Yan Xiu saw Donglai still standing there, and cast him a slight glance.
Donglai was instantly frightened and shivered.
He cautiously examined Yan Xiu’s expression, trying to glean something, but found himself at a loss, so he tentatively spoke up, "Emperor, I still have something unfinished to say."
Yan Xiu lowered his head and continued reading the memorial, completely ignoring him.
Donglai was distressed; should he continue or not?
Idiot!
Shen Quan was anxious to intervene, and if not for Yan Xiu’s presence, he would definitely have kicked his foolish apprentice into the dragon pillar to wake him up!
"Speak up if you have something to say, let it out if you need to!"
Shen Quan leaned closer to Donglai and squeezed out these words between his teeth.
Donglai immediately understood: "Emperor, Princess Consort De is dealing with Beauty Zhou’s incident at the Purple Cloud Pavilion. She claims Hua Yin pushed Beauty Zhou into the water."
Hua Yin?
Yan Xiu looked up at Donglai. The name sounded somewhat familiar.
"Emperor, it’s the palace maid beside Lady Li, Hua Yin." Shen Quan immediately understood the implication of Yan Xiu’s gaze, and answered upfront before Donglai could make a mistake.
Humph.
Yan Xiu snorted coldly, casually threw the writing brush towards the brush holder, and got up, hands behind his back, as he walked outside: "Since my beloved concubine has fallen into the water, I must naturally go for a visit, prepare the carriage."
Prepare the carriage?
Where to?
Donglai looked dumbly at Yan Xiu, who was about to walk out of the Imperial Study.
"Whack." Shen Quan smacked Donglai on the back of his head: "What are you staring at? If you keep staring, the Emperor will walk there himself! Prepare the carriage to the Purple Cloud Pavilion!"
"Oh, yes, yes!" Donglai scrambled off the floor, bowing low as he ran out, shouting, "The Emperor is on his way—"
Shen Quan found it unbearable to watch.
Was it his eyes or his brain that failed him? Why did he choose Donglai as his apprentice back then?
"Noble Lady Ying, not only are your eyes failing, but your memory also seems inaccurate. Doctor Zhang is here, let him examine you, ailments should be treated early, don’t refuse treatment out of stubbornness!"
Li Yuyu still bore a grudge against Noble Lady Ying for slapping Hua Yin, even though she had retaliated, in her mind, Noble Lady Ying was already marked as an enemy rather than a friend!
Concerning enemies, she naturally did not need to show any mercy.
"Lady Li, you really have a sharp tongue," Noble Lady Ying sneered.
"Perhaps it’s because I’m young, not only sharp-tongued, but also have a good eye and memory," Li Yuyu was unfazed.
Noble Lady Ying: "You..."
"Noble Lady Ying," Princess Consort De frowned.
Noble Lady Ying was infuriated but knew she couldn’t win against Li Yuyu, eventually glaring at her before reluctantly turning away and closing her mouth.
"Lady Li, you mentioned earlier that someone was wearing an emerald green dress?"
"Indeed." With a smile, Li Yuyu’s willow-leaf eyebrows moved from Princess Consort De to settle on Han Cairen, who was clearly present but had little presence: "Han, did you just change your palace attire?"
"Answering Lady Li," Han Cairen gently bent her knees toward Li Yuyu and said softly, "My dress was soaked, hence I changed it."
"Pfft."
Noble Lady Ying expected Li Yuyu to reveal something, but was surprised to find her aiming at Han Cairen instead, sneering incessantly.
"Lady Li, you’re not implying that Han Cairen’s soaked palace attire happened to be emerald green, that she deliberately pushed Beauty Zhou into the water, and to rid herself of suspicion, she jumped into the water risking her life to save Beauty Zhou, then changed her clothes to prevent anyone from associating her with it, are you?"