Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1566: Chapter 1566: Reencountering the Female Shadow Guard_1

The next morning, Bai Ruozhu heard numerous pieces of news, including that many people in Cining Palace and the nearby palaces had been arrested. Some committed suicide by poisoning on the spot, some were beaten half to death yet still cried out in their innocence, and others confessed they had been planted by Prince Duan. One need not see to imagine the methods used to make these traitors confess.

Bai Ruozhu’s nose was very sensitive; she always felt she could smell blood. She dared not think about how many were spies, how many were merely implicated, or even how many had been wrongfully accused.

Even the usually benevolent Empress Dowager had no objections; her entire focus was on Prince Xi, wishing she could keep an eye on him all the time, as if she feared that the moment she stopped watching, Prince Xi would succumb to the effects of witchcraft.

Bai Ruozhu felt somewhat oppressed in her heart. After arranging some affairs, she left the palace before the midday meal, intending to go home and have lunch with her parents and child.

However, shortly after leaving the palace, she was led aside by the suddenly appearing Sangta.

She asked the coachman to stop the carriage, and went over to meet Sangta with Jianqi.

”What’s wrong?” Bai Ruozhu asked.

Sangta scratched his head awkwardly and chuckled. ”I heard there was trouble in the Danliang Imperial Palace. Since you’re the palace’s Chief Doctor, I was worried something might have happened to you.”

Bai Ruozhu was somewhat touched in her heart, but knowing that Sangta had feelings for her, she couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed. After a long while, she pretended to be ignorant and said, ”It’s nothing, thank you.”

Sangta laughed unnaturally, pulling at the scar on his face, which Bai Ruozhu found unbearable to watch.

The first time he helped her, she could ignore it. The second time, after she was disfigured, she could consider it a repayment for his help, but without responding or even keeping him at a distance. However, the third time, when he clearly could have controlled her but did not make her take the medicine given by Honglian and helped her find Achun instead, she could no longer avoid him in such a heartless and ungrateful manner.

But she could not give him any emotional response; she could only treat him as her best friend, a friend for whom she could go through fire and water.

”Why be formal with me? Don’t you consider me a friend anymore?” Sangta forced out a sentence, then put on a show of nonchalance. ”If there’s anything you need help with, just say so. Though I don’t have much sway in Danliang, I did bring some people with me, who should be of help.”

Bai Ruozhu understood his intentions and nodded vigorously. ”Okay, but with the current situation being unstable, you also should be careful, lest someone with ulterior motives pin something on you, especially be cautious of Turkic people.”

Sangta’s expression grew serious. ”I know, that Saihan has already sent someone to probe me, but I shook them off.”

Saihan was truly well-informed, having operated in Danliang for many years.

”Still, be extra careful. He has a grudge against me; don’t let his wrath fall on you. That man doesn’t reason according to principles or morals,” Bai Ruozhu whispered.

”Haven’t you sent someone to contact the other Turkic prince?” Sangta suddenly asked.

Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but laugh, ”You members of the Royal Family are indeed all clever people. Yes, I have already made contact. Since we’re to form a marriage alliance, wouldn’t it be better to have a normal Turkic prince?”

Sangta laughed, ”But you must be careful; that Saihan has long been on guard, and it seems like someone in the country has started moving against Duoho.”

”It’s okay, if that Duoho can’t even save himself, then we don’t need to pin our hopes on him,” Bai Ruozhu said with a smile.

Sangta burst into laughter. ”You certainly are a bold woman. It’s a pity you’re not from my Barbarian Clan; otherwise...”

”Otherwise, I might have to become the queen, and we’ll have to fight to the death, no?” Bai Ruozhu joked with a laugh, her own mood lightening a bit.

”If you became queen, I would submit to you, wouldn’t that suffice?” Sangta also burst into laughter, the scars on his face stretching but somehow adding to his charm rather than detracting from it, thanks to his sunny disposition.

After exchanging a few jokes, Bai Ruozhu took her leave and returned to her residence to have lunch with her father, mother, and Dengdeng.

”Mom, can I take Xiaohei outside to play? He can catch rabbits for me,” Little Dengdeng carefully asked his mother, with his big eyes appearing even larger as he looked up, giving him an especially adorable and silly appearance.

Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but kiss her son’s forehead and asked, ”Who told you he can catch rabbits for you?”

”Xiaohei told me himself. He said he wants to go hunting on his own and can catch rabbits and wild chickens for me to play with,” Little Dengdeng said excitedly.

Bai Ruozhu was surprised; Little Dengdeng could actually understand what Xiaohei said? Was it because Sangta taught him a bit of the Beast Taming Technique, or was he naturally able to understand animal language? Bai Ruozhu thought it would be a good idea to take the opportunity to ask Sangta about this.

”Things are a bit chaotic outside recently. In a few days, mom will take you and Xiaohei out of the city to play, okay?” Bai Ruozhu thought of the recent unrest, and since it wasn’t convenient for her to leave the city, she had to disappoint her son.

”Okay,” Little Dengdeng obediently agreed, not throwing a tantrum, but a hint of disappointment was evident in his eyes.

Bai Ruozhu, feeling a pang of guilt, hugged her son close and said, ”We’ll definitely go next month when it’s cooler, and you and Xiaohei can play in the woods then.”

”Okay, mom, you’ve promised, remember?” Little Dengdeng said, excited again.

After lunch, Bai Ruozhu put Dengdeng down for his nap before returning to the palace, only to hear shocking news: Honglian of Hanlu Palace was accused of having an affair with the prince and plotting against the Emperor!

Bai Ruozhu had met Honglian a few times before—she was the slightly plump beauty from Hanlu Palace who suffered from neurotic headaches, seemingly good-natured and not someone who looked like a spy. Bai Ruozhu had treated Honglian several times and even taught Honglian and Lady Lv a set of yoga exercises, so they had some sort of relationship.

Bai Ruozhu couldn’t well ask others, so she pulled Hao Mu aside to quietly ask, ”How did Honglian plan to harm the Emperor? Have they found any witnesses or evidence?”

Hao Mu looked around cautiously and lowered his voice to say, ”It’s said she secretly placed a curse on the Emperor, which also harmed Prince Xi. Didn’t the prince visit her last month? That’s when she struck.”

Bai Ruozhu was startled. She had thought the Emperor’s visit was to check on her treatment of Honglian’s illness, but if Honglian had orchestrated all this, wasn’t that too much like foreseeing the future? And had she been manipulated into it as well?

How could a favored beauty be so confident that she would see the Emperor?

Bai Ruozhu felt something was off but didn’t have details, and it seemed Hao Mu didn’t know much more either.

”I’ll go see Consort Yue first and talk more about this later,” Bai Ruozhu sighed. Would the Imperial Palace be thicker with the scent of blood tonight?

Upon entering Consort Yue’s room, Bai Ruozhu saw a familiar-looking maidservant. She remembered; wasn’t this the Shadow Guard who had coveted her man?

Her name seemed to be Ling, as Bai Ruozhu recalled. The Emperor had said that Ling was injured and could no longer serve as a Shadow Guard, so he had given her to Consort Yue to protect her and her child.