Chapter 404
Owe her?
Chu Ruoyan's lips curled into a mocking smile. She almost wanted to say that if she didn't want to leave, then she could stay here forever.
But then she thought of something: "Go and find out what Roumin has been doing lately."
The palace servant complied and returned shortly after: "Your Majesty, ever since Princess Roumin arrived at Yikun Palace, she has been very well-behaved. She finishes all her meals cleanly every day and only asked to do some embroidery..."
"Embroidery?" Chu Ruoyan narrowed her eyes. The servant quickly added, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. The female officials from the Shangxiu Bureau personally accompany her every day. After she finishes embroidering, the embroidery frame, needles, and threads are all taken away. Nothing is left behind."
This was also instructed beforehand. To prevent Roumin from hurting others or herself, not a single dangerous tool could be left in Yikun Palace.
But thinking of Roumin's usual behavior, Chu Ruoyan felt it wasn't that simple. "Momo, make a trip to the Shangxiu Bureau yourself and see if there is anything wrong with the embroidery tools she used."
Momo Zhou acknowledged the order and left. Yulu curled her lips and said, "Your Majesty, why do you have to trouble yourself so much? If worse comes to worst, just put her under house arrest. The Duke wouldn't blame you anyway."
Chu Ruoyan let out a bitter laugh. "He wouldn't blame me, but he would definitely blame himself. After all, his guilt towards Roumin runs too deep..."
As they spoke, Momo Zhou returned with a serious expression. "Your Majesty's expectations were correct. None of the embroidery tools are missing, but a corner of the embroidery frame is damaged. She must have picked off a piece of wood."
"A piece of wood?"
Chu Ruoyan's gaze froze. Yulu covered her mouth and said, "Could she be planning to assassinate you when she meets Your Majesty?"
The woman pondered for a moment and shook her head. "She is blind, so it would be very difficult for her to aim accurately in an assassination. Besides, I am surrounded by guards wherever I go now. She wouldn't have a chance to strike, unless..."
Anticipating a certain possibility and recalling the warning Liaokong had given her, a chill ran through her heart.
"Men, go invite Duke Chu into the palace!"
Yikun Palace.
Roumin sat on the couch. Hearing the many footsteps outside, her heart filled with wild joy.
She's here, she's finally here!
She tightly clutched the wooden splinter and sneered when people entered, "Chu Ruoyan, you finally dare to come see me!"
A hint of cold mockery flashed in the woman's eyes. "Didn't you say you wanted me to escort you back personally? Let's go."
"Wait!" Roumin's cloudy grey eyes rolled. "Before we go, I want to say a few words to you alone."
"Your Majesty, you must not!" Momo Zhou cried out. Chu Ruoyan waved her hand. "All of you, step back for now."
Following the sound of many footsteps exiting the hall doors, Roumin listened carefully. Only when she was sure no one else was around did she speak: "Chu Ruoyan, oh Chu Ruoyan, after all this time, don't you feel the slightest bit of guilt towards me?"
"Why should I feel guilty towards you?"
"You stole my identity and occupied my nest for over a decade, causing me to live a miserable life in Mount Wutai and even go blind. Shouldn't you feel guilty? If it weren't for you, I would be the legitimate daughter of the Duke Chu's estate. I should have been the one to marry Yan Zheng, and I should be the wife of the former dynasty's Chief Minister, and the current Empress!"
Chu Ruoyan let out a scoffing laugh. "Is that what you think?"
"Isn't it? You stole my life, yet you still have the nerve to flaunt your power in front of me. Chu Ruoyan, outsiders say you are kind and benevolent, but to me, you are utterly hypocritical! Everyone has been deceived by you, including my incredibly stupid biological father, who has been twisted around your little finger!"
A figure standing nearby instantly stiffened, revealing an indescribable look of pain.
Chu Ruoyan slightly lowered her eyes. "Think whatever you like. Anyway, for the sake of our father, I won't pursue the things you've done in the past, and I will send you back to live out the rest of your days."
