xymnovel Chapter 458 I question Han Zhong, are you all dissatisfied?
Chapter 458 I question Han Zhong, are you all dissatisfied?
Upon hearing this, Liu Ruolan was stunned.
Her sincerity was evident in herself.
But she envisioned a scenario where she would express her sincerity in a room where only she and His Majesty were present.
Instead of the situation where there's another woman in the room, how could she possibly bring herself to say it?
Her face was burning hot, as red as if it had been dyed with rouge, the heat spreading from her cheekbones all the way to her ears and into the depths of her collar.
Her lips parted slightly, then closed, then parted again, then closed again; her eyes were slightly red, and she stammered, unsure of what to say.
Xu Fenghua stood aside, watching this scene, somewhat bewildered.
What happened?
Wasn't Han Zhong supposed to be attacking the Moon Goddess Cult?
Why was Han Zhong's wife summoned to the palace?
They keep talking about admitting guilt, about punishment, and about sincerity. What does this all mean?
Why say these things to Han Zhong's wife?
Did Han Zhong fail in his campaign against the Moon Goddess Cult? Is that why His Majesty wants to punish Han Zhong? Is it that serious?
Her eyes flickered twice, her mind racing.
Han Zhong was the General Who Guards the South, commanding 50,000 elite troops. He was highly respected in the army and also maintained good relations with the northern border.
If something really happens to Han Zhong, Xu Longxiang's influence in the army will decrease further.
She had to find out what had happened and what His Majesty was planning to do.
Qin Mu smiled as he looked at Liu Ruolan, who was stammering and unable to speak. He leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest.
"If you haven't decided yet, you can go back and think about it carefully. There's no rush. Come back when you've made up your mind."
Liu Ruolan immediately became anxious.
How could she possibly have time to go home and think things through?
Her husband, Han Zhong, is to be executed tomorrow during the day; how could she possibly have time to go back and think about it?
A fire burned in her heart, making her feel hot all over and restless.
She bit her lip, opening her mouth several times, but swallowed the words back down.
Liu Ruolan still didn't have the courage to say it. After all, there were outsiders present, and she really couldn't bring herself to do such a thing.
If it were just His Majesty and her here, it would be fine, since this kind of behavior would be a betrayal of her husband, how could she let outsiders know?
Liu Ruolan's mind raced.
In a moment of desperation, an idea suddenly came to her mind.
Liu Ruolan suddenly raised her head, speaking very quickly.
"Your Majesty, I have long prepared my sincerity. However, this sincerity is not on my person, but in my home. Please come with me, and I will certainly satisfy you."
Upon hearing this, Qin Mu raised an eyebrow slightly, and the smile on his lips deepened.
"Oh? Really? That's great."
He turned his head and looked at Xu Fenghua, speaking casually as if he were asking what to eat for dinner.
"Consort Hua, accompany me on this trip to see what's going on."
Xu Fenghua is still completely baffled and has no idea what Qin Mu is planning.
But she had a vague feeling that this must be a very important matter, and perhaps very beneficial to Xu Longxiang.
She did not refuse, but gave a slight curtsy and spoke softly.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
When Liu Ruolan heard Qin Mu call the woman "Consort Hua," she immediately understood the woman's identity.
When His Majesty married Consort Hua, it was a grand affair, known throughout the capital.
This Consort Hua was Xu Longxiang's older sister and was also someone else's wife. She was forcibly taken as a concubine by His Majesty, which caused quite a stir at the time.
Seeing how familiar Qin Mu was with this woman, and how he even invited her to go to the Han family with him, she realized that he clearly had feelings for her. For some reason, she suddenly felt a little more at ease.
It seems the elders in my family were right after all.
His Majesty is fond of beautiful women and does not care whether they are withered flowers or faded women.
She considered herself to be quite good-looking; although she didn't have Consort Hua's temperament, her appearance wasn't much worse.
As long as she takes the initiative, His Majesty will definitely like her and may even dote on her.
At that time, she can then request Han Zhong's pardon.
Liu Ruolan knelt on the ground, her forehead touching the cold gold bricks, and the fire in her heart burned even brighter.
But the thought of Xu Fenghua also coming to her house made her even more anxious.
She made this request precisely so that Xu Fenghua wouldn't find out.
Now that Xu Fenghua is going too, what's the difference between her and not being here?
How could she do that in front of another woman?
But she dared not let Xu Fenghua not go, after all, she was an empress, the emperor's concubine.
If you offend her, and she whispers something in His Majesty's ear, the Han family will be doomed.
