mtl008 Chapter 214 The Most Noble Woman
Chapter 214 The Most Noble Woman
Facing Shu Rao's question, Yu Yanyan seemed to have received an invisible electric shock. Her body suddenly stiffened, her lips trembled slightly, and she seemed to be hesitant to speak.
Zhao'er's last words before his death always lingered in her mind, casting a shadow on her original trust in Shu Rao, so she had not set foot in Yaohua Palace in recent days.
Unexpectedly, before she could find a reason to exonerate Shu Rao, Ye Qianning revealed many secrets that shocked her in the last moments of his life.
Is the Shu Rao in front of her still the sister who shared hardships with her in Longquan Villa? Did those cruel acts really come from her hands?
Shu Rao obviously noticed Yu Yanyan's strangeness, and hurried forward, gently holding her cold and clenched fist, trying to convey a little warmth. "Wanwan, I know that you and Concubine Ning are like sisters, and her departure is indeed heartbreaking."
"Yongqing Palace is no longer habitable. Why don't you follow me back to Yaohua Palace? I will immediately arrange for someone to tidy up the side hall."
However, Yu Yanyan's fingers stiffened at the warm touch. She withdrew her hand silently, and her eyes drifted to the Ganoderma lucidum covered with white cloth and lying quietly beside her.
"Empress Shu, Lingzhi is no longer with us. She was your personal maid. Don't you want to say a final farewell to her?"
A trace of surprise flashed across Shu Rao's face. The alienation and respect in Yu Yanyan's tone clearly revealed that the distance between them was no longer what it used to be. All these changes must be related to Ye Qianning's last words before his death.
Just as Yu Yanwan was immersed in the whirlpool of thoughts, a crisp sound of footsteps penetrated the silence of Yaohua Palace, as if foreshadowing an impending storm.
She prayed silently in her heart, hoping that it was just a false alarm, but when the pair of jewel-encrusted embroidered shoes came into view, all her hopes disappeared in an instant.
The shoes were extremely exquisite, and every jewel shone with a dazzling light, as if showing the owner's nobility and power.
They stepped lightly on the stone road, making small but clear sounds, and approached step by step until they stopped in front of Yu Yanwan's sight.
This sudden interruption made Yu Yanwan feel even more depressed, and her brows furrowed even tighter.
Shu Rao was wearing a bright yellow embroidered long dress, the color looked even more dazzling under the sunlight, like the rising sun, bright and dazzling.
She approached slowly, each step exuding a condescending aura, and her smug smile was particularly dazzling in the sunlight, as if the winner was showing off to the loser.
Although Yu Yanwan's heart was in turmoil, she still maintained court etiquette on the surface, and every move she made was filled with caution and restraint.
She bowed deeply, her forehead almost touching the ground, and said in a steady voice with an unignorable distance: "May the Royal Concubine be blessed with good health."
This greeting is more of a courtesy than a sincere one.
The silk handkerchief in Shu Rao's hand swayed gently. The movement seemed casual, but it was actually full of arrogance. Every detail emphasized her status and authority.
"Your eldest sister, Yu Jingshu, is so lucky. She has been favored by the emperor. Not only has she been canonized as a concubine, she also enjoys the emperor's special care. All of this is thanks to me."
As she spoke, her eyes seemed to penetrate layers of barriers and directly examine Yu Yanwan's thoughts. Her pride was almost beyond words.
Yu Yanwan felt mixed emotions, as she knew very well how much difficulty and sacrifice were hidden behind this so-called "favor". The handkerchief in her hand was tightly twisted, just like her mood at the moment - complicated and tangled.
After losing Zhao'er and Lingzhi, she was surrounded by Shu Rao's eyes and she seemed to feel the invisible surveillance and oppression with every breath.
The guards arranged by Su Jingchuan were more like an invisible cage than a protection, trapping her firmly in this small space.
When Shu Rao mentioned the news about Su Jingchen, Yu Yanwan's body and mind seemed to be struck by lightning, and a trace of unbelievable pain flashed in her eyes.
That sentence was like a huge rock falling into a calm lake, causing ripples.
She tried hard to keep her footing and not let her body fall. It was a shock and blow from the depths of her soul.
"Shu Rao, you...you..."
Yu Yanwan's voice was choked with sobs. She could hardly believe this fact, and found it hard to accept Shu Rao's cold-bloodedness.
At this moment, she seemed to see the bloodiness and cruelty behind the court struggle, and she herself was just a chess piece in this game.
Shu Rao's smile still retained that arrogance and indifference. Her words were like a sharp knife, piercing Yu Yanwan's heart: "Reality is always so cruel, Wanwan, you should learn to adapt. Here, there is no one you can always rely on. You can only become stronger by yourself."
Every word she spoke was like a cube of ice, striking the ground with force and chilling to the bone.
Faced with Shu Rao's transformation, Yu Yanwan's heart was filled with complex emotions - disappointment, anger, and indescribable sadness.
She suppressed the turbulent waves in her heart, and the contempt in her eyes was gradually replaced by a kind of determination: "Yes, Shu Rao, you have changed, and I can hardly recognize you. But remember, the court is unpredictable, and the winner today may not be the winner tomorrow."
This silent confrontation is like a microcosm of the power game that has been played out countless times in the deep palace, and the grievances and hatreds in it can perhaps only be truly experienced by those who are in it.
Shu Rao slowly spread her arms in the first rays of morning light, as if she was embracing the whole world. Her voice trembled slightly with excitement: "The facts have proved that all the hardships and efforts I have made have not been in vain! In the days to come, I swear to become the most respected and powerful woman in this harem, and even in the whole world!"
As soon as these words came out, the air around them seemed to freeze. Her ambition was so obvious that it was impossible to look directly at it, just like the rising sun.
Yu Yanwan looked at the figure that seemed particularly arrogant in the light, her heart surging with pain and unwillingness. The corners of her tightly pursed lips revealed her inner struggle.
The once close friends now stand on opposite sides of each other, and the lover's decisive departure is like a sharp blade, cutting her heart piece by piece, leaving an unhealable crack.
"Then... congratulations... to the Imperial Concubine..."
She spoke each word with great emphasis, each word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, with unyielding and forbearing words, "But please remember, the law is vast and will not let any crime slip through. Those crimes committed in secret will one day receive the punishment they deserve."
The exquisitely embroidered handkerchief in Shu Rao's hand was wrinkled by her. She turned around abruptly, her eyes flashing with anger and disdain, and glanced at Yu Yanwan. That contemptuous look was like a sharp sword, piercing people's hearts.
"A real man should sweep the world, why would he care about a room? When I wear the dragon robe and phoenix crown, you may understand all this."