Ruanruan, wary, feigned illness and refused to drink it. Suddenly, the new concubine burst in with a group of people, pointing to the overturned teacup on the floor, saying, "Miss Xue, why did you spill this tea? Did you poison it?" Xue Ruanruan remained calm, "I just felt the tea tasted off and was afraid of harming my health." Just as the new concubine was about to press her advantage, Murong Xun rushed in, "His Majesty has decreed a thorough investigation into the matter of Miss Xue being framed." The new concubine's expression changed, but she forced herself to remain calm, "Then let's wait for the truth to come out." Xue Ruanruan looked at Murong Xun, her eyes full of trust. She knew that with Murong Xun involved, she would surely win this palace intrigue. She didn't know if this woman was sincere or feigning, but at the moment, there seemed to be no reason to refuse. So, she nodded. After entering the palace, Xue Ruanruan was arranged to stay in a secluded palace. That night, she wandered through the palace, overhearing a conversation between the woman and her confidante. It turned out this was all a trap, designed to trap her and slowly torture her. Xue Ruanruan clenched her fists. She decided she would no longer sit idly by and wait for her fate; she would fight her way out of this palace intrigue and see if Murong Xun could truly protect her. "Your Highness, who are you talking to?" Xue Ruanruan was about to leave when she accidentally kicked a stone, making a sound. The woman and her confidante immediately became alert. "Who's there?" The confidante quickly ran out to investigate and immediately spotted Xue Ruanruan. "You audacious wench, daring to eavesdrop on Her Highness's conversation!" the confidante roared, grabbing Xue Ruanruan's arm. The woman slowly walked out, her eyes filled with malice. "Since you overheard, you can't be allowed to live." With that, she gave a signal, and the confidante prepared to attack. Just then, Murong Xun suddenly appeared. "Stop!" He strode over and shielded Xue Ruanruan behind him. "Why did you treat her like that?" Murong Xun questioned the woman. A flicker of panic crossed the woman's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. "Brother Xun, she eavesdropped on our conversation. She has ulterior motives. We cannot let her live." Murong Xun looked at her coldly. "I will find out the truth myself. Until then, no one is allowed to touch her." With that, he pulled Xue Ruanruan away. Xue Ruanruan leaned against Murong Xun's chest, feeling both touched and worried. She knew that the palace intrigue would become even more intense, but as long as Murong Xun was there, she had the courage to face it. "?" Murong Xun's face instantly turned extremely ugly. He hesitated for a moment and said, "It's just an old friend." The curtain of the sedan chair was lifted, and inside sat a dignified and elegant old woman, none other than Murong Xun's mother. The old woman's eyes were sharp as she glanced at Xue Ruanruan. "Since she is an old friend, let's go back to the manor together." Xue Ruanruan was filled with trepidation, but she had no choice but to board the carriage. Back at the Prince's residence, the old woman called Xue Ruanruan to her side. "I know about your past with Xun'er, but now that he's about to marry, you mustn't cause him any more trouble." Xue Ruanruan was about to explain when the old woman added, "However, if you can truly serve the Prince's residence, I may keep you here." Xue Ruanruan gritted her teeth and nodded in agreement. From then on, Xue Ruanruan lived cautiously in the Prince's residence, dealing with the difficulties posed by Murong Xun's wife while diligently completing the tasks assigned by the old woman.
Just then, a messenger arrived from the palace, summoning Murong Xun to the palace immediately, saying that the Emperor had important matters to discuss. Murong Xun had no choice but to say to Xue Ruanruan, "We'll talk another day." Xue Ruanruan nodded slightly and watched Murong Xun leave with the messenger. The woman who was about to become Murong Xun's wife alighted from her sedan chair, walked to Xue Ruanruan's side, and whispered, "Don't worry, Miss, Brother Xun will be alright. Why don't you come back to the manor with me, and we can talk slowly?" Xue Ruanruan hesitated for a moment, but still followed her into the sedan chair.
Upon arriving at the Prince's residence, the woman settled Xue Ruanruan in a secluded courtyard and sent food and clothing. Xue Ruanruan felt grateful but also wary. That night, just as Xue Ruanruan was about to fall asleep, she suddenly heard a noise outside her window. She quietly got up and saw a dark figure lurking suspiciously in the courtyard. Xue Ruanruan clenched her fists, mustered her courage, and opened the door. The figure noticed her and turned to run. Xue Ruanruan chased after it but was knocked unconscious at a corner. When she awoke, she found herself in an unfamiliar room, facing several menacing-looking people. One of them sneered, "Just wait to be buried with the Prince's new concubine!" Xue Ruanruan was startled, realizing this was a much larger conspiracy. But she was now isolated and helpless, unsure how to escape her predicament or whether Murong Xun would arrive in time to rescue her. She hurriedly boarded a carriage and left with the messenger.
The woman alighted from the sedan chair and walked to Xue Ruanruan's side, saying softly, "Don't worry, young lady, I will definitely help you. However, the palace is complicated, and we both need to be careful." Xue Ruanruan nodded gratefully.
Afterwards, the woman led Xue Ruanruan into the palace. The moment they stepped through the palace gates, they sensed an undercurrent of tension. Xue Ruanruan knew that from this moment on, her fate was inextricably linked to the struggles within the palace, and her adventure for love had only just begun. Xue Ruanruan watched the sedan chair slowly disappear into the distance, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She followed Murong Xun's principal wife through the palace, attracting many envious or curious glances from the concubines along the way. The principal wife led Xue Ruanruan to her palace, arranged for her to stay, and then went to attend to palace affairs.
Xue Ruanruan's days in the palace were far from easy; she was constantly sabotaged by those in the shadows. Once, she was deliberately pushed to the ground in the Imperial Garden, scraping her knee. The surrounding maids and eunuchs watched coldly, no one offering to help. Xue Ruanruan gritted her teeth and stood up, her heart filled with resentment. Just then, Murong Xun appeared. He tenderly helped Xue Ruanruan up and examined her wound. "Who did this?" Murong Xun's eyes were filled with anger. Xue Ruanruan, not wanting to cause trouble, shook her head and said, "It's nothing, just an accidental fall." But Murong Xun wouldn't let it go. He secretly investigated and quickly discovered who was behind it. He wanted to severely punish the concubine, but Xue Ruanruan stopped him. "Your Highness, the Emperor is suspicious now; we can't afford to make any more enemies," Xue Ruanruan advised. Although Murong Xun was unwilling, he listened to her. However, their forbearance did not bring peace. Soon after, rumors spread through the palace that Xue Ruanruan was an unlucky person who would bring disaster to the palace. Suddenly, everyone in the palace avoided Xue Ruanruan like the plague, plunging her into an even greater predicament. She didn't know how long this palace intrigue would last, or whether she could hold onto her love with Murong Xun. Other concubines frequently made things difficult for her, both openly and secretly. Once, while strolling in the imperial garden, Xue Ruanruan was stopped by a favored concubine. The concubine said sarcastically, "Oh, isn't this the prince's former lover? What, trying to steal the prince's favor by entering the palace?" Xue Ruanruan suppressed her anger and ignored her. But the concubine persisted, reaching out to push her. Just then, Murong Xun appeared, blocking Xue Ruanruan's path and coldly looking at the concubine: "Don't be rude!" The concubine turned pale with fright and quickly retreated.