The sound of ceremonial music from outside the palace drowned out the conversation, granting Zhao Hua and Xiao Jingyan ample time alone.
Zhao Hua, who had just been teasing and joking with Xiao Jingyan, now composed herself and spoke in a serious tone:
"Since you know that the emperor won't spare the lives of the Chen family couple, why did you let them go like that? If the emperor can't find them, who do you think he will suspect? How many lives do you have, brother, to withstand his suspicions?"
From the very beginning, Xiao Jingyan understood that Zhao Hua did all this to protect him.
However, he was a person who appeared one way on the surface but was completely different on the inside. He seemed carefree on the outside, but in reality, he held strong principles and valued loyalty and righteousness more than anyone else.
Therefore, he couldn't approve of Zhao Hua's actions.
"So, in order to save me, you're willing to sacrifice the lives of others? Are you willing to sacrifice the lives of the kind people who helped raise Cheng Yu safely? What's the difference between what you're doing and what Xiao Jingheng did!?"
Faced with his stern questioning, Zhao Hua didn't back down. On the contrary, her presence grew even stronger as she retorted:
"And what about you, brother? What have you done? You sent them to Yun City, which is your fiefdom. Under the heavens, there isn't a place where the emperor can't find two living people. When the emperor finds them, he will take all three of you to the execution ground and behead you together. Will you be satisfied then?"
Zhao Hua's question left Xiao Jingyan momentarily speechless.
After a while, he murmured, "At that time, I couldn't think that far. I could only..."
"Brother, your lack of consideration isn't something that happened overnight. From the moment you asked me to steal the Tian Ji Secret Order, from the time you dared to have a relationship with Elder Sister Rong in the palace, I knew that you were a person who didn't value your own life."
Zhao Hua interrupted Xiao Jingyan's words with annoyance and then candidly confessed, "That's right, I sent people to bring the Chen family couple from Yun City, and I also persuaded the emperor to have them killed quickly to avoid any trouble. If I didn't do that, I wouldn't have been able to find out from the emperor's own mouth how he planned to kill the Chen family couple, nor could I arrange things properly afterwards."
Xiao Jingyan stared at Zhao Hua with widened eyes. From her calm demeanor, he seemed to catch a glimpse of his own recklessness. His voice softened as he asked, "What do you mean by 'arranging things properly afterward'?"
Impatiently, Zhao Hua gave him a disdainful look and said, "When I learned from the emperor himself how he planned to burn the Chen family couple alive, I had Tian Ji find a notorious ruffian from Hengzhou. They disguised themselves as the Chen family couple and were left in the old house, waiting for someone to set it on fire. Meanwhile, the real Chen family couple had long been sent to Danzhou from Yun City."
She paused for a moment, clenched her fist, and delivered a heavy blow to Xiao Jingyan's chest. Then, she raised her eyebrows teasingly and said, "Do you understand now, my foolish and unaware older brother?"
After listening to Zhao Hua's words, Xiao Jingyan felt as if his cheeks had been slapped repeatedly, burning with a fiery pain.
He scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. His attitude suddenly changed, and with a mischievous yet foolish smile, he said, "Hehe, I knew my sister wouldn't do that..."
"Stop." Zhaohua placed her index finger on Xiaojingyan's lips, playfully saying, "I wonder who was acting so fierce earlier, as if I had taken his two pennies and he was eager to interrogate me."
"Ah! Brother was wrong, brother was wrong!"
Xiaojingyan quickly admitted his mistake and eagerly moved closer to Zhaohua, wearing a playful smile on his face.
"Brother was just worried that you would take the wrong path and become someone you despise. And if we reveal everything from the beginning, I wouldn't have to..."
"I couldn't have told you from the beginning," Zhaohua's gaze playfully wandered over him.
"You're someone who can't hide anything on your face. If I had told you, you would still have maintained your carefree appearance when entering and leaving the palace, thinking no one was watching. But if someone from the emperor's side had secretly observed you, wouldn't they have become suspicious? You value friendship the most, and the Chens are your close friends. If you couldn't convincingly show your grief over the loss of your dear friends, it would be better to let you believe it was true. If the actors are fully immersed in their roles, then how can the audience doubt it?"
After hearing Zhaohua's words, Xiaojingyan was dumbfounded, and his jaw almost dropped to the ground.
He had known that Zhaohua was intelligent, but he never expected her to be so skilled at plotting and scheming.
At that moment, as he looked at Zhaohua, his eyes transformed from astonishment to a sense of admiration.
He exclaimed repeatedly, "Wow! Xiao Jingheng is truly fortunate to have you by his side."
He leaned closer to Zhaohua and smirked, "But aren't you playing with fire? Could you possibly kill him?"
Zhaohua smiled indifferently and calmly replied, "Kill him? Why would I want my husband to die? I will always remember the Emperor's kindness and never forget it. In the future, I will repay him tenfold, a hundredfold, to fulfill the bond between us as husband and wife."
Even a fool could understand the hidden meaning in her words.
With that, Xiaojingyan no longer continued speaking and mischievously pointed at the idol, saying, "You enjoy yourself with him, I'll have to go back and hide."
Zhaohua furrowed her brows slightly upon hearing this and curiously followed his gaze. Only then did she realize that the space behind the idol was cramped, and Xiaojingyan, being tall and big, had to crouch like a turtle to hide there.
Seeing him like this, she couldn't help but suppress her laughter.
"Now that you're here, enduring this ordeal, shouldn't you meet the person you've been yearning for day and night?"
"You mean..."
"Shh." Zhaohua placed her index finger on her lips and made a hushing gesture towards Xiaojingyan, who was crouched in the dark corner. Then she raised her eyebrows and smiled.
"Hide well, don't let your tail stick out."
With that, she turned around, opened the palace doors, and among the group of concubines, her gaze fell solely on Rongyue.
"Consort Shun, you have good calligraphy skills. Did you transcribe the entire 'Earth Treasury Sutra' that I asked you to copy?"
Rongyue said, "Your Majesty, they are all here."
Cai Ying was originally holding a Buddhist scripture to show to Zhao Hua, but Zhao Hua waved her hand and said,
"No need, let Consort Shun personally take them inside and burn these Buddhist scriptures."
Upon hearing this,
Rongyue cast a deep gaze at Zhao Hua, suppressing the waves in her heart, and nodded heavily in response,
"I, your humble servant... shall obey the order!"
