HCB Chapter 540 Consort Hui's Miscarriage
Chapter 540 Consort Hui's Miscarriage
Gu Junze waved for his guards to leave. After the door closed, he walked to the table, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp.
“There are no bandits on Black Wind Ridge at all.” His voice was as cold as ice.
Chu Ruohan's heart skipped a beat: "What do you mean?"
Gu Junze slammed the teacup down, making a dull thud.
He looked at Chu Ruohan, a chilling glint in his deep eyes: "When my men arrived, there was no one there except for corpses and bloodstains. After investigation, we found that those people were not bandits or outlaws at all."
He paused, then said, word by word, "They are soldiers, well-trained private soldiers."
Chu Ruohan's face instantly darkened: "Private soldiers? Which minister is it?"
To privately raise soldiers under the emperor's nose and dare to openly commit murder on the official road is tantamount to treason.
“Zhang Xian, the Vice Minister of War,” Gu Junze said coldly, “Qin Fang and the others were just taking the fall for someone else. The person Zhang Xian really wanted to silence was a censor from the Censorate.”
"The official in charge of the censor's affairs happened to be delayed, and he set off half a day late, which is why our caravan ran into him."
"To kill a single censor, they slaughtered our entire caravan. What a ruthless act!" Chu Ruohan's anger burned within her.
Those who escorted the caravan had wives, children, and elderly parents at home, yet they died so unjustly.
“I have already reported this matter, and the Prefect of Jingzhao personally led people to search Zhang Xian’s residence.” Gu Junze’s tone was completely calm, as if he were stating something perfectly ordinary. “He won’t survive.”
Chu Ruohan nodded, her anger subsiding slightly.
She knew that since Gu Junze had said that, Zhang Xian's fate was already sealed.
However, the thought of those who had died still weighed heavily on her heart.
Gu Junze walked to her side, pulled her into his arms, and placed his warm palms on her back, silently comforting her.
"Something has happened in the palace too." His deep voice sounded above her head.
Chu Ruohan paused, then looked up at him: "Consort Hui?"
Gu Junze hummed in agreement, his expression complicated: "Last night, Consort Hui started bleeding, but by the time the imperial physician arrived, the baby was already gone."
Chu Ruohan wasn't surprised by the news. She just hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.
"How did it disappear?" she asked softly.
"According to news from the palace, she slipped and fell while admiring her newly acquired jade artifacts in the palace, which aggravated her pregnancy."
Gu Junze's tone was devoid of emotion. "The Emperor was furious and had all the palace servants who served her beaten to death, but he did not punish her too much. He simply told her to rest and recover."
Chu Ruohan let out a barely audible sigh in his arms.
Whether it was an accident, someone sabotaging her behind the scenes, or her own self-inflicted suffering, it no longer matters.
The important thing is that, in the end, this child could not be saved.
Just as she expected.
"Your Majesty, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief," Chu Ruohan said calmly.
Gu Junze stroked her soft, long hair and said in a low voice, "The struggles in the harem have never ceased. Today it is Consort Hui, tomorrow it may be Consort Li, or even the Princess."
"As long as the Empress does not give birth to a legitimate son, her position will not be secure."
Chu Ruohan didn't say anything more, but just leaned against him quietly.
The world is never as peaceful and prosperous as it appears on the surface.
"I approve of Qin Fang and Yu Ling's relationship." After a long while, Chu Ruohan changed the subject, her voice carrying a hint of warmth.
"Once Qin Fang recovers from his injuries, let's hold a wedding for them. It will bring some joy to the household."
Gu Junze looked down at her and saw that the gloom between her brows had dissipated considerably, and the coldness in her eyes had softened as well.
"I'll do whatever you say." He gently kissed the top of her head, his tone indulgent. "Do whatever you want."
Meanwhile, in Qin Fang's room.
Yu Ling walked briskly through the door, her face showing undisguised joy and shyness.
Qin Fang was already awake, leaning against the headboard, his gaze fixed on the direction of the door. When he saw her come in, his dim eyes instantly lit up.
“Madam…” he began urgently, his voice still hoarse.
Yu Ling walked to the bedside, put the handkerchief in her hand into the basin to soak it, wrung it out, and carefully wiped his cheeks and hands.
Her movements were gentle, and a tender smile graced her face: "Madam grants permission."
Those four simple words froze Qin Fang completely.
He stared blankly at Yuling, as if he couldn't believe his ears.
Yu Ling felt a little embarrassed by his gaze, lowered her eyes, and said in a voice barely audible, "Madam said that once you are healed, you will officiate our...our wedding."
A surge of immense joy overwhelmed Qin Fang instantly.
His chest heaved violently, and an unnatural flush rose on his cheeks from excitement.
He tried to grab her hand, but found he didn't even have the strength to lift his arm.
Yu Ling sensed his intention and took the initiative to place her hand over his bandaged hand.
"Don't move around, you should focus on recovering." Her voice was tinged with reproach, but her eyes were full of tenderness.
Qin Fang grinned, revealing a silly smile, his eyes filled with the joy of regaining a lost treasure and boundless anticipation for the future.
"Yu Ling." He looked at her intently and called her name solemnly.
"Ok?"
"When I recover, I will marry you with great pomp and circumstance."
Within two days, the news that Zhang Xian, the Vice Minister of War, had committed suicide in prison out of fear of punishment spread throughout the capital.
The entire government and the public were shaken.
However, the scene inside the Gu residence was completely different.
Chu Ruohan personally oversaw the families of those who perished in the caravan disaster, ensuring that every penny was used effectively.
On the other hand, with Qin Fang injured, no one was in charge of the shop's affairs, and the lost goods of the caravan also became a troublesome matter that urgently needed to be dealt with.
The atmosphere inside Chu Ruohan's silk shop was somewhat heavy.
Chu Ruohan sat in the main seat, with several contracts and an account book on the table in front of her.
Her expression was calm, her fingertips lightly tapping the table, her gaze sweeping calmly over the merchants sitting below.
These people were all cargo owners who entrusted their goods to caravans for transport.
"Gentlemen," Chu Ruohan's clear and steady voice broke the silence in the room, "I'm sure you all know why I've invited you here today."
"The incident at Black Wind Ridge was due to the caravan's inadequate protection, which caused the loss of your goods. I would like to apologize to you on your behalf."
She stood up and gave a slight curtsy to everyone.
Several merchants quickly stood up to return the greeting, with one of the older shopkeepers, Mr. Liu, speaking first: "Madam, you flatter me."
"This is an unexpected disaster, no one wanted it. We entrusted the goods to the Chu family because we trusted them. Now that something has happened, we only hope that you, Madam, can provide some advice."