Chapter 56: The Harem Sends an Urgent Message 6

  Luo Tian, Imperial Palace, Empress Dowager's Palace.

  The Empress Dowager was leaning against the couch with her eyes closed, cultivating her spirit. Beside her, Zhao Song was serving her carefully. At this moment, there was a commotion at the door, and the Empress Dowager slightly furrowed her brow, opened her eyes, and saw Nan Gongyan leading a group of concubines bursting in.

  A small eunuch failed to stop them and hastily knelt down to apologize. "Your Majesty, I told you that you were taking a nap, but the princess and several noble concubines wouldn't listen..."

  The empress waved her hand to signal him to leave, he stood up and bowed his waist to back out, Zhao Song helped Empress Murong sit up, then carefully placed a cushion behind Empress Murong's back.

  At this time, Murong Empress Dowager saw Nalan Yanran beside Nan Gongyan. Her eyebrows furrowed even tighter. "How are you here? Shouldn't you be in the Heavenly Prison?"

  Nangong Yan heard this and explained: "It was I who brought her out."

  "How dare you!" Murong Tian's anger flared. "She is a criminal, colluding with that traitor to plot rebellion, deserving of death ten thousand times over! It's just that I've been busy lately and forgot about her. Guards, take her away and prepare for her execution on a later date!"

  "Hold on!" Nan Gong Yan refused to give in. "Empress Dowager, I've said it before, Nalan Xianyu is not a treacherous son! My injury was not inflicted by him either; he didn't plot against Luo Tian and even helped eliminate the rebels for him... his merit cannot be ignored..."

  "Swallow! Wake up! If he's not a scoundrel, why did he suddenly rush out to help us with this and that? No good deed goes unpunished! I was just going to have him take you for a stroll in the Imperial Garden, get acquainted, but instead he's taken you off to do who-knows-what dangerous things. This time he got lucky, but if anything had gone wrong, you'd be dead at the hands of those rebels!"

  "No! In short, Xie Nu is not a thief's son, and even if he was, what fault does Nalan sister have?! Why should she be put to death? Didn't you used to like her the most?" Nan Gong Yan retorted.

  Murong Taohou glanced at Nalan Yanran and coldly snorted. "I'm the one who likes her the most and has the highest hopes for her, but she's actually led a wolf into my home and almost made me commit a grave mistake!"

  Nangong Yan saw that Murong Taifei still didn't completely despise Nalan Xiangran. She hastily said: "That's it, Sister Nalan was completely unaware and Xi Nuo isn't a thief! Alright, even if we assume Xi Nuo is a thief, what does that have to do with Sister Nalan? Sister Nalan married into the Nangong family, she's one of us. Furthermore, if being closely related to Xi Nuo makes someone an accomplice, then shouldn't I be executed too?"

  Murong Taihou was choked by Nangong Yan's words, and said: "Good, you are eloquent, this old woman can't argue with you. However, I will never forgive the mistakes committed by the Nalan family. What did you come here for? Are you not just saying this?"

  Nangong Yan snorted and said: "Of course not. I came today to ask the Empress Dowager to deal with that Huangfu Xizhao!"

  "Dispose of her?" Murong Empress Dowager was puzzled. "Why dispose of her? What's wrong with her?"

  "She killed Xi Fei!" Nan Gong Yan said sternly: "The slaves in the king's palace all witnessed it, extremely cruel, just because the king summoned Xi Fei to serve him at night, she was jealous and killed her, and even spoke wildly saying that the king belonged only to her!"

  "What?! Impossible, she's not that kind of person." Murong Empress waved her hand in disbelief. She knew the people from the Huangfu family, and the children of the Huangfu family were extremely well-mannered and understood etiquette, how could they do such a thing?

  "A thousand truths! If you don't believe me, go ask the servants in Wang brother's palace!" Nan Gong Yan said very seriously.

  Murong Tian Hou hesitated for a moment, then ordered someone to go to the palace of Nan Gong Jin to find someone to ask. The slave went to find someone, and Murong Tai Hou took advantage of this gap to continue: "Just now I didn't say that Nalan Yanran was brought down to me? Come on!"

  At this time, Nalan Yanran spoke up. "Your Majesty, although Yanran doesn't know what mistake she made, she must have displeased the Empress Dowager in some way. This alone is Yanran's fault. Yanran doesn't ask for anything else, only hoping that Your Majesty will be fair and just, allow Ji Xi to plead her case, let her sisters calm down, and Yanran can also rest at ease..."

  Zhao Song heard this and couldn't help but feel suspicious. This Nalan Yanran was Nalan Xianyu's sister, she had no reason not to know about Nalan Xianyu's daughter, and even less reason not to know that Huangfu Xianyu was actually Nalan Xianyu. But she actually said something like this?

  Moreover, this Nalan Guifei is very capable, and has won over everyone in the palace from top to bottom. She has those underlings wrapped around her finger, all of them devoted to her body and soul. Now that she's speaking like this, it can only prove that she and Nalan Xinnuo are not on the same path.

  That's easy, at the critical moment, use her to reveal the truth and then instigate the Empress to put Nalan Xixi to death together!

