Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1322: Chapter 1324: The Monarch is in Trouble_1

Mrs. Ao couldn’t help but laugh, ”This just goes to show that there is always someone better out there. They deceive people with such tricks, but they will be exposed sooner or later.” After saying this, her expression suddenly turned grave again, ”However, you need to be more careful. The great elder might secretly harm you. Nearly all the core members of the Holy Hall are now driven by their own interests, with only the second elder still holding on, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult.”

”Thank you for the warning, Mrs. Ao. I will certainly be more cautious,” Bai Ruozhu smiled at Mrs. Ao.

Mrs. Ao raised her hand and gently touched her head, ”You, girl, have caught my eye. If you ever need help, make sure you tell us. You are someone my mother-in-law entrusted to us; the Ao family will do our utmost to support you.”

Bai Ruozhu also liked this occasionally scatterbrained Grand Princess and smiled at her, saying, ”Thank you, I definitely won’t be shy about asking for help.”

Seeing Bai Ruozhu talk and act in such an open and straightforward manner, Mrs. Ao grew even fonder of her.

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the Palace Gate. The Grand Princess didn’t need to be announced to enter the palace, and the three of them quickly entered the royal palace. Mrs. Ao thought for a moment and said, ”You go chat with Yingtong first, I’ll see His Majesty alone and talk to him about this matter first.”

”That’s a good idea, Mother. After we’ve found Yingtong, we’ll come to find you later,” Ao Qi said.

After they parted ways with Mrs. Ao, Ao Qi, seeing no one else around, spoke in a low voice, ”My mother probably has something private to discuss with His Majesty.”

”To persuade His Majesty to make up his mind and confront the Holy Hall?” Bai Ruozhu asked quietly.

”How did you know? Did my mother tell you?” Ao Qi asked, greatly surprised.

Bai Ruozhu smiled, ”No, it’s an eventuality, and the behavior of the Holy Hall has been getting more and more out of hand, right?”

Ao Qi laughed, ”You are my grandmother’s favored person, so naturally you won’t go wrong. Without saying, you can figure it out on your own. I guess I was redundant after all. The only thing is, the Holy Hall might start to despise you even more.”

”It doesn’t matter. They’ve already made a move against me once, and there will be more to come,” Bai Ruozhu said, and then she recounted the incident of rain suddenly bringing thunderstrike on the road.

Ao Qi’s face turned instantly pale, ”You mean to say that during the rain, lightning suddenly struck a person?”

Bai Ruozhu saw his reaction and, thinking he was influenced by the superstitions of ancient times, quickly said, ”There was no lightning or thunder at the time; it’s clearly man-made. But such a curse technique can’t be used often, nor by just anyone, and it would require quite a few conditions to be met.”

It took a while for Ao Qi’s complexion to return to normal, and he bowed his head, his whole demeanor tinged with sorrow.

”My father mentioned Qingxuan before. She was His Majesty’s most beloved concubine and my mother’s best friend. She was struck by lightning on a rainy day, and later died from it,” Ao Qi took a deep breath, ”The Holy Hall claimed at that time that it was the wrath of the gods incurred by Qingxuan’s brother, Qun Lian, and that Aunt Qingxuan herself had also desecrated the gods, which is why divine punishment was brought down upon her.”

Bai Ruozhu remembered Qingyou Hall, which had become the Leng Palace after that incident, and no one knew the real cause of Qingxuan’s death; everyone just believed she had died from an illness.

”In fact, you all had some suspicions, but without evidence. Now you should be able to connect the dots, right? My guard suffered severe burns all over his body. Fortunately, being a martial artist, he had a strong constitution and miraculously survived. He’s currently at the inn, and I’m still trying to heal him, but it’s hard to say what will happen in the future,” Bai Ruozhu said.

Ao Qi’s eyes blazed with anger, ”Now it’s completely certain, they do not allow any voices of doubt or opposition.”

While the two of them were talking, they arrived at Princess Yingtong’s palace, just as the princess was leaving the palace to take a stroll in the Back Garden. From a distance, she saw the two of them talking. Princess Yingtong, displeased, walked up to them, huffed coldly, and said, ”You’re not here to see me, are you?”

”Indeed, it is urgent business that brings us to you,” Ao Qi said, reining in his emotions.

But Princess Yingtong suddenly glared at Bai Ruozhu and said, ”If there’s business, then there’s business. Why bring this motley crew? As the legitimate princess of the Western Regions, do I have time to waste on irrelevant people?”

”Why are you throwing a tantrum again? Today there really is an urgent matter. My mother has already gone to see the monarch,” Ao Qi said sternly.

Bai Ruozhu tried to move to the side as much as possible, creating as much distance as she could from Ao Qi. She had been preoccupied with asking Princess Yingtong for information and had forgotten the princess’s unpredictable moods, especially after seeing Ao Qi speak to her.

However, she wasn’t angered by Princess Yingtong’s behavior. Having seen too many people who like to calculate and manipulate behind others’ backs, a straightforward person like Princess Yingtong, who only said a few words, was a relief.

Princess Yingtong’s expression cleared up slightly, ”Since it’s an urgent matter, I won’t quibble with you. Let’s go in and talk.”

The three of them returned to the hall. Once Princess Yingtong had dismissed everyone, Ao Qi related the matter of Jiang Yichun being cursed by the Saintess Honglian.

”Hah, I thought that woman was so high and mighty. Is it not just because she fancied your husband’s good looks and took a fancy to him? Or else she couldn’t deal with you, so she thought by doing this, she could provoke your jealousy and cause a rift between you and your husband,” said Princess Yingtong, who was no longer angry and even started to laugh.

”That would still be better. I’m afraid it’s the kind of curse that can temporarily control a person at a specific time, like suddenly doing something for the Holy Hall. With his Martial Arts skills, if that were the case, I’m afraid none of the guards who accompany us could stop him,” Bai Ruozhu said worriedly.

Princess Yingtong became serious, ”Let’s go over and have a look later. What you’re saying is not impossible.”

”Also, there’s another matter I didn’t have time to tell Master Ao. I was led to a secluded alley by a mysterious person, where I found a maid who once worked at the Holy Hall. She had one of her legs chopped off and was thrown into the Chaotic Burial Ground without realizing it. If she hadn’t been left with a breath, she might have already died,” Bai Ruozhu continued.

”The Holy Hall has harmed many people behind the scenes. It’s not just a maid; they would dare to harm even a queen!” Ao Qi said indignantly, referring to the incident with Qingxuan.

”But do you know why she was chopped off one of her legs for no reason?” Bai Ruozhu asked them. ”Yesterday at the Holy Hall, you must have heard... Lady Diao Mo’s daughter, Jin Jing, was attacked on the road by Sangta’s leopard and lost a leg. They said they sought me for treatment and that I not only refused to help but also insulted the Holy Hall. However, didn’t you see Jin Jing yesterday? Did she look like someone who had lost a leg?”

This time both Princess Yingtong and Ao Qi were so shocked they leapt up, with Princess Yingtong even grabbing Bai Ruozhu’s arm to ask, ”Did you personally see that Jin Jing’s leg was completely gone?”

”Not only was it bitten off, but the severed leg was also mangled and deformed, and there was absolutely no way it could be reattached!” Bai Ruozhu affirmed.

Before Princess Yingtong could say more, a knocking from a female officer came from outside, ”Princess, you must come quickly, something has happened to the monarch!”