Chapter 203: Don’t Move, It’s Me
With a sense of curiosity, Jiang Ruanxi stepped into that abandoned palace.
Before she could even get close, she heard a coquettish voice, “Third Brother, you’ve finally come.”
This voice was very familiar, but she couldn’t recall where she had heard it before.
She stopped her steps and, by the faint moonlight, saw Jiang Rui with his back to her, holding a woman in his arms.
They were committing adultery.
Jiang Ruanxi couldn’t help but let out a small gasp.
Subconsciously, she walked toward the wall.
Jiang Rui immediately turned his head, his deep eyes scanning around vigilantly, but he didn’t discover anyone.
“Meow…”
A cat’s cry sounded from the corner of the wall, and suddenly it became quiet inside.
Jiang Ruanxi breathed a sigh of relief.
Yet she didn’t dare to be careless, holding her breath and not even daring to breathe loudly.
Not long after, the woman’s voice sounded again inside, “Third Brother, it’s a cat over there. Never mind it. I haven’t seen you for so long, I’ve missed you.”
“Don’t speak. Cats walk without sound. That sound just now wasn’t a cat.”
Jiang Ruanxi’s heart was in her throat.
“It’s not convenient today. You go back first.”
The woman reluctantly said, “Mm.”
After a while, there was no sound from inside.
Jiang Ruanxi thought the two had left from somewhere else.
She relaxed in her heart and was just about to turn back, but as soon as she lifted her foot, her hand was pulled back with force, crashing into a firm chest.
Her mouth was covered by someone.
Jiang Ruanxi’s heart was pounding wildly, struggling nervously.
“Don’t move, it’s me.” A familiar voice came from beside her ear.
Hearing that it was Wei Chang’s voice, Jiang Ruanxi stopped struggling, and her heart settled down.
She turned around, just about to ask how he had come here, but as she was about to speak, Wei Chang gestured for her to stay quiet, his gaze fixed tightly on the distance.
Jiang Ruanxi followed his gaze and discovered that Jiang Rui had somehow come walking toward their direction.
Jiang Ruanxi didn’t dare make any sound anymore.
Suddenly, her body was pulled by Wei Chang and they flashed into another wall.
Looking through the crack, she saw Jiang Rui quickly arrive at the spot where they had just been standing. After looking around a few times and finding no one, he frowned slightly and soon disappeared.
The hand on Jiang Ruanxi’s mouth was also released, and a worried voice came from beside her ear, “Xi Xi, are you alright?”
After saying that, he turned her body around and saw that she was unharmed, then he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Earlier, on his way to see Emperor Qin, he had run into Yushui and heard from Yushui about her situation. Wei Chang didn’t even go to see Emperor Qin and came directly to find Jiang Ruanxi.
He was also glad that he had come in time. If he had been a little later, and if Jiang Rui had discovered Jiang Ruanxi, he certainly wouldn’t have let her go.
Jiang Ruanxi shook her head and voiced the doubt in her heart, “Your Highness, you said this is the imperial harem. Jiang Rui is a minister. He has such courage to secretly meet a woman here. Isn’t he afraid of being discovered?”
No matter how powerful the Jiang Family was, this was still the emperor’s imperial harem.
Normally, ministers were not allowed to set foot in the imperial harem.
If discovered, they would face severe punishment.
Not to mention that Jiang Rui was now secretly meeting a woman.
“Jiang Kui is the Imperial Advisor above one person and below ten thousand. Normally, he as an imperial merchant cannot enter the palace without an edict. But he usually relies on the Imperial Advisor’s influence, and others don’t dare to stop him. Even if someone has objections, they don’t dare say much.”
Jiang Ruanxi understood.
“Who do you think the person he was secretly meeting here just now was?” Jiang Ruanxi asked curiously.
Wei Chang’s face immediately turned cold.
“Now that Father Emperor is in a coma, if any consort in the imperial harem cannot stand loneliness and commits adultery at this time, it’s a capital offense. I’d like to see who has such great courage. We didn’t catch them today, but they will surely have a next time, and we will definitely find out who she is.”
Jiang Ruanxi nodded, and soon the two went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
In the bedchamber, besides palace maids and eunuchs, no one else was seen.
After inquiring, they learned that Consort Jing had just left not long ago.
And the Imperial Consort, who had been beaten by the Empress Dowager and ordered not to care for him, did not listen to the Empress Dowager and usually came over, but today she surprisingly wasn’t seen.
They had originally thought she was so devoted, but just a few days later.
Jiang Ruanxi couldn’t help but feel scorn in her heart.
Suddenly, a eunuch came in from outside to report that Jiang Kui and Jiang Rui had arrived.
Wei Chang and Jiang Ruanxi exchanged a glance, and Wei Chang had someone let them in.
After entering, Jiang Rui, who was pushing Jiang Kui, glanced at Jiang Ruanxi and quickly looked away. Jiang Kui nodded to them, signaling Jiang Rui to push him to Emperor Qin’s side for a look.
He closed his eyes, extended his finger to calculate for a moment, then opened his eyes and said, “His Majesty’s dragon fortune is still there. He is only in a coma now and will surely wake up sooner or later.”
His words undoubtedly steadied the hearts of everyone present.
Jiang Ruanxi kept her head lowered. Wei Chang exchanged pleasantries with Jiang Kui, but even though she tried her best to minimize her presence, she still felt gazes falling on her.
Jiang Ruanxi looked up, and her gaze immediately met Jiang Rui’s.
Her heart trembled. She pretended not to notice the fluctuation in his eyes and casually lowered her head again.
Her heart trembled. She pretended not to notice the fluctuation in his eyes and casually lowered her head again.
“His Majesty is seriously ill now. Your Highness the Crown Prince is busy with official duties and must take good care of your health.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Imperial Advisor. As long as Father Emperor does not wake, I must help him watch over the imperial court.”
While the two were talking, Jiang Ruanxi’s thoughts wandered. Who exactly was the person Jiang Rui had met?
After Wei Chang and Jiang Kui finished talking, Wei Chang called her several times before she came back to her senses.
Wei Chang thought she was frightened by what happened earlier and made an excuse for her, “Are you tired from taking care of Father Emperor these days? Why don’t you go rest first. I’ll watch over here.”
Jiang Ruanxi was stunned. Her mind was a bit chaotic now, and she didn’t want to stay here any longer, so she went along with his words, “Mm, a bit. Then you take care of Father Emperor here first.”
“Mm.”
After walking some distance out of the palace, Jiang Ruanxi remembered something and softly asked Yushui beside her, “Were you here the whole time earlier?”
Yushui nodded.
“Tell me carefully when Consort Jing and the Imperial Consort came and left.”
Yushui thought for a moment and said, “When I arrived, Consort Jing had already left. But I heard the on-duty staff say that the Imperial Consort came during the day and left not long after.”
It seems both of them are suspects.
But in such a large imperial palace, it’s not just them who are suspicious. Who exactly was that person?
“Second Sister.”
Suddenly, Jiang Rui’s voice came from behind. Jiang Ruanxi was thinking about the matter and didn’t stop her steps, continuing to walk forward.
“Jiang Ruanxi.”