Liu Ruolan was extremely conflicted.
But she had no other choice but to agree first. Once they arrived at the Han family's residence, which was her home turf, she might be able to use the terrain to her advantage and take His Majesty to a room alone.
She quickly calculated in her mind.
She knew the layout of the Han family's house best; she knew exactly which corridor led to the backyard, which side hall was the most secluded, and which room was the farthest from the main hall.
Once she gets to the Han family, she'll have a chance.
Liu Ruolan took a deep breath, suppressing her surging anxiety little by little. Her forehead touched the gold brick, and her voice was hoarse and respectful.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."
Qin Mu stood up, straightened his robes, and walked towards the palace entrance.
The moon-white robe trailed on the ground, making a soft rustling sound.
Xu Fenghua followed behind him, her steps light and graceful, her skirt swaying gently on the ground.
Liu Ruolan got up from the ground, her knees were a little weak, and she staggered for a moment before she could stand up by holding onto the edge of the table next to her.
She kept her head down, following at the very back, not daring to look at Qin Mu or Xu Fenghua.
The three of them stepped out of the imperial study, and a night breeze swept over them, carrying the chill of early winter.
Moonlight spilled onto the white marble imperial road, casting the shadows of the three people on the ground—one long and two short—like three shadows swaying in the wind.
The carriage was already waiting outside the palace gate.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Qin Mu got into the carriage first, followed by Xu Fenghua, with Liu Ruolan being the last.
The carriage was spacious and covered with thick brocade cushions.
Qin Mu leaned against the innermost side, his posture languid.
Xu Fenghua sat beside him, her head slightly lowered, her fingers gently stroking inside her sleeve.
Liu Ruolan huddled in the farthest corner of the carriage, hugging her knees and shrinking herself into a tiny ball.
She dared not look at Qin Mu, nor at Xu Fenghua, but simply lowered her head, looking at her empty, slightly trembling hands.
The carriage started slowly, its wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs, making a "clattering" sound that echoed in the quiet night.
Moonlight streamed in through the cracks in the car windows, casting bright rays of light inside the carriage.
Liu Ruolan's heart was beating very fast, as fast as a drum being struck.
She didn't know what awaited her, whether she could succeed, or whether Han Zhong could be saved.
All she knew was that she had to try, even if there was only a sliver of hope, she had to seize it.
The carriage passed through one palace gate after another, drove out of the palace, and entered the main streets of the capital.
Night had fallen, and the streets were deserted except for the occasional, muffled beat of a night watchman's drum, one beat after another, like someone was knocking on her heart.
Liu Ruolan looked out through the crack in the carriage window, looking at the road she had walked countless times, at the old locust tree she had seen since childhood, and at the mansion gate she knew all too well.
We've arrived at the Han residence.
........
The carriage stopped in front of the Han residence.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Liu Ruolan was the first to get off the carriage.
She stood by the car door, head bowed, hands clasped in front of her, her posture as submissive as a maid welcoming her master.
Qin Mu then alighted from the carriage, his moon-white robe fluttering gently in the night breeze.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the "Han Mansion" plaque above the gate of the Han Mansion, the smile still lingering on his lips.
Xu Fenghua followed behind him, got off the carriage, and stood beside Qin Mu, her gaze also falling on the mansion.
Golden-armored guards surged in from all directions, completely surrounding the Han residence.
The silver armor gleamed coldly in the moonlight, spears stood like a forest, blades were like frost, and footsteps were orderly and muffled, like an impenetrable iron wall.
The guards at the gate of the Han residence turned deathly pale upon seeing this scene.
Their legs were trembling, their teeth were chattering, and the spears in their hands fell to the ground with a clatter. They seemed to have all their strength drained away.
Liu Ruolan turned to the side and bowed slightly. "Your Majesty, we have arrived."
Qin Mu nodded, stood with his hands behind his back, and said calmly, "Let's go."
Liu Ruolan led the way, her steps light, her skirt trailing on the ground with a soft rustling sound.
She passed through the mansion gate, through the courtyard, and onto the corridor.
Qin Mu followed behind her, his moon-white robe fluttering gently in the night breeze.
Xu Fenghua followed beside him, her gaze sweeping over the people kneeling on both sides.
Everyone in the Han household was terrified when they saw this scene.
The servants peeked out from around the corner of the corridor and saw the man in the moon-white robe and the menacing silver-armored guards behind him. Their faces turned deathly pale.
Then, with a "thump," he knelt on the ground, his forehead touching the cold stone slab, his whole body trembling, like mice whose holes had been blocked by a cat.
