Jinwei joins hands in rebirth: villains can also eat at the table

Chapter 188 Powerless

On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month of this year, the emperor held a grand banquet in the palace, inviting all the concubines, princes, and princesses to attend. It was a grand dinner, and everyone was dressed in their best, and the scene was very lively.

However, ever since the Li Yu incident, the Emperor had rarely seen Ruyi. He had always believed in astronomical predictions, believing Ruyi had brought misfortune upon his child. And now, the Li Yu incident had completely eroded any remaining affection he had for Ruyi.

The current emperor, completely swayed by the celestial phenomena, was convinced that Ruyi was the unlucky person. He no longer wanted to meet her, and even looking at her seemed unnecessary.

Now the emperor only hoped that she would fulfill her duties as empress and not embarrass him again. This year, on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, a bitterly cold wind blew, yet it couldn't dispel the festive atmosphere that was about to permeate the palace. The emperor held a grand banquet in this magnificent palace, a scene of extraordinary grandeur. He invited all the concubines, princes, and princesses to attend this grand occasion.

However, ever since the Li Yu incident, there seemed to be an insurmountable gap between the emperor and Ruyi.

He had always believed in the mysterious celestial phenomena and always believed that Ruyi had killed his child. The groundless suspicion was like a heavy shackle, tightly binding the relationship between them.

And now, the Li Yu incident was like a surging wave, violently impacting the emperor's already fragile heart. This incident completely eroded the last bit of emotion he had for Ruyi, leaving no trace of warmth.

The current emperor was completely swayed by the celestial theories, and those unrealistic theories had taken root and sprouted in his mind. He firmly believed that Ruyi was the ominous person, as if her existence was a disaster.

He no longer wanted to see her, even just a quick glance, he felt it was unnecessary. The deep affection and friendship they once had was now gone without a trace.

The current emperor only hopes that Ruyi can fulfill her duties as a queen and not do anything to embarrass him.

In his view, the position of empress is not only an honor, but also a responsibility. Ruyi must shoulder this responsibility and cannot afford to slack off or make mistakes. Otherwise, she will face even more severe punishment.

Ruyi was still angry that the emperor didn't trust her.

The two sat together, looking at each other in silence, each with their own ulterior motives.

Rong Pei asked Yunzhi to look after the Queen, while she took some things and went to see Ling Yunche.

At tonight's banquet, he is responsible for leading people to patrol and ensure the emperor's safety.

He had sharp eyes and spotted Rong Pei holding something at a glance.

"You go first, I'll follow you in a while." He turned around and directed the guards behind him to leave, and only stepped forward after making sure that there was no one around.

"Aunt Rong Pei, why are you here? Did the Empress have any instructions? Is she...doing well recently?"

The two of them walked to a secluded place, and Ling Yunche couldn't wait to mention Ruyi, his face full of worry.

It’s a pity that the emperor hasn’t been to Yiku Palace recently. He remembered Ruyi’s instructions and hasn’t seen her much since the last time.

Since Li Yu left, Jinzhong took his place and became the chief eunuch in front of the emperor.

Jinzhong had little interaction with him, but for some reason, Ling Yunche always felt that the way he looked at him was strange and sinister.

Even when he was given an errand to do, he would always smile but not smile from the heart, which was very strange.

Without Li Yu serving the emperor, he could not figure out the emperor's thoughts. Although he guarded the Yangxin Palace every day, he was not allowed to get close to him.

He could only stand outside the palace wall, watching her trapped inside, unable to offer a helping hand. The high palace wall was like a towering mountain, and also like an insurmountable chasm, separating them abruptly.

The palace walls are so tall, majestic and inviolable.

His heart was clenched tightly at this moment, and he was anxious and burning, as if there was a fire burning in his heart. He longed to break through this obstacle, go to her side, and give her comfort and protection.

A feeling of powerlessness washed over him like a tide, making it almost impossible to breathe. His eyes were filled with anxiety and helplessness, a pain that penetrated deep into his bones.

Because he knew that this wall was not just a cold wall, it also represented the huge gap in status between them. This gap was like a heavy yoke, pressing him to the point of suffocation and making him feel extremely heavy and desperate.

How he wished he could break this shackle, cross this gap, and be with her again, but he didn't know how to do it and could only struggle in this endless pain.

Rong Pei listened to his caring words and took them as his concern for the Queen. She sighed and said, "That's all. You know the Queen's temper. We can only wait for her to slowly cheer up. These are things that the Queen wants to send to the Thirteenth Prince. Seeing that the Southern Tour is about to begin, the Queen is really worried about him..."

"I've noted it all down, but you go back and tell the Queen that Granny Tian left the palace and returned to her hometown in the countryside after helping Concubine Ling give birth. There's nothing unusual about her. And that little maid returned to Sichuan after leaving the palace during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The mountains are high and the roads are long, so it's really difficult to track her down..."

Ling Yunche took the things and thought of the task that Ruyi had assigned him, and his face looked very embarrassed.

He felt a little ashamed for not being able to help the Queen.

The person behind the scenes had taken care of everything, and he couldn't get any useful clues if he tried to investigate.

Thinking of this, Ling Yunche thought of Yan Wan again.

Thinking of her arrogant attitude that day, Ling Yunche was sure that Li Yu's matter was related to her.

He and Li Yu had worked together in the Yangxin Palace for many years, and he knew Li Yu's character very well. He would never do such a thing. He thought it was her who was behind the scenes.

He just wanted to dethrone the Queen and seize the position of Empress.

Ling Yunche looked at Wei Yanwan, a wave of sadness welling up in his heart. He had never imagined that his childhood sweetheart would become like this. Her ambition was so great that she even resorted to treacherous schemes to harm others.

Ling Yunche recalled every detail of the past, and the time they spent together seemed to be still vivid in his mind. Back then, Wei Yanwan was innocent and full of longing and expectations for the future. But now, she has become so scheming and unscrupulous...

"I will pass these on. The Empress has already made preparations to prevent them from finding out. They dare to slander the Empress, so I think they have made preparations. Lord Ling does not need to blame himself. The Empress is still waiting, I will leave first..."

Ling Yunche nodded, and after Rong Pei left, he planned to return to the room where he rested for the night shift. It would be too conspicuous for a clerk to hold this thing, so he would continue his patrol after putting the thing away.

After the two men left the place one after another, the person who had been hiding in the dark and had seen everything came out slowly.