Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace: Spring in the Palace

"It does matter." Li Yu answered firmly.

"Of course I care. I am sincere to惢心."

Because Jiang Yubin had changed from his usual gentle demeanor to a very aggressive one, Li Yu was suppressed to the point where he couldn't raise his head. Only then did he have the confidence to respond to Jiang Yubin's questions.

Of course, his feelings for惢心 were sincere, but惢心 longed for the blessing of children, and he could not give her happiness, so he let go and just watched her be happy.

If you like someone, you naturally hope that she is healthy and happy.

"Then why don't you help her?" Jiang Yubin stopped and looked at Li Yu coldly.

"Noble Concubine Xian is caught in a mystery. For the sake of Her Majesty's innocence,惢心 must also want to protect Noble Concubine Xian's reputation. How could I let her loyalty go to waste?" Li Yu explained hurriedly.

Jiang Yubin seemed to have calmed down. He didn't say anything else, but just stared at Li Yu calmly, sizing him up for a long time.

After a moment, Jiang Yubin suddenly said, "Are you worthy of liking惢心?"

Then he turned and left. Li Yu called him twice, but he didn't look back.

Jiang Yubin shook his head and said to himself, "I really came here by mistake..."

* Longevity Festival

All the concubines were waiting for the emperor to arrive at the banquet. It hadn't started yet, so most of them gathered in groups of three or four, chatting.

"Sister Jiafei, how is the baby these days?" Bai Ruiji asked Jin Yuyan with a smile, her eyes constantly staring at her round belly.

Jin Yuyan touched her belly and responded with a smile, "Empress Xian is under house arrest again, so she is naturally refreshed, and even the baby in her belly is more lively."

"Being lively is good. He must be a naughty little prince." Bai Ruiji's eyes never left Concubine Jia's belly. Jin Yuyan just thought she was jealous because she had no child and didn't think much about it.

"I don't know how my sister is doing." Hai Lan sat aside, staring at the door in a daze, with Su Lujun and Chen Wanyin next to her.

Su Lujun saw that she was worried and hurried to comfort her, "The emperor still loves Concubine Zhongxian very much, and he hasn't really punished her. I think the truth will come out one day."

Hai Lan sighed and nodded, "Yes, I hope Suo Xin can protect my sister's innocence."

Chen Wanyin didn't know what to say. Her impression of Hailan was still on her changing face towards Yanwan, so she just smiled and stayed with Su Lujun.

"How could Concubine Xian suddenly have an affair with someone?" Yan Wan looked puzzled and agreed with Huan.

Yihuan shook her head. She no longer had a good impression of Ruyi. She just thought she was weird. But through their past interactions, she knew she was not that kind of person.

Even if they are innocent, it is better not to interfere in other people's affairs. Thinking of this, Yi Huan said, "I don't know why, but it is better not to care about such difficult things."

Yan Wan nodded, with a somewhat conflicted look on her face.

*Yikun Palace

Ruyi was sitting at the table, writing the word "Shou" (longevity) with a wolf-hair brush.

After writing it, I compared many nearly perfect birthdays and selected the most perfect one.

Then put it in the food container and throw the rest away as waste.

There was a small incense burner in front of Ruyi. The white smoke wafting out of it floated gently around her, making her already otherworldly figure look even more like a fairy from heaven who had descended to earth, peaceful and serene.

She carefully prepared some snacks and paired them with handwritten notes. She used her decades of friendship with the emperor to gain the nanny's favor, so that she could send these cakes out.

Ruyi instructed, "Please send it to Concubine Yu. She will deliver it to the Emperor on my behalf, so that Nanny won't have to face the Emperor directly and leave her post without permission."

The nanny nodded. She was afraid that the emperor would be angry when he saw the cakes, and she was also afraid that the emperor would be angry when Concubine Xian did not express her feelings. It would be a good idea to give it to someone else.

After testing the food with a silver needle to make sure it was non-toxic, Concubine Xian wrote a poem on red paper and sealed it, then the nanny took the food box and left.

* Longevity Festival

The Emperor has arrived, with the Empress and the Queen Mother sitting on either side of him, both able to feel the Emperor's low pressure from close range.

Seeing the emperor's cold expression, the queen mother said, "Emperor, even if you are worried, you should relax and celebrate your birthday today."

The emperor nodded in obedience, "What the Empress Dowager said is right, let's start the feast immediately."

A little eunuch whispered something to Hailan, and Hailan quietly left the table.

It was the nanny who was guarding beside Concubine Xian who brought the snacks that Concubine Xian had made herself. After watching Concubine Yu take them, the two of them went back to Yikun Palace.

Hai Lan looked at the poem written on the red paper at the top and knew that it was a code message from her sister.

When she opened the food box, she saw a longevity peach with a hole in it and a plate of pastries underneath. After a brief thought, Hai Lan broke the longevity peach open. Inside was a seven-treasure bracelet, the same as the token of the affair between Concubine Xian and Master Anji.

"Call Ling Yunche over." Hai Lan said to Ye Xin.

Hai Lan sat back in the hall, looking at the emperor's gloomy expression and the unharmonious atmosphere around him. She didn't know that the empress dowager and the queen had already taken turns to persuade the emperor.

She was thinking about how to mention her sister so that the emperor would remember her kindness.

*Outside the Palace

"If something goes wrong, you could lose your head." Li Yu looked a little terrified. He whispered to Ling Yunche, "Are you sure this is foolproof?"

Ling Yunche sighed softly, "I'm not completely sure, but I can only give it a try."

"Now that Suo Xin is in the Ministry of Punishment and Concubine Xian is under house arrest, this is the only way to rescue them both."

Li Yu is easily timid, and Ling Yunche deliberately mentioned that惢心 was still suffering just to get him to do it quickly.

This brought a bitter look to Li Yu's face. He remembered Jiang Yubin's words again and seemed to have made up his mind. "Okay, I'll do it."

"For the sake of惢心 and Empress Xian, I will definitely accomplish this." Li Yu straightened his hat, his heart filled with pride for saving惢心.

Ling Yunche nodded, smiled with satisfaction, then took out a small purse from his sleeve and handed it to Li Yu.

Li Yu put it away and told him that he would find a chance to slip away, and asked Ling Yunche to tell Hai Lan to keep the emperor here at all costs, otherwise if they were discovered, there would be no way back for Concubine Xian.

Ling Yunche mentioned惢心 to ask him to make up his mind, and Li Yu started to talk about Concubine Xian to ask Ling Yunche to stay alert.

Ling Yunche nodded solemnly and looked at him sincerely, "Don't worry."

As soon as Li Yu came back, the Queen Mother advised the Emperor not to worry so much. Then the Queen Mother, who was a little drunk, left.

Li Yu saw a good opportunity and volunteered to go and see the Queen Mother off.

The emperor agreed.

After seeing the empress dowager off a few steps, she told him to go back and serve the emperor, as she had no shortage of manpower.

This gave Li Yu plenty of time, and he hurried to the Yangxin Palace.