Chapter 621: Six Hundred and Twenty-Seven

“Madam, Noble Consort Li from the palace has sent her confidant to see you,” said the servant. “She wishes for you to visit the palace when you have the time, wanting to catch up on old times.”

“Noble Consort Li?” Su Wenyue raised an eyebrow. The chief position in the harem had not yet been decided, and Mrs. Guo, Yin Lihua, and Chen Li had all been conferred the title of Consort. It was a sensitive time, and the invitation from Noble Consort Li was unlikely to be as simple as reminiscing about old times—even if they had shared a brief acquaintance in the past, it wasn’t worth getting involved in these affairs.

However, since the invitation had been extended, it would not be good to refuse bluntly, as that would surely offend someone. Su Wenyue had not yet thought of a proper way to handle the situation when she received new word that Yin Lihua had also sent for her, adding to her headache.

As for Yin Lihua, Su Wenyue also had mixed feelings. In her previous life, Yin Lihua had willingly ceded the title of Empress due to Liu Xiu’s favor, seizing the most advantageous position. In this life, so much had changed, and Consort Yin was far from as favored as she had been back then, seemingly lacking the confidence she once had, which was probably why she had joined the competition for the position of the chief consort from the start.

“Husband, do you think they both want to summon me to the palace because of the matter of the chief consort’s position?” Su Wenyue complained of her headache and sought Han Yu’s opinion. She figured that was probably the reason, but the main thing was to get Han Yu to think of a strategy for her. In this respect, Su Wenyue felt that even with all her wits, she could not compare to Han Yu.

Han Yu felt heartache seeing his daughter-in-law so troubled. The matter at hand was likely not so simple with both Noble Consort Li and Consort Yin seeking her out simultaneously—not to mention the Emperor’s probe that morning. He had just received some information from a spy within the palace.

“Do you still remember the colorful exquisite lamp we won at the Lantern Festival, the one that Sikong Ling later claimed and offered to the Emperor? There’s reliable news that there’s a treasure map hidden inside that palace lamp. Since we once had that colorful exquisite lamp in our hands, the Emperor must also be aware of the news. He has probed me today as well. Noble Consort Li and Consort Yin probably want to pry information from you—if they can obtain anything useful, it will help them gain favor with the Emperor and bring them closer to that position.”

“So that’s why they’re all inviting me to the palace at this time,” Su Wenyue finally understood. Now she was aware of the motives of Chen Li and Yin Lihua, but that only added to her worries. Even if she were to decline tactfully, the two consorts in the harem would not give up so easily.

At this moment, Han Yu spoke up, unable to bear seeing his daughter-in-law frown with worry: “Why worry about this? I have already told the Emperor everything I know about the colorful exquisite lamp. Regarding those consorts, if you do not wish to meet them, just reject them directly. There is no need to be concerned about anything. You are now the esteemed Madam Zhen Guo, not needing to make compromises. With me by your side, there’s nothing to fear. Even if the position of the Empress is decided, she would still have to show you due respect.”

“Not foolish,” Ling Ruonan shook her head, “this should be the smartest decision.”@@novelbin@@

“That’s good, I was afraid you would blame me for not taking the opportunity to make requests to Great Grandfather.” Luo Ziling said, then laughed again, “Yesterday, after beating up the descendants of the Ling Family, today Great Grandfather still treats me as an honored guest. Those who were beaten by me, if they knew about this, would probably be so angered they’d vomit blood.”

“Indeed,” Ling Ruonan nodded her head, and then immediately added with a somber reminder, “This is also the key to the problem. Therefore, I believe there are deeper things we haven’t considered—things we haven’t considered are the crux of the matter. I always feel that things are not simple, and your rash actions yesterday wouldn’t easily be forgiven by those two old people. Maybe one day their thoughts will change, and that may be a deadly threat to us. It’s possible they are just using us as cannon fodder. Alas, even I can’t make sense of it anymore, it gives me a headache.”

“Mom, it seems that we are just pawns in their hands, and pawns that can be sacrificed at any time,” Luo Ziling said with a wry smile on his face, “The adage ‘No affection in royalty’ couldn’t be more true.”