  "Your Majesty." At this time, Zhao Song walked to the front of the Empress Dowager and knelt down. "Even if Nalan Xianyu deserves to die ten thousand times, it has nothing to do with Nalan Guifei. Your Majesty knows her virtues, everyone in the palace praises her kindness and goodness, during the Emperor's absence, she comes every day to pay respects, even an old slave like me is deeply moved, how could she have any designs on Luo Tian? She doesn't know anything about it..."

  Saying that, Zhao Song said seriously: "The princess is right, she married Luo Tian and became a person of Luo Tian, and had nothing to do with the Nalan family. I hope the queen will think thrice and be wise!"

  At this time, Nan Gong Yan added indignantly: "You don't restore her title of Guifei, anyway I want Nalan sister to live with me, if you must execute her, I will die with her!"

  Murong Taohou glared at Nangong Yan with dissatisfaction, but Zhao Song's words were very pleasing. All along, Zhao Song had been her most trusted servant and most capable assistant, following her for decades.

  Furthermore, Nalan Yanran's actions truly made her extremely satisfied. At one point, she even wanted to make Nalan Yanran the empress and take on the heavy responsibility of continuing the Southern Palace's lineage, but unexpectedly, something happened in between.

  At this time, the concubines and imperial consorts below all knelt down to plead for Nalan Yanran. This was also a way of giving her an excuse, and Empress Dowager Murong revealed a reluctant expression, saying: "Considering that so many people are pleading for you, I will spare you for now. If in the future I find even half a hint of impropriety, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

  Nalan Yanran knelt down and knocked her head repeatedly. "Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your great kindness. I, Yanran, will remember it."

  Just then, the little slave who had just been sent to find someone came back, but that slave's face was very worried. Looking further back, several palace maids were seen behind, and Nalan Xianyu was walking in elegantly.

  Nangong Yan and Nalan Xiangran exchanged a glance, both of their hearts already chilled by more than half. The Empress Dowager saw Nalan Xianyu approaching and couldn't help but smile: "Xianyu, why did you come together?"

  Nalan Xixi respectfully greeted Empress Dowager Murong and said, "His Majesty heard that Your Imperial Majesty wanted to ask some questions about me, so he had me come with them to explain clearly, lest any misunderstandings arise."

  After saying that, she glanced lightly at the concubine and Nan Gong Yan, as well as Nalan Yanran beside her. Although there was a warm and polite smile on her face, in her eyes, however, was a very obvious disdain and coldness.

  Several concubines shuddered subconsciously, but Nan Gongyan was stunned. This gaze was too similar to that of Nalan Xianyu's.

  Murong Taihou smiled lightly and said, "It's nothing much, I just heard that you beat Xifei to death. I naturally didn't believe it, but they insisted on saying it was true. So I found a few servants to ask, unexpectedly even startling Wang'er."

  Nalan Xixiao smiled and replied, "Speaking of this, the king asked me to bring some words. The king said that Nalan Xixiao is indeed his old friend, and it was the Qiang people and the remnants of the Zuotang who trapped him in Qilin Mountain this time. Nalan Gongzi was ambushed by the Qiang people while trying to rescue the king. The king said he doesn't know what kind of villain has been spreading rumors in your ear, causing discord between us. He asked me to ask you."

  Murong Taihou's face changed color, and she asked, "What?! Is it the work of the Qiang people? That..."

  As she spoke, she looked at Zhao Song, and immediately furrowed her brow. Here, she didn't dare to question Zhao Song either. However, since Wang Er had said that they were indeed good friends, then she must have misunderstood.

  "Did you say he was ambushed? Is he dead? Is he really dead?" Nan Gong Yan couldn't believe it, she grabbed Huang Fu Xian's arm and shook him repeatedly, unable to accept the fact.

  Nalan Xixi nodded. "Please calm down, Princess. At that time, Nalan Gongzi was seriously injured, but he left a letter for you."

  As he spoke, Nalan Xianyu took out a letter that had been written long ago from his bosom and handed it to Nan Gongyan. Nan Gongyan took the letter, overwhelmed with emotion, and ran out crying. Suddenly, the side of the Imperial Concubine seemed to be without a leader, and began to become restless.

  Nalan Xiren continued: "Furthermore, the emperor also asked me to persuade Empress Dowager to pardon Nalan Guifei of her crimes. This was originally a misunderstanding, and it was Nalan Guifei who suffered from being implicated. He felt very uneasy about this in his heart."

  Murong Taohou nodded and glanced at Nalan Yanran, saying: "It's already out."

  Nalan Xizuo looked at Nalan Yanran with a surprised expression, as if they had just met. "So Sister Nalan has come out, then the king can rest assured. The king said he misses his sister very much and asked her to choose a day to visit."

  Nalan's heart had already cooled down, letting her go would be sending her to her death. She forced a smile and said: "Thank you for the king's kindness, thank you princess for conveying the king's decree, I understand."

  At this time, the Empress Dowager asked: "Didn't you say that she beat Xi Fei to death? What's going on?"

  It wasn't until then that Nalan Yanran realized that it was no wonder there were letters again, and it turned out that Nalan Xianyu had deliberately set up a trap for Nan Gongyan. She had also set up such a trap for her, saying that the emperor missed her and thought of her, which would make other concubines and noble consorts suspect her and guard against her in their hearts.

  This is also tolerable, but she was forced to agree to go to the palace of Nan Gong Jin, once she went, she would inevitably be tortured to death by her.

  Suddenly, an idea frightened her, this idea would make them all defeated...