Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace · Chat

The twelve carved wooden doors of Jiangxue Hall stood wide open, allowing the sunlight to spill in at an angle, making every gold brick on the floor shine. The maidens stood in rows on either side according to their rank, their presence filled with subtle, silent observations. Noble Consort Xi sat behind a screen, her gaze sweeping heavily over the people in the hall before finally resting on the Fourth Prince, Hongli. "Hongli," she said, her voice steady and unhurried. "You are the one making the choice today at this selection; you must provide an answer." Hongli stood in the center of the hall, his posture upright, though his gaze remained unfocused. He walked over to Fucha Langhua and paused. Langhua lowered her head in a bow, her posture as poised and precise as a doll measured and tailored by the palace. Hongli held the ruyi scepter in his hand, but hesitated to hand it over. The eunuch outside the hall had already announced the names of the maidens for the third time, yet there was still no sign of Qingying. Langhua remained composed on the surface, but her hand, hidden within her sleeve, clenched slightly. Gao Xiyue, standing behind her, stole a quick glance at Hongli before lowering her head again, her eyelashes fluttering. Hongli was distracted. He did not care about the appearance or family background of the maidens, nor did he care how many pairs of eyes were fixed on the scepter in his hand. What he cared about was— "My lady, please slow down, wait for A'ruo..." Before the words faded, a series of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the hall. Qingying arrived late, her hair slightly disheveled, a faint flush on her face from running. She strode into the hall, her robes fluttering as she moved, bringing with her a gust of wind that felt entirely out of place in the solemn, dignified atmosphere. Langhua glanced at her sideways, her expression indifferent, as if looking at a falling leaf. Gao Xiyue also took a look before immediately averting her eyes, her lips pressed into a thin line. Hongli, however, looked as if he had been struck by something. His gaze moved past Langhua, past all the maidens in the hall, and landed squarely on Qingying. No one knew what he said; they only saw him suddenly turn and walk with long, purposeful strides toward Qingying, firmly handing the ruyi scepter—which was meant for Langhua—to her instead. A silence fell over the hall. Langhua's face turned deathly pale in that instant. She lowered her eyes, but her back straightened even further. Gao Xiyue lifted her chin slightly, her eyes darting between Hongli and Qingying, a flash of something in her gaze that was quickly suppressed. --- "An imperial decree from the Emperor—" Everyone knelt as one. The eunuch's voice echoed through the hall, each word falling like hail against the gold bricks: "Hongshi, the Third Prince, has engaged in factionalism and treacherous intentions; he is to be stripped of his clan status and removed from the imperial genealogy! The Empress of the Ula-Nara clan of Jingren Palace has interfered in state affairs; effective immediately, she is to be confined to Jingren Palace and shall not leave until death!" The Yongzheng Emperor arrived at Jiangxue Hall in person. His gaze swept over Hongli's face, then landed on Qingying, and finally looked at the ruyi scepter that had been handed over. "The Ula-Nara woman is the niece of a criminal empress," Yongzheng's voice was sharp as ice. "She cannot be the primary consort of Hongli." Hongli knelt down. He knelt with his back straight, but his voice carried the stubbornness unique to a young man: "I am willing to stake my life on the fact that Qingying has absolutely no connection to the Empress's crimes. She is the only one my heart desires."