bayedsolid Chapter 249 Digging Three Feet Deep!
Chapter 249 Digging Three Feet Deep!
Phoenix Palace.
Empress Wang sat regally on her phoenix throne, her magnificent palace attire making her appear radiant and beautiful. However, the dark circles under her eyes betrayed her inner weariness, far from the radiant appearance she wore.
"Is His Majesty still staying in Feixue Palace and refusing to leave?"
She raised her slender hand, casually playing with her meticulously manicured nails, and gently blew away non-existent dust.
"That's exactly right, Your Majesty."
Lin Qing stood respectfully below the stage and recounted everything he had seen and heard in recent days.
The emperor has been staying in Feixue Palace for three whole days, not only ignoring state affairs but also forbidding others from approaching.
Upon hearing this, Empress Wang's face flashed with a barely perceptible resentment, and she sneered, "She's just a short-lived concubine, yet His Majesty is so infatuated with her. What kind of behavior is this!"
She clenched the handkerchief in her hand tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger."
Lin Qing cautiously advised, "His Majesty may be having difficulty accepting the passing of Consort Liang for the time being. I believe that after some time, he will surely change his mind and reconcile with you."
"Have a change of heart and reconcile?"
Empress Wang sneered, "He probably hates me to the core now. If it weren't for the Wang family supporting me, I would have been deposed by him long ago!" Thinking of Pei Yuanling's hateful eyes at the Ministry of Justice that day, Empress Wang felt a chill in her heart, followed by a surge of resentful anger.
The most important thing right now is to get pregnant as soon as possible.
No matter what method is used, as long as a royal heir is born, she can become the Empress Dowager in the future.
As for Pei Yuanling's favor, it was no longer important.
"Your Majesty, please do not worry."
Lin Qing smiled ingratiatingly, “The Wang family is a century-old family with deep roots. Even if His Majesty is willing, he cannot easily shake it. At present, Lord Lu is in charge of the government in the previous dynasty and is handling things quite well. If His Majesty continues to indulge in grief and neglect state affairs, the Wang family will definitely have a chance to turn things around!”
Upon hearing this, Empress Wang narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly: "Lu Zhiheng is indeed quite intelligent, and that is precisely why he is even more troublesome."
With Pei Yuanling currently neglecting state affairs, the Wang family naturally cannot send Wang Jingyi into the palace, so her position as Empress is relatively secure for the time being. Moreover, with Qiao Qingyin's death, her biggest obstacle has been removed.
Thinking of this, the pent-up frustration in Empress Wang's heart finally dissipated a little.
Meanwhile, inside the Feixue Palace.
Pei Yuanling, with a full beard, was holding the clothes Chu Qingyin had previously worn. His eyelids were drooping, and he looked like a walking corpse, appearing increasingly haggard.
"Your Majesty, you haven't eaten for three days. Please eat something," Chen Zhongliang pleaded, holding a bowl of easily digestible food.
Pei Yuanling ignored him, only muttering to himself, "Yinyin, where did you go? It was my fault, I shouldn't have been so careless and put you in danger..."
As he was speaking, he suddenly stopped and his gaze fell on the couch where Chu Qingyin often sat.
In a daze, I seemed to see a bright and beautiful woman in a purple palace dress, smiling sweetly at me.
"His Majesty!"
Seeing that Pei Yuanling's eyes were glazed over and his body was swaying, Chen Zhongliang hurriedly stepped forward to help him up.
Pei Yuanling suddenly shook off his hand, strode towards the bed, and reached out to grab the illusory shadow.
But no matter how tightly he tried to grasp it, he only managed to grab a handful of air.
"Voice..."
Pei Yuanling's eyes dimmed, and his voice echoed in the empty hall, sounding particularly desolate.
Just then, a pure white cat jumped in through the window.
Seemingly frightened by his earlier commotion, her hair stood on end as she stared at him warily.
"Little Snowball?"
Pei Yuanling's pupils trembled slightly as he stared in astonishment at the kitten that kept hissing at him.
Because of Chu Qingyin's second death, it had been neglected for many days, and its fur was filthy, making it look extremely pitiful.
"Little Snowball, come here."
Pei Yuanling seemed to regain a moment of clarity and slowly lowered his body.
He spends quite a bit of time with Little Snowball on weekdays.
When the little snowball heard his gentle call, it lowered its guard, and its bristling fur gradually calmed down.
"Meow..."
It whimpered twice and finally walked over slowly, its fluffy head nuzzling affectionately against the other's heel, as if it had suffered a great injustice.
Pei Yuanling hugged the little snowball tightly in his arms, and suddenly remembered that the little snowball used to love sticking to Chu Qingyin the most, and that since Chu Qingyin was resurrected, the little guy was the first to recognize Chu Qingyin.
Perhaps it can actually recognize whether the charred, unrecognizable corpse is Chu Qingyin or not.
Thinking of this, a glimmer of hope rekindled in Pei Yuanling's heart, and he immediately ordered, "Chen Zhongliang, quickly prepare the sedan chair, I am going to the Ministry of Justice!"
His voice trembled slightly with excitement, completely lacking the composure of an emperor.
"Your Majesty, this... sigh."
Although Chen Zhongliang was worried that His Majesty's obstinacy would cause him even more pain, he dared not disobey the imperial decree and could only make arrangements hastily.
"Yes, this servant will go right away."
Before long, the sedan chair stopped outside the morgue.
Pei Yuanling strode in, carrying Little Snowball. The stench and acrid smell in the air made him want to vomit, but he endured it and went straight to the charred corpse that was identified as Chu Qingyin.
"Little Snowball, go and take a closer look. Is that really your owner?"
Pei Yuanling gently placed the small snowball on the ground, his voice carrying an unquestionable command.
Little Snowball seemed to be frightened by something terrifying; its fur stood on end again, and it let out a shrill cry, "Meow!"
It desperately tried to hide near Pei Yuanling's legs, refusing to get close to the corpse no matter what.
Seeing this, Pei Yuanling was overjoyed, but still wanted it to confirm again.
"Little Snowball, be a good girl. Just take one look and tell me she is not your master, okay?"
But the little snowball refused to come any closer, meowing several times as it retreated further and further away from the door.
Seeing this, Pei Yuanling became even more certain that the corpse was not Chu Qingyin's.
He remembered that when Chu Qingyin died violently in the Cold Palace, only Little Snowball stayed by her side, whimpering and refusing to leave.
If this corpse truly belonged to Chu Qingyin, it would never be so afraid.
"I knew Yinyin wasn't dead, she definitely wasn't dead!"
Pei Yuanling burst into maniacal laughter, the sound echoing in the gloomy side hall, startling the guards and eunuchs standing by as they exchanged bewildered glances.
The next moment, they heard a cold, resounding command from inside the hall—
"By imperial decree, at all costs, dig three feet into the ground to find Consort Liang for me!"