"Ha! It's too late, too late!" Roumin finally spat out the words that had been suppressed in her heart for so long, laughing freely. "Chu Ruoyan, I'm not like other women. What I can't have, you can forget about having too! Guess what? If I die right here, would my good daddy think that you killed me?"
As she spoke, the wooden splinter was pressed against her throat. The blind girl laughed maniacally, seemingly eager to hear a panicked reaction from her.
Unfortunately, there was none.
Chu Ruoyan just looked at her coldly. "As expected, you used the excuse of embroidery to pick off this wooden splinter just to frame me."
No matter how many reasons there were, as long as Roumin died here, Chu Huaishan would definitely believe she had something to do with it.
Even if he didn't seek revenge, it would undoubtedly create a rift and alienate them.
This explained Liaokong's phrase "the closest yet the most distant." It didn't mean losing a loved one, but losing familial affection.
This scheme was too venomous!
"That's right! I racked my brains for so many days before coming up with such a method to take revenge on you all! Chu Ruoyan, don't you pride yourself on being filial? I insist on making you watch with your own eyes as the adoptive father you are so filial to hates you to the bone! And Chu Huaishan, he doesn't deserve to be a father at all! I want him to live in regret day and night, regretting sending me away back then, and regretting adopting you!!"
Roumin forcefully moved to stab herself, but with a thud, someone knelt on the ground.
"Roumin, is it worth it? Just for revenge, you're even willing to throw your own life away?" The aged voice was filled with agony. Roumin's hand trembled, and the wooden splinter fell to the ground.
"Chu Huaishan? Why are you here?!!"
If he was here, didn't that mean he had heard everything just now?
Then didn't her painstaking planning, her final grand scheme of revenge, also amount to nothing?
"Her Majesty asked me to come. At first, I didn't believe you would do such a thing, but I never expected that you would rather die just to harm her... Roumin, you are truly, terribly wrong. Why won't you think about it carefully? If Her Majesty had truly wronged you, how could she have preserved your title as Princess!"
Chu Huaishan was heartbroken and distressed, but Roumin's mind went completely blank.
She shivered, seemingly wanting to say something, but her body began to twitch uncontrollably, and eventually, white foam continuously bubbled from the corners of her mouth.
Chu Huaishan turned pale with fright. "Roumin, Roumin? Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"
Night fell at the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
When Yan Zheng returned, he saw his little wife leaning against the couch, her face showing signs of fatigue.
His heart ached as he walked over and kissed her forehead. "A-Yan, Roumin has gone mad."
Chu Ruoyan was slightly stunned and looked up. The man didn't hide it: "I ordered the Shadows to drug her. As long as this woman isn't eliminated, she will be a problem. Since we cannot kill her, then let her live in a stupor, so she won't cause any more trouble for you and your father."
Chu Ruoyan remained silent for a long time. "Thank you... It should have been done sooner."
The resentment in Roumin's heart ran too deep; it had already reached the point of madness.
Like this, perhaps it was the best outcome.
The next day, the civil and military officials petitioned to confer the title of Empress upon the Yun clan.
The following day, the Emperor personally went to offer sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple. He also dispatched Chief Minister Cao Yang as the principal envoy and Minister of Rites Xu Yan as the deputy envoy to bear the imperial patent and seal, accompanied by the imperial guards, to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility to read the edict of investiture.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: We have received the precious mandate to inherit and continue the grand enterprise, cultivating military prowess externally and managing human relations internally. We consult you, of the Yun clan, daughter of the Prince Regent and adoptive daughter of Duke Chu. You were raised in an illustrious family, possess a gentle and dignified nature, are well-versed in etiquette and law, and exhibit outstanding virtue and brilliance. Now, reverently following the mandate of Heaven, We confer upon you the imperial patent and seal, establishing you as Empress, to be the mother of the world and to jointly accomplish this great endeavor. Respect this!"