The maids, carrying tea trays, passed by in the corridor. Upon seeing His Majesty, their hands went limp, and the tea trays crashed to the ground with a loud bang, shattering the teacups and spilling tea everywhere.
They didn't bother to pick them up; their legs gave way, and they knelt down, their foreheads hitting the broken porcelain shards, blood seeping out. They felt no pain, only desperately kowtowing.
The servants were sweeping the courtyard when they saw the golden-armored guards rushing into the mansion. Their spears gleamed coldly in the moonlight. Terrified, they dropped their brooms, knelt on the ground, and trembled like leaves.
If Liu Ruolan hadn't been leading the way and recognized her as their mistress, they would have thought His Majesty had come to exterminate their entire Han family.
The doors to the main hall were wide open, and the room was brightly lit by candlelight.
The clan elders were sitting in the hall, some drinking tea, some talking in hushed tones, and some resting with their eyes closed.
They were still waiting for news of Liu Ruolan, news that would determine the life or death of the Han family.
Hearing the noisy footsteps and the metallic scraping of armor plates outside, Han Demao looked up, his brows furrowed.
"What's going on outside?"
Han Dechang stood up, walked to the door, and glanced outside.
His pupils suddenly contracted, as if pricked by a needle, and he froze on the spot.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty has arrived!"
The room erupted in chaos.
Han Demao suddenly stood up, his cane falling to the ground with a thud, but he didn't bother to pick it up.
The teacup in Han Deren's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," scattering shards of porcelain everywhere.
The other elders were pale, some had weak legs, some had trembling lips, and some were shaking all over.
They stumbled out of the main hall and knelt on the stone steps outside the door.
His forehead touched the cold stone slab, his gray hair shimmered silver in the moonlight, and his body trembled slightly.
Han Demao knelt at the front, head bowed, not daring to look at Qin Mu, his voice hoarse and trembling.
"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, pay our respects."
His mind was racing.
Weren't they supposed to send Liu Ruolan to offer herself up? Why did they bring His Majesty home?
Could something have gone wrong?
Or did His Majesty request to come?
His mind was blank; he couldn't think of anything clearly.
Han Dechang knelt behind Han Demao, his forehead pressed against the stone slab, his back soaked with cold sweat.
His lips trembled violently, and he had only one thought in his mind.
Oh no, oh no, oh no! His Majesty has come in person! The Han family is doomed.
Han Deren knelt to one side, his fingers clenched tightly in his sleeves, his nails digging into his palms.
He dared not look up, dared not look at Qin Mu, and even dared not breathe heavily.
Qin Mu didn't look at them, walked straight past them, stepped over the threshold, and entered the main hall.
He walked to the main seat and slowly sat down. The rosewood chair was very hard, and he leaned back in it, his posture as languid as if he were in his own palace.
Xu Fenghua walked to his side, stood with her hands at her sides, and looked at the clan elders kneeling outside.
Liu Ruolan stood at the entrance of the main hall, head down, not daring to go in or leave.
Her fingers trembled slightly inside her sleeve.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping over the clan elders kneeling outside the door, trembling with fear. His voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
"Are you all dissatisfied with my punishment of Han Zhong?"
The moment the words fell, the elders shuddered, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over them from head to toe.
Their foreheads touched the cold stone slabs as they frantically kowtowed, making a loud "thump-thump" sound, until their foreheads were chafed raw.
Han Demao's voice was hoarse and urgent, each word tinged with tears.
"We dare not! We would never dare! Your Majesty is wise; Han Zhong deserved his punishment, and we have absolutely no complaints!"
Han Dechang also kowtowed desperately, his voice becoming shrill with fear.
"Your Majesty is wise! We are completely convinced by Your Majesty's decision and have no disloyalty whatsoever!"
The other elders echoed their sentiments, their voices rising and falling like a tide, wave after wave, each more urgent than the last.
"Your Majesty is wise! Your Majesty is wise!"
As Qin Mu watched them desperately kowtowing, a smile slowly crept onto his lips, his eyes filled with an indescribable amusement.
"Is that so? I thought you would be dissatisfied. After all, Han Zhong is the pillar of your Han family. I'm sure you wouldn't feel good about me killing him, would you?"
Han Demao's body stiffened abruptly, his forehead hitting the stone slab, his voice hoarse and broken.
"Your Majesty is too kind. Han Zhong... he has betrayed Your Majesty's trust and deserves to die. We... we dare not express the slightest dissatisfaction."
Qin Mu nodded, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest twice.
"That's good. I thought we were going to kill a lot of people."