“Ling’er, don’t lose heart. Although all of this could be a trap, it could also be an opportunity, a chance for our family to be united, a chance for us to gain more benefits. You want the Luo Family to become a mighty household, right? Then let’s make good use of this opportunity. They use us, we use them; we all get what we need. As long as we are the ‘cockroaches’ that can’t be killed, in the end, we will surely be the ones to profit.”

Upon hearing Ling Ruonan put it that way, Luo Ziling suddenly had an epiphany, “Mom, I understand what you mean. Let’s work hard together; I believe we will have the last laugh.”

“Hmm,” Ling Ruonan nodded earnestly, then said, “From now on, we mustn’t give up any opportunities, striving to have enough strength to resist before we fall out with them.”

Luo Ziling nodded earnestly too.

Then, he gave Ling Ruonan a good massage, and only after she had peacefully fallen asleep did he leave her villa.

Still not asking Wuyue for a ride, Luo Ziling stealthily left the neighborhood. Only after circling the nearby area twice to make sure he wasn’t being followed did he head in the direction of the school.

An issue that had seemed monumental was thus “resolved” in a theatrical manner; Luo Ziling, although finding it a bit absurd, felt his mood much lighter.

Feeling relaxed, his steps became more light-hearted as he headed back to school.

He planned to discuss the matter with Yang Qingyin, so after leaving the neighborhood, he sent her a message, saying he wanted to treat her to a late-night snack.

Yang Qingyin replied back quickly, agreeing to his request and asking if he had good news. Luo Ziling simply answered that they’d talk when they met.

The two agreed to meet at a teahouse near the school.

With three kilometers to the school and only half an hour left, Luo Ziling quickened his pace.

But as he reached a secluded place, suddenly, a sense of danger appeared without any warning.

This alarmed Luo Ziling, who immediately heightened his vigilance.

The instinctive sense of danger had been honed from harsh training with his grandfather since he was young.

Fearing accidents when he grew up, his grandfather had been very strict with his training from a young age.

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During training, they often attacked him while disguised as the enemy, the aim being to hone his reaction ability to danger.

By the end, whenever there were strong opponents around or a murderous aura appeared, he could sense the danger, his body’s instinctive response to danger had been trained just like that.

On the day he was ambushed by gunmen, and the previous few times he’d encountered trouble, he’d had a premonition.

Even that time when he was walking down the street, intimately nestled with Yang Qingyin under an umbrella enjoying the romance, once the attackers appeared, he reacted immediately; otherwise, his injuries would have been more than just a few scrapes.

After being shot at while with Ling Ruonan last time, his sensitivity to danger had increased even further.

Today, when he was on his way to the old house, he wore the bulletproof vest given to him by Lin Lan, but a bulletproof vest can only protect parts of the body, not provide full coverage. Fearing another sniper or gunman attack, as soon as he sensed danger, he immediately darted into the darkness, using the buildings and trees as cover, preparing to escape.

As he darted away to take cover, he cursed incessantly in his heart at those who took cold shots at him from behind; these people were despicable, robbing him of any peace in his life.

If he found out who they were, he would definitely teach them a fierce lesson, making them wish they could neither live nor die.

Just as Luo Ziling darted away and slipped into a nearby small park, planning to use the darkness as cover to escape, two tall figures in black silently followed him into the park.

Although there are streetlights in the small park by the roadside, they are not very bright; the abundance of trees and bushes adds to the gloomy atmosphere. In the summer, many people stroll here at night, but now it’s deep autumn and the evenings are quite chilly, leaving the small park almost devoid of people. The dim lights barely reveal the faint outlines of the two figures in black, compounding the chill in the eerily quiet park.

“You’re right, Husband. Given your severe condition, one Imperial Doctor will not be enough. We should summon several Imperial Doctors to discuss if there’s any treatment.” Su Wenyue went along with Han Yu’s suggestion and immediately made arrangements. She wasn’t the least bit concerned about whether Han Yu’s leg condition was as serious as he claimed—since Han Yu had spoken, it must be well-planned.

Before long, several Imperial Doctors were hastily summoned by the Marquis of Zhen Guo’s Mansion. Upon seeing the teary-eyed and red-eyed Madam Zhen Guo by the window and the Marquis of Zhen Guo lying pallid, weak, and sweating on the bed, any minor complaints they harbored vanished. They took Han Yu’s condition seriously and began their